National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-11-10
THE RIGHTS OF EREEDMEN

The cOlOred citizens of the country will
rejoice to be assured that no danger need
be apprehended to their rights from the
Democratic party. They will feel per
fectly safe upon that head when they learn
that the New York Herald rushes to the
front as bail for the Democrats in this re-
spect No doubt can be entertained as to
the responsibility and competency of the
guarantee. The Herald is somewhat
famous for its assumption of the guardian
ship of all winning parties. 1t is so brim-
full and running over with advice that it
cannot avoid the tender of it to all parties
and sections. Its broad wings offer succor
and shelter to the fortunate and miserable
alike. OF course it is just now exercised
by philanthropic sympathy for the negro.
Like the Southern planters, the ex-slave-
holders and the White Leaguers, it pro-
fesses the greatest concern for his welfare.
This is the way in which it puts it: ''The
Democrats so resolutely contested every
"inch of ground against the negroes, fight
"ing the constitutional amendments one
"by one, fighting the enforcement acts,
sympathizing with the Ku-Klux intole-
rance, and denouncing without stint the
"abuses of negro supremacy, that Demo-
"Cratic ascendency in the Federal Govern
"ment might seem like putting wolves over
&c the flock in place of the faithful shepherd
"dogs." This would appear to a great
many people Of simple, honest ways of
thinking as a somewhat logical conclusion.
But it is all wrong. ION the contrary,
quite the reverse may be expected. The
Democrats are too shrewd to attempt to
deprive the negroes of either their free
"dom, their civil rights or the elective
franchise. Why? What does the sim
pie and cOnfding reader suppose is the rea-
son given by this great friend ofeverybody,
this greatest metropolitan journal in the
world, for sucl conclusion? Because the
negroes have any rights which Democrats
are bound to respect? Because they belong
to the all men who were created free and
equal?'' Because the Constitution has
abolished slavery and enfranchised the for
mer slaves and invested them with rights
and privileges equal to those enjoyed by
the whites? Oh, no none Of these. But
because cit would be impossible 10 conceal
"such a purpose, if it were entertained,
"and nothing would so certainly arrest the
political revolution now in progress as a
"belief that the Southern negroes would
"be remanded by the Democratic party to
"their former condition" .....
Such is the selfish ground of guaranty
for human liberty and the enjoyment Of
vested rights which is to protect the freed
men under Democratic rule. This may be
q powerful incentive to few of the North
ern leaders, but how long will it suffice in
the South when the party is once fairly
seated in power? How long will it be be-
fore the Texan peOnage law, scarcely in
ferior in its infamous provisions to the old
slave code, will be enacted by every Demo-
cratic Legislature in the South? But the
Herald volunteers this opinion, which may
or may not be considered as extra judicial:
eve have no doubt that the rights of the
"negroes will be more secure in Demo-
''cratic than in Republican hands,"
The Herald then goes on to argue that
negro suffrage in the South is an evil. 1t