The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-12-24

siveness Of her enactments. General
Terry wisely and honorably forbade
obedience to her exceedingly cruel
"Vagrant Act" In his order to that
end he declares the condition of the
freedmen to be worse than had been
that Of the slaves.
Tennessee-Her enactments appear
to great advantage by the side of
nany'1 have referred to, especially in
their admitting colored persons to be
competent witnesses. Nevertheless,
she could not allow a colored person
TO hold Office or be a juror.
Texas allowed the colored man to
hold property; but in other respects
her code was as severe as those I have
spoken Of.
Louisiana-Her "Vagrant Act
was severe; but it had not all the
features in the "Vagrant Acts' of
some Of the other States.
Against none of these cruel and
wicked enactments, came there up
one protest from the Democratic par
ty. Let me now ask what would
have become Of the Southern blacks :;
what Of any Of the Southern people !;
what, indeed, Of the nation, had there
not been a Republican party to an
initiate this internal Democratic
legislation? This misnamed
DEMOCRATIC PARTY Is AGAIN FE1GN-
ING REPENTANCE,
and, this time, in the former slave
States. Where it cannot gain black
votes by intimidation, it seeks to gain
them by protesting change of heart
toward the black men and promising
to be their fast friend in the future,
instead of their atrocious enemy as in
the past. The poor blacks, in that
extreme ignorance forced upon them
by their cruel oppressors, are but too
easy prey to this still atrocious
enemy, who appeals now to their
fears and now to their hopes.
Bad, however, as is the Democratic
party. there is one respect in which it
ranks higher than the Republican
party. 1t is more consistent and more
steadfast. An old friend of my youth
was wont to say: Il would rather see
q man determinedly wrong than
whit #ingly right" The unAinching
determination of the Democratic par
ty, though it be determination to
serve the devil, commends a measure
Of our respect, whilst the "good Lord,
good deviP' policy, into which the
Republican parry occasionally slides,
does not fail toawaken our contempt.
What, however, shall prevent the
Republican party, if it. shall again
plant its standard by the side of truth,
from gathering around itself major
ity Of the American people?
NOTHING BUT BEING UNTRUE TO IT.
to its origin, history, aims, and
promises nothing indeed but its own
treachery to the truth.
l close with saying that if the civil
rights bill, or one essentially like it,
shall fail to become law at the next
session of Congress, the Republican
party will be responsible for making fre
millions Of our count,yn,e11 the everlast-
ing and euyorgiriag enemies of our
country.
The Republic newspaper died
young. Let us hope the gods loved
it. Man could not, for it lacked the
first principles of a successful news
paper. 1t was started by friends of
the Republican party in whose mis-
taken estimation the loyalty of the
New York Times was too lukewarm
The Times was and is a staunch Re
publican paper, but not an organ.
The Republic was an organ of the
most servile type, and as such did not
deserve to live. 1t must be borne in
mind, too, that newspaper is not as
easily: established as a corner-grocey.
It takes time and money and expert
:ence 70 place it on a paying basis. It
must II be built up, and gain the conf
dence and respect Of constituency,
which no mere organ can do.-Chi-
c1qo Tribune. "