The Caucasian. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1874-1875, 1874-04-18
The Negro as an Elcctor.

We Of the South, have to deal
with one of the most grave and Sc
rious political problems, that was
ever presented for solution to peo-
pie, in the history of the world.
A problem that tasks the ingenuity
Of the political economist, and tests
the sagacity Of the sagest of histor-
ical reasoners. Freed from foreign
and extraneous influences, the qucs,
tioa would present no great diff
Guilty, and would long ere now,
have been settled upon a basis that
would have proved mutually benef-
cial and satisfactory to the negro
and his old master. With the clo-
sest of real interests to cement their
business intercourse, tho negro
would not have been slow to recee;-
nize his true friends, and the peo-
pie Of the South would readily
have proved the sincerity Of their
sympathy for their former slaves,
but for the interference of adventu-
rers from the North, better known
as carpet baggers; and ofunprinci-
pied renegades at home, called for
short, scalla-wags.
The political influence of the re-
Gently enfranchised negro, was a
prize too great not to tempt their
avarice aud cupidity, and as soon
as the echo Of the last gun Of the
war had died away, and the return
of peace made it safe for such tim
id vultures to venture out Of the
hiding places that had. sheltered
their precious bodies, while honest
men were. fighting for principle,
they flocked to the South and com
menced to bid for negro votes, by
telling the poor simple negro, of
how they had fought for their free
dom, and how solemn was their du-
ty to send them to the Legislature,
to vote for them for all the lucra.
tive Offices and to stick by them at
all hazards, for the Southern PEG
pie were ready to put them back
into slavery at any moment that
they might get control of the gov
ernment.
By the constant repetition and
:elteration of such pcricious false
hoods in the midnight conclayes Of
the Union League, in the privacy
Of the negro huts and in their
churches in the broad light Of day,
the carpet-bagger and scallawag has
succeeded beyond his most sanguine
expectations in woodworking the
poor NEGRO, and III securing for
himself the coveted prize Of office,
with it's illegitimate pickings and
it's opportunities for barefaced steal
ing 1t has taken the negro nino
years to learn how false were the
preacI,ings Of his quondam friends;
but they have at last found them
out and they have thrown them
overheard. The distrust of his for
mer masters engendered by the
constant and Oft repeated ISLANDERS
of his pretended white friends,
threw the negro back into his own
ranks for men to fill the Offices to
which their votes easily elected
their candidates, by reason Of tue
Indifference Of the white people !;
and having relieved us and himself
Of the burden we bore in the ras-
cality and corruption of the carpet
Dagger, he gave us instead the ig-
norance and incapacity of his own
color.
"In avoiding sylla he founderod
the ship in Charyddis."
We infinitely prefer the negro to
the carpet-bagger and renegade,
and if we must make choice be-
tween the ignorance Of the one and
the rascality Of the other; give us,
by all means tie ignorance, and
we.will endeavor to educate and
instruct it into some sort of SEM
blance to knowledge and reason.
Give us his Satanic Majesty and all
the imps of hell in preference to the