New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-06-18
TIE DOMINANT RACE.

| almost entirely OF Dlack men. Inc ap
peals that have been repeatedly made t.
the colored voters in the country parishes
to elect none but black men as delegates
to conventions have had their effect
These appeals, it is true, have not always
been publicly made. They have mucE
oftener been rendered in a quiet ant
secret way by the few designing Whit
leaders of the Customhouse wing Of th,
Republican party in this State who have
long been laboring in way that would
inevitably lead to the construction
Of a negro party here. They have
labored to make the negro vote a uni
on question Of race, believing they
could control this vote when it came tc
making nominations or going into cleo
tons of State and federal officers. Acting,
no doubt, under the advice Of the Custom.
house officials, who have long been en-
deavoring to shape the politics Of this
State, so as to give them the control OF
the State government and re-elect Grant,
the late lamented Lieutenant Governor
Dunn, but a short time before his death,
wrote a letter 10 an influential colored man
in the country, calculated to foster and en-
courage the ideas Of certain white men
holding federal positions in this State,
and claiming to be leaders Of the Repub-
lican party. Among these ideas was the
brilliant one instructing colored voters to
elect none but black men as delegates to
conventions white men could not be
trusted. We are aware that Governor
Dunn had the good sense, after he saw
what would be thought of the enforcement
of such course, to deny that he meant to
advocate the establishment Of negro
party in this State. But this did not
efface the direct appeal and instruction
given by him to prominent colored man
in the country, TO the effect that none but
colored men should bereturned by colored
voters as delegates to an important
State convention about to be held.
His letter, intended to be pri-
vate, found its way to the public ear,
and Governor Dunn, rather than face the
responsibility he knew full well should
rest on other shoulders, denied that he
was working for the formation Of a negro
party. We intend to do him the justice
to say we do not believe he intended to
work for any such purpose yet we cannot
say as much in extenuation of the conduct
of his white coadiutors, who were I'M
doubtedly working to augment and per-
petuate their political power and emolu-
ments through the force of negro votes,
and for this selfish purpose were anxious
that none but negro delegates should be
sent to nominating conventions. These
far reaching federal officials had double
object in such a course. Their first object
was to win the confidence of colored
men by making them believe said federal
officials and the faction to which they be-
long are the true friends of the negro race,
in comforting upon it the empty honors Of
furnishing delegates to a nominating con-
yention. If they succeeded in their first
object, they deemed they would have
cheap and certain attainment Of their
second object, which is to control |
the nominations and determine who shall
receive the vote of the State for State and |
federal offices. And the action of these |
federal officials is certainly consonant |
with the views of the Grant organ pub
liohed IN Washington city According to |
a showing previously made by US, the M
ti0naI Republicans. printed at the federal |
capital, relies upon the negro vote as the
only certain means Of carrying this State
for Grant and Wilson. It boldly asserts
that the colored people are the dominant !
race in Louisiana and certain other States |
named, and says it is utterly out Of the
question that these States should go other
wise than for Grant and Wilson. Now, if
the colored people are, as the Washington
Grant organ says, the dominant
race in this State-in other and palmer
words, the ruling race-we hold that that
race is entitled to the nomination of
colored man for Governor at the hands of
the convention that meets tomorrow in
Baton Rouge That convention will be
chiefly of coIored men, drawn
together under the instruction received
in their parishes, that white men can not
be trusted The delegates Of the domi-
nant race or that race which is accredited
with being the ruling race by an organ Of
the federal administration, should not al
low themselves to be hoodwinked out of
heir rights by a few fourth rate white
and hungry ofhce-seekers,
who will attend the convention for
he purpose Of saying who shall
2e nominated for Governor and the other
State officers, members OF the Legislature,
members Of Congress, etc. The colored
,eople being the dominant race, as as
erted by an official organ Of Grantism,
nd the convention about to meet at Baton
Rouge being composed principally Of col
red men, if they are true to their race they
vii insist upon nominating colored man
Of Governor This much and a great
cal more under the circumstance, is due
he colored people if they would really be
ne ruling race. They have a representa-
We man in the person Of our present Lieu
enaut Governor, Mr.. Pinchback, who is {
ri without ability as az, avec77+ive officer