The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1874-09-03
umns in length, addressed 4To Our Col

ored Citizens" says:
THE white people intend to carry tn
State elections this fail; this intention i
deliberate and uaaLterobIe"
Again in the same paragraph we read
LET it be distinctly remembered tha
you have fair warning that soe intend t
carry the State Of Louisiana IN Novem6e
meet, or she soiH be military territory"
The italics are the writer's, not ours
and here in couple of sentences W,
have the deliberate announcement tina
in Louisiana the colored citizen shall ne
longer be allowed to exercise his consti
tutionally guaranteed prerogative o
casting his vote for State or Federal rep
resentatives. This is the solemn declara
ton and sworn purpose of the White
| League, or reorganiZed Kuklux Demo
cratic clubs of the State as is shone by
their own declarations, copied from the
| White League platform, published in the
New Orleans Picayune, their acknowl-
edged organ, as follows:
I'VE submit the platform of the Cres-
cent City White League, believing that it
can and will be made the platform of the
white race in Louisiana
''The Crescent city Democratic Club of
1868, having changed its name to that of
Crescent City white League, has thought
retired members and to the people of
New Orleans of the motives of change
SO seriously and SO sadly suggestive"
And here is the explanation, or fair
sample of it:
"The negro has proved himself as des-
titute of common gratitude as of COM
mon sense. Instead of improving in his
capacity to make an intelligent and pat
riotic use of the ballot, we do not hesi-
tate to affirm that he is to-day less quail
fed for the duties of self-government
than he was seven years ago"
1t is strange to see the very men who
have resisted the education of the colored
race, and have driven their teachers
from the State now denouncing them
for their ignorance, and making that
reason for depriving them of their right
to approach the ballotbox
A similar spirit pervades the State of
Texas. On the night of June %, band
of fifteen armed men in Gaudaloupe
county Texas, took Mr. c. w. Washburn,
one of the teachers of the public schools
in colored settlement, from his bed,
and tied him, when one of the number
interceded for his life. and they finally
inflicted one hundred lashes with a bull
whip and allowed him six days to leave |
the county. Mr.. Washburn has been one |
of the teachers from the American Mis- |
sionary Association for several years. |
They informed him that "they soould kill or |
drive of every Ohite teacher of day-schooI or |
Sunday school a0ho taught the negro; that this
,oGS a a0hite man S country that no negro |
should be taught; and that they meant get to |
haze him back an has old condition.
On the following night band of eight |
men, all masked with black muslin, and |
0nd VHrIfh oh IL
house of Mr.. j. F. Gesner, near Seguin, |
Texas, and demanded admittance Find |
ing that resistance was useless, Mr.. Ges-
ner opened the door when he was seized |
and dragged out into the yard and an at
Tempt was made to put rope about his
neck. Upon shouting murder" he was
struck with six shooter. The cry
aroused the neighbors, and the men fed |
The only offence of which he was guilty |
in the eyes of this gang of desperadoes
was that Of teaching class in the Sun
lay school connected with the colored
church. Mr.. Gesner was compelled to
eave that part of the State where he had
hitherto resided and where his crops had
been planted.
These are the legitimate fruits of
Democracy in its hatred of the party that
mas labored for years to establish schools
N the South and educate and elevate the
communities without respect to race or
color, and lead them to harmony and
Now, instead of all this opposition, let
is suppose that the prominent statesmen,
planters, merchants, and mechanics of
,he South, or even portion of them,
1ad consulted their own interests, for
gotten the past, recognized and accepted
,he changed condition, aided in the edu-
cation and elevation of all classes alike;
suppose that in the further pursuit of
heir own interests, they had accepted
;he Republican policy and recognized the
statute guaranteed to the colored race by
;he Constitution, and treated them as
citizens, making them feel that their
political equality was an accepted fact
md fully recognized-what would have
,een the result? What would have been
he aspect of affairs in those States to-
lay?
In the first place statesmen ''to the
manner born" who had given evidence
~ their deeds of an earnest desire to aid
n harmonizing the discordant elements,
md in building up the material interests
If their State, would have commanded
he confidence and received the votes of
heir colored fellow-citizens. This would
It once have placed them in power and
,iven them full control of State affairs,
ogether with full representation in the
lalls of Congress.
In the second place it would have
peace and harmony in all the
low disaffected States; the schools or
anized by Northern men and Northern
women would have been retained and in
reased in numbers and efficiency; the
able sons of the South, by increased in
diligence, would have become better and
more profitable servants the way would
AVE been opened for the introduction of
apital from the North and from Europe, | {
7hich would have flowed in by the mil {
ions of dollars for the purchase of land {
rection. of cotton factories, building of
nachine shops and manufacturing estab-
Railways would have been {
ushed into the interior, increasing the
ABILITIES of transportation for the removal
f the cotton and other crops, doubling ,
he value of plantations, attracting imi- |
ration, and opening up new avenues to l
Industry, with an abundance of employ 6
lent for all who thus desired to improve !
heir condition. s
And IN the third place the prosperity q
f no inconsiderable portion of the peo- |
lie would have been more realized by S
hem to a larger extent than before, so (
hat as in the case of the afflicted but i
atient man of old it would be said of Z
hem, "The Lord blessed their latter end t
lore than the beginning" {
IT IS never too late TO do 1ceH.