New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-10-15
The fOiortl Citizen lnd Ci,lj
R:sl:ts.

| Observation Of the expression of c0lore,
citizens throughout the country, as embodied
| i'll the utlerances of recent public assemb-
| lagos and in the editorial articles IF repre-.
| sentative journals, shows a DEVELOPMENT al
true manhood and individuality az demon.
strated in self help aud the Intelligent use OF
the ballot, which we are especially glad to
| perceive.
The mass meeting Of colored citizens OF
| Boston, Massachusetts. expressive of their
| indignation at the fearful array of Southern
outrages, mostly against colored Americans,
with similar meetings all over the country
and like expressions, together with the in
| telllgent utterances of leading journals in
| this interest have had a healthy effect upon
the public mind in teaching the people that
| the idea embodied in American citizenship
must have sway ; and absurd prejudices based
| upon the false theories of slavery and at
| tempted to be longer continued against free
citizens cannot obtain. That, in plain words,
the entranchisement of the lie ,ro has given
him alt the rights of citizenship, aud neither
the Bourbons of the South nor their sympa-
| thizing, dirt4eating associates OF the North
can withstand tie iogicai 5equence OF the
| fifteenth amendment to the Constitution,
Very properly, therefore, the feeling ex-
pressed by our colored fellow-citizens every
where upon this subject of their civil and
| constitutional rights is healthiully strong.
| Emphatic in expression and wisely deter
| mined to WELD the power the ballot gives,
now and in the future, for the men and meas
ures only, most conducive to this end.
| While we are commercially pleased at this
| assertion, approaching as we do the import
ance always of self-help, where grievances
are imposed and may be riyhtfully redressed
| by such action, we yet, in endorsing the
general conduct and policy of all our associ-
ates in the purpose we jointly have for OBJ
taininng the full measure Of our citizenship.
deem that perhaps some of our confreres are
misinformed in regard to the surroundings Of
many of the vexed questions growing out of
denial of our rights.
! The Pacific Appeal and the Elerator on our
Pacific coast, and the PROGRESSIVE american
and similar journals in the East have not
unnaturally expressed dissatisfaction with
and disapproval of the short comngs of the
Republican party They suggest that mas
much as the party has thus far violated a
bOunden duty and solemn pledge in the
passage of law enforcing the rights of citi-
zenshp to the colored man, the latter should
determine other and different party allegi-
ance for the future.
In this our contemporaries err. They
forget that just at present whatever be the
| hCSiCS9 VI VIC AtCpuDiiCdu party III
| its obligations, that it cannot afford to con.
tinue its dereliction and that more than all
it alone cOnceds the citizenship Of the negro.
And that the cOlored citizens wrongs and his
required rights must be redressed and OBJ
tanned within that party. That especially
true i, The epi9i aInnatic assertion of Fred
rick Douglass: $40 the colored voter the
Republican party is the deck. all else is the
open sea-"
Hereto we observe that the New NATIONAL
ERA and other leading journals of our people
have all along maintained that the true cause
of tina denial to Senator Pinchback of his
seat in the Senate was because Of color pre-
judice. AS absurd as this may seem to tn,
really liberal and unprejudiced mind, yet thu
fact that in the case of Mr.. Pinchback thu
Senate went outside of all the established
precedents of the body in refusing him ad
mission upon the prima tucie evidence of hi.
election in his credentials, would seem t,
| verify such suspicion. We are disposed how
ever, to let the peculiar legal difficulties of tn
Louisiana case have weight in the Senate
non-actiOn. The consequence of this polio
has, as the Pacific appeal pertinently remarks
given the country the new rebellion of Sep
TENDER 18th.
Had the action Of Congress been final
either recognizing or rejecting the Republican
government vi IiiiS SCale, Inerc would nav
, occurred no such armed revolution as we wit
messed two weeks ago.
Fortunately, the errors of the past may
remodled. That we have already the silve
lining to the dark clouds that have so Ion
overcast our horizon is demonstrated in th
Increased positive temper of the country tha
LOYALTY, integrity, and devotion to the flag an
Union shall not longer go unprotected an
unsustained in the SOUTH but that hencefOrt
"the complete liberty and exact equality
promised American citizens IN the triumph
: Republican ideas shall be crystalized in I'll
II facts of law.-LOuisianian.
;, UpvrD ycrrv W An Vnd;oro o,l;tor a,