Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-12-10

ment for crimes done against despised
race in the abused name of liberty. Do
the American people regret that they
crushed out the rebellion, freed the
negro, made him a citizen, and conferred
upon him the right of suffrage? Do they
regret that they pursued the rebels
II from Atlanta to the sea-" and finally
brought them to bay at Appomattox
Court Housey Do they regret that they
raised the flag from the dust where
it was trailed by James Buchanan
and the Democratic party in order
that rebels might trample and spit upon
it? If they do they are in accord with
the Democratic party as it was and as it
is; for no single act of the Democratic
party can be pointed to as evidence that,
as political organization, it has not
been pervaded by the spirit of treason
during every day and hour from 1861 to
1874. And what we mean by treason, as
applied to tie Democratic party, is a
state of violent and unyielding protest
against every fundamental act OF the
Republican party from the time OF the
arming to resist rebellion down to the
adoption of the last statute growing
legitimately out of the constitutional
amendments. And we unhesitatingly
declare that there is no evidence in the
recent course of the Democratic party
that 1t has not been and still is hostile to
the Constitution as it is and ineXorably
bent upon the restoration of the Consti-
tuition as it was. We are aware
that few will believe it possible to
circumvent the Constitution or ignore
the letter or nullify the spirit of
the amendments Few will believe the
Democratic party capable of baseness
so great &c the withdrawal from the col
ored race of all the protection afforded
by the Reconstruction laws, standing be-
tween them and their former owners and
their would-be re-enslavers We are
aware that in these times, when great
events succeed each other in rapid, al
most bewildering succession, the record
of even recent history makes but small
impression on the busy, preoccupled
| mind. But we should not overlook the
fact that only a dozen years ago third
| of the entire population of the country
subsisted almost solely off the enforced
toll of some millions of negroes; that
these poor wretChes were bought and
sold like cattle; that they were whipped
numerically at the will of the owner !;
that they were not unfrequently killed to
crafty malice; that the black woman
had no protection against the lust of the
white MANN word, that they were
slaves, borne down beneath all the cru
city, oppression and suffering which that
horrid condition, human slavery, implies.
1t will not be disputed, we think, that
the great mass of the white people of the
South are of the opinion still that state
of slavery is the proper condition of the
negro. jeff. Davis says SO; all Southern
Democratic leaders say so whenever
there is not in view an immediate object
to be promoted by concealment of real
opinions. The Georgia labor laws, the
attempt to pass a peonage bill in Texas,
and like effort now in progress in Ar
kansas, show plainly enough that the
settled purpose of the white people of
the South is practically to re-enslave the
blacks. But there are many people at
the North who are ready to say: Away
with the Southern question; let the South
do as it pleases with the negroes; we
have freed them and conferred upon
them the right of suffrage; let them
work out their own salvation" To such
we reply: 1t is more perilous to abandon
the negro than to defend him; he
cannot be got out Of American
politics until he is fully recognized as
an integral part of American politics,
with rights which all white men are
bound to respect. Holding the right of
suffrage, but forbidden to exercise it, the
negro becomes an unwilling ally of the
Democratic party, forced to contribute
negatively to its successes while it re-
duces him to virtual slavery. 1t was
through the negro, IN s1aoery, that the
Democratic party retained power the last
dozen years of its ante-war life; it is
through the negro, deprived of the exer-
else of the right of suffrage, that the Dem
ocratiC party expects to regain control of
national affairs. 1t follows logically that
the Democratic party Is, by the very
force of circumstances, the foe of equal
political rights. 1t hopes to mount to
place and power through the prac
teal denial of the right of suf
frage to the negro; once in place,
it will continue to disfranchse him as
the guaranty of its retention of power.
To those who decline to interest them
selves in the question of morals and hui
manity as entering into political science
and political practice we desire to put
the question: How long is the country
likely to remain II. peace with the Dem
ocratic party raised to power through
studied violation of the principles upon
which the late war against rebellion was
prosecuted? to a successful issue With
the crushing out Of the rebellion Lincoln
thought peace would come and come to
stay. 1t did come, but will it "stay" if
the principles for which Lincoln strove,
and the country strove, are suffered to 90
by the board? This is question of vital
consequence to the capitalist, the mer