Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-11

TIE COLORED EXCURSIONISTS.- In
these days of palm-leaf fans and lin
en- busters the thoughts of our col
ored friends naturally turn to the pre-
vailing diversion known as "the rail-
road excursion" and on the 4th a
large number of them visited Cairo.
They had telegraphed their friends,
announcing the fact that they would
reach the city at given hour, and
they naturally expected to be received
with proper manifestations of delight
by some of the white and colored Re
publicans at the end of their route.
They We're a weIl-drcssed and we'll
behaved company so far az we can
learn, but their excursion was not al
together satisfactory. The Missis-
sippi Central officials had done all in
their power to- make it pleasant; and
with the exception of an incident
that occurred at Milan, where n cru
sading COW and calf in some unac-
countable manner were introduced
into the box-car that had been con-
verted into an extemporaneous bar
room by some of the enterprising ex-
cursionists, everything went merrily
as a railroad bell. On reaching Cairo
however, the place had very desert
ed appearance, and with the sole ex-
ception of that ubiquitous vagabond,
Tom Collins, there was nobody to re-
ceive them. Tom was on hand, and
in answer to certain inquiries as to
the;whys of the strange. thusness pre-
vailing, Informed our Jackson friends
that their telegram had not been re-
ceived. Things went on in this way
from bad to worse. No sign of a liv-
ing Radical could be found, white or
black. Everything that was eaten or
drank had to be paid for, and thus
the day wore away until the hour for
returning. There was no struggling,
no difficulty in organizing the party
for the homeward trip Thoroughly
worn out and dispirited they came
back to tell of the failure of their ex-
cursion so far as their reception at
Cairo was concerned.
Our colored friends have yet to
learn that the Radicals have no use
for them except on election days.
What are Tennessee blacks to the Hi
nois place hunter? Or what are they
to the Tennessee place huater, out
side of their votes? The white Rad
ical seeks constantly to keep alive in
the minds OF the negroes the idea
that he is their especial friend, and
that he in some way wishes to advance
them socially as well as materially.
But where were our Republican ora
tors on the occasion of the late excur-
sion? Why did not some of them go
along to give cOuntenanee and lend
strength to the demonstration?
Were they all too busy with other
things? Thev can all visit time when
negro votes are wanted to attend the
loyal leagues, 10 find the cabins in
the country and the slums in the
cities, where the colored voters
abound. They are all busy enough
at such times in telling the poor delu-
ded blacks that their old protectors
are their enemies while they are their
fast friends, but they beg 10 be ex-
cused on public occasions from being
seen IN their company. Such things
should open the eyes of the negro,
and enable him to see that his radical
ally is not to be counted upon, but we
have no idea that it VIII do it. The
men whom they hate because they
are Democrats, give them work, give
them assistance in all things, but the
recipients of their bounty desert their
best friends on election day, simply
because they viii not promise them
the impossible things that are held
out to them Is lures by utterly IN
scrupulous scalawags and carpet
baggcrs.