Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-03-22


A correspondent of the local Radical pa
per recommends George w. Price, Jr., the
colored Senator from New Hanover, as the
Radical candidate for Lieutenant Governor,
and the Raleigh Sentinel learns that the
negroes of Warren county have set their
hearts upon running John A. Lyman,
Senator from that county, for Congress i'll
the Second Congressional District.
This is the old, old story. Just before
the Inauguration of each successive canvass,
several leading negro politicians are g hon
ored by just such recommendations
Such men as "Judge" Cantwell, Sheriff
Schenck, ct i'll Ontlle genus, attend negro
meetings and grow eloquent over the fact
that the man and brother is entitled to
equal rights with his white fellow-citizens,
and claim for him full share in the dis
trbution of political honors. Thus far and
no farther. Here is the sum and sub
stance Of the negro in politics, so far as
North Carolina is concerned
We will qualify this assertion thus TAR.
In New Hanover, Craven, Halifax, Edge
conbe and few other counties, with over
whelming negro populations, in which the
coLOred rotcrs constitute ninety-1lihe one
h1tndredths of the Radical strength, few
MULATroEs collected i'll Wilmington, New
bern, Tarboro', Warrenton and other
county seats, are permitted graciously to
divide with their handful of white coadju-
tor, few of the local offices. The negro
proper, comprising the strength of the race
and of the Radical party, is hardly known
to North Carolina politics, except as the
ignorant tools of inscriptions leaders.
Such recommendations of Price and Hy-
man, therefore, mean nothing but empty
compliments, intended to tickle them and
their race Hyman, conld he be nOmina-
ted, with a negro majority Of several thou
sand i'll his District, would probably be
elected; but then Judge Thomas is so better
able to take care of the interests OF the
party, that it would not do to depose him.
He is the negroes friend. TO be sure he
voted for and signed the Ordinance of Sc
cession, but like John Pool, he did it to
{" embarrass" the Confederate Government,
and thus to secure the freeslom of the
slave.
But as to Price, that won't do. Price
could not be elected, should he be nomi-
mated, even if the rest OF the Radical ticket
was successful. There are, III round num-
bers, about two hundred thousand voters
in North Carolina. There are eighty
thousand registered negroes in the State.
If the political parties are about equally
balanced, which recent elections seem to
indicate, there are twenty thousand white
Radicals There are then four negroes to
one selsite 7soaa1 in the Radical party in
North Carolina.
1t would seem reasonable, therefore, that
a class contributing FoUR-FIFTHs of the
entire strength of a party should have the
nomination for one Of the eight places on
the State ticket. But such viii not be the
case. a-f
And why? It is not because there are
not negroes fully as capable to fill the
various offices as those who will be nomi-
mated, either morally or mentally. Price,
for instance, barring an inordinate propen-
sity to drink at bar-rooms reserved for
whites, and to force himself among the
whites at theatres, always when under the
influence of liquor, is very respectable
man In character and talents-in every
respect as worthy as Brogden, Justice,
Oebe Harris and the other white aspirants
for the Radical nomination for Lieutenant