Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-08-15
TIE WAR OF RACES.

upon the war of races inaugurated IN the
South by the democratic party. The ef'
fects of it are seen in the recent southern
elections, where blood was she'd IN sever
al instances in fights between whites and
blacks. In North Carolina, Kentucky,
Tennessee. the democrats openly organ
lied as a white mans party, resolved tc
put down and keep down beneath Their
feet the colored race. At the municipal
election in Vicksburg the issue was color
The White League prevails in louisiana
and soon will extend over the entire South
wherever practicable, combining the
whites in a solid body against the blacks
This state of things is due to the fact
that the negroes are republicans. Very
naturally they distrust their old masters
who kept them in bondage and still hold
that they are untitled by nature for any
thing but slaves, and turn to those through
whom they have been made free citizens
having the same political rights as the
whites. 1t would be strange if this were
not so. They understand that the democ-
racy were opposed to their enfranchlse-
ment, and have fought every step that has
been taken towards giving the colored
race the guarantees of freedom. From
the time that emancipation was declared,
down to the present period, the democrat
ic party has presented an unvarying rec
ord of hostility to the colored race. oppos'
ing them in their platforms and on the
stump, in the halls of legislation, ano
through the devilish Vaccinations of the ku
Klux, with persecution, with halter, torch
bullet and knife driving them from the
polls and REFRESHING by force their efforts
to exercise the right of suffrage. Why
then should not the negroes be republi
cans ? 1t is not difficult to conceive why
they are found voting the republican tick
ct where they have an opportunity to DO SO
1t is not because they are ignorant but be-
cause they know. 1t is not because the
republican party adapts its policy to
catch the black vote, but because with its
principles of justice and equality applica-
BILE to all men without distinction of color
. the blacks find under its banner the rights
and privileges which are denied them by
democracy. If they were democrats, In
view of the relations which the democra'
cy past and present have sustained and dc
sustain towards them as people, it woulo
( be proofthat they were not capable OF un
derstanding their own interests, and de-
serving to be ranked as low in The intel
lectual scale as the democracy place them
As an apology for the war of races
which the democrats have initiated
they urge that the blacks are not capable
of having political control, and manage
recklessly and dishonesty where they OBJ
tain it. This is pretext. The coloret
men it is true are liable to errors o
government. So are the whites. Even {
State of the boosted intelligence of New
York is not without examples of bad gov
eminent by white men. But government
by colored men which is clearly agains
the interests of the State or community,
which is dishonest inefficient, would moi
long receive the support of the colored
people themselves, against whom it would
operate as disastrously as against the
whites. Blacks wonld join with whites tc
overthrow it. Those qualified to govern
whether whites or blacks, would event
ually and naturally come to the surface
The inefficiency and dishonesty OF black
rulers and carpet-bag government would
furnish their corrective, the same as
Tweed's management in New York sent
him to prison and put the management Of
affairs in that municipality in better hands
South Carolina is suffering by misgovern'
ment, but while the South has such men
as Elliott the colored people there cannot
be said to be destitute of good materia
for statesmen. Louisiana is in trouble, but
the difficulty is not with the manage
ment of affairs by the blacks.
The kernel of all the trouble about the
negroes in the southern States is that they
are republicans. If they would but vote
the democratic ticket which their old mas
tiers prepare for them we should hear moth
ing about a white mans party for the
South. If they were craven enough now
they are free to kiss the hand that bound
them down with the CALLING chains o.
slavery there would be no complaint
against them. But they cannot be dem
ocrats and retain their freedom, hence
they are republicans, and being republi
cans the prejudice against their race is tc
be used to crush them.
The hope of the negroes in the South i:
in the republican party of the North. Let
that party be broken up or defeated SC
that it loses control of the national admin.
istration, loses~its majority in Congress,
and the consequence would be calamitous
to the blacks. Every reason that ever ap.
pealed to the philanthropic, the humane,
the justice-loving people of our country TIC
support the cause of the colored people OF