New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-05-21
Hon. Alexander White.

Our correspondent At Selma, Alabama,
seems determined to hold Mr.. White, the able
representative of the State, at large, up to
the contempt Of our readers. We have al
ready expressed the opinion that Mr.. Stevens
is very much mistaken in his estimate Of Mr..
White, and we speak from what we know OF
the gentleman. We have authority for stat
ing that the expression attributed to Mr..
White, as having been made in 1868, was
never made by him. The introduction Of the
Civil Rights Bill in the Legislature of Ala
bama, was hailed by the Democracy of that
State as the wedge that would split the Re-
publican party, and Mr.. White who is thor
ough Republican, thought that the bill should
receive full consideration, and for that pur-
purpose-and for that purpose alone-sought
to have the bill referred to the Judiciary
Committee committee of which he was the
chairman. If this is opposition to Civil
Rights. then did Mr.. White oppose the meas
ure. The Democrats in the Legislature were
jubilant over the introduction of the measure,
and boosted that they had the Republican
party just where they wanted it. They ar
gued that if Republicans failed to support
the bill, colored voters would abandon them,
and if they did pass it, the weakened
white Republicans would forsake the party.
Prominent Republicans, among whom was
Mr.. White, were of the opinion that care
should be taken in inauguratiug the measure,
and that its management should be such as
to conduce to the benefit Of the colored peo-
pie, and at the same time not impair the
party that alone had the disposition to make
il effective. In this view of the matter, Mr..
White was not influenced by prejudice
against the negro, nor by any lack of desire
to accord to him his full rights.
Before the present session of Congress
comes to a close, we have no doubt but that
Mr.. White will be heard from on the question
of Civil Rights, and in a way that his colored
supporters will heartily approve.
We do not think the attempt Of Mr.. Ste
vens to slaughter Mr.. White, politically, at
! all creditable. Our cause stands in need of
such men as Hon. Alexander White, all over
the South the more men we can recruit
from his class, the sooner will the condition
of the negro be improved. Mr.. White not
only accepts the situation, but is prepared to
do his utmost to make it productive of the
highest good to the South. A man of recog-
nized ability, and of high social standing
with indomitable pluck, and strong desire
for the prosperity and happiness of the peo-
pie of his country, black as we'll as white,
he is, in our opinion, the right man in the
right place.
We cannot see that our correspondent has
made out a case against Mr.. White and trust
that with this attempt he will lend himself to
more profitable duty than trying to break
down man who is no trihing addition from
the ranks of ex-slaveholders-to the Repub-
lican party.
Mr.. White may have given of'ense to a few
Republicans in dispensing party patronage,
but that is matter of trivial Importance
when compared with his devotion to the true
principles Of the Republican party. We
have been more than an ordinary observer
of his course in Congress, and are confident
that our estimate of the man is not over
drawn