The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1874-11-14
The Faithful Few, the Uneaith
ful Many.

I'LL MANY.
In our Parish there is large po-
pulatiOn of cOlored individuals known
as "frco mulattos," among whom may
he found as good men as could be
found in any community. The best
among them, however, are tho older
men who were beliked and highly ros-
pccted by the whites in good anti
bellum days, a few are yet to be found
and they are not difficult Of rcogui-
ton. They were raised acre and vest
ed with all the rights pertaining to
citizens, with the exception Of exerci-
sing the Igl.t Of voting. They owned
and enjoyed property as did the
whites, and some of them acquired
considerable wealth, which was pro
tected for them with all the legal safe.
guards that any body clses property
was, and every body believed before
they were enfranchiscd, that they
would vote with honest white people
in their attempts to keep down Radi-
cal misrule and political plunderers.
And 80 they would, if the aforemcn.
toned elder portion of them could
have kept the upperhand of the young
er; but these latter had their ambi-
ton aroused and they could not be
controlled. They tlocked to the Rad
ical clubs and swallowed their hor-
rible oaths as readily as the most ig-
norant negro in the country. The
temptation was too great for them and
they soon imagined themselves as
legislators for the State and even for
the Nation and perhaps among some
Of the extra ambitious dreamy visions
of the presidential chair circulated
through their obfilscatcd brains. And
the elder men not being able to con-
troll the younger, like fools that they
were, went with them. And 80 they
continued as a class to vote with the
negro party from 1867 up to 1874,
when the muttering Of this reyolu-
ton began to be heard by them and
they thought it about time to look
around and take q reckoning. So
they did and very few made up
their minds to come to the side of
honesty and intelligence, and faith
fully did they stand to their promise.
No threats could brighten them, and
no offers of rewards conld seduce
them-boldly they declared their pur-
pose to support the Peoples party,
and boldly did they do it. They are
we'll known, these particular few, who
mantully came and assisted in put
ting down dishonesty and the "tl.iev-
ing ring" Of shis Parish, and long
will they be remembered for it. We
do not wish to praise them too much
for they did but their duty ; and we
simply desire to putt on record. Now
on the other hand, for the uwaiMJul
many, what must we say of them I
After promising to give their support
to the Peoples party, after making
profession tho most solemn, and maxi
ing every one believe they were hon
est, yet on the day Of election they
either voted with the carpet baggers
and scahwags or skulketl in the bush
es and were afraid to come out and
proclaim their manhood. They had
20 long entertained their ambitious
hopes that it was impossible for them
to suddenly give them up, and they
said, "good-by State Legislature,
good-by Congress- for me and all my
hopes if this negro party fails"
Not belonging to either class, stand
ing alone by themselves, isolated by
their insignifcance, they have in
vited curses from one party and con
tempt iron, the other; and in future
the only way for them to. regain the
respect and consideration of tho bet.
ter portion of our citizens, is to e.,
with them, and 10 all elections vote
with them, then perhaps, it capable,
some Office may be found vacant for
them and the people would be glad
to reward them.
Four Of the prisoners arrested here
by o. 8. Deputy Marshal Stockton.
left on Wednesday last, on the steam
or Sabine for New Orleans. All Of
them had previously given bond be-
fore Gen'l. P. A. Morse, U. s. Com
missioner for this district so that they
would be allowed to proceed without