New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-10-02
The Black Mans Party.

The Black Mans Party.
MEssRs. EDITORS: From the yell that
has been made by some Of the journals o!
this city, in dcnunciation of the supposed
attempt Of a few colored men to organize a
party for political purposes, exclusively of
men of their own race, one would suppose
that it was in the days Of slavery and that
another John Brown had arose, and that the
throats Of every Anglo Saxon on the CONT
nent were in danger of some Internal corn
knife, rusty razor, or some other diabolical
instrument the moment old Sol hid his face
behind the western hills. Had this rumor
been promulgated in any other country save
America, by any other paper save the Re-
publican, there might be some grounds, some
reasonable pretense, for denouncing those
cOlored men for drawing line based on
color to insist upon the complete extension
country. A colored mans party is an Or
ganization as old as the Republic itself. 1t
was organized shortly after the signing of
the Declaration Of Independence.
White men of the same grit as the editor
Of the Republican were the founders thereof,
and its rules and regulat: ons-made by white
men for the government of the blacks, much
against their (the blacks) will, are still rgidly
enforced by this unscrupulous editor and his
coadjutors whenever an opportunity pre-
scnts.
Why such characters should object to any
organization being formed amongst colored
men for political purposes Except it be such
an one as exists among the whites in the
South, known as the X. X. K.,) is a mystery
to me.
If you have been so fortunate as to receive
from foreign country the signs, grips, and
passwords that belong to some organizations
that exist here, and are composed of whites
should you sound the alarm and succeed in
gaining admission, you would be quickly
and, perhaps, roughly informed that "this is
a white mans party" If you are master Of
trade, an expert mechanic, and apply tc
some boss trades-unionist for job, where
you can earn an honest living by the sweat
OF your brow, you will be told that it canno,
be given that such places are exclusively
for those who are members of the white
mans party. If colored citizen in the
vicinity of Thirteenth and X streets presents
one or more Of their children to the Frank.
lin school for admission they will meet with
the same objection-that this is white chill.
dren's party.
Now if we are to be constantly reminded
Of the fact, the moment that we ask for any
privilege that belongs to an American, thai
We are distinct party, stamped by the com
pleXion of our skin, and should not EMO,
that privilege, it is time that we should accep
the situation in politics, where our power car
alone be felt, until We compel such men a,
the editor of the Republican to acknowledge
that there should be no barriers preventin.
citizens on account Of race or color from en-
joying all their rights, civil as well as polit
ical.
The Republican well knows that if it ha
the prestige over any other paper in the Dis
trict it has obtained it by playing the par
Of a dema.ogue with those whom it now rid
cues and if it desires to DC made nor
sensible Z! the extent Of its own power, i
would only require the colored men 10 re
main inactive in the present campaign an,
let the Republican and its peers have tn
field against the opposition.
Then if there is an effort being made I,
make colored men feel that their interest i
identical, l, for ono, am heartily in sympa
thy with such measure, and no colored maj
should be deferred from uniting on the sam
, platform by the weak advice of such bogu
friends as the National Republican is dali
proving itself TO be.
Whilst there are Irish and German organ
izations in this city and country, working ex
> clusively for the prominence Of their re
,, spec;iye nationalities, and at the same tim
are enjoying all the rights that belong t
Americans, newspapers should not demu
against colored men, whose privileges are $
circumscribed, for organizing to obtain b
lawful means what justly belongs to them q
/ citizens. SPHyNx.