Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1875-10-22
From the New York sun.


\ fayoritc topic with the Grant organs is
the ''color line, +" as it is called in the South,
by which is meant organized action of the
whites in the reconstructed States to relieve
themselves from the rule Of ignorant negroes,
who, under the influence Of white carpet-bag
leaders have been instrumental in hurdening
the taxpayers with enormous debts fraudu-
lentlv contracted. 1t is commonly represent
ed by these partisan Journals that the color
line is rigidly drawn throughout the South.
and that white leagues, organized 70 prosecute
and outrage the freedmen abound III all the
Southern States.
Now, the truth is that there have been hard
" any white leagues formed, except in Louis
lana and Mississippi, and these were organized
merely as protection against the aggresSions
of the secret negro organizations which have
abounded in all the Southern States ever since
the end of the war At the last State Demo
cratic Convention in Mississippi resolutions
were adopted denouncing the color line, while
in Louisiana the white leagues seem to have
faded out of existence. But the number and
power of the oath-bound black leagues can
hardly be conceived at the North; and the
whole purpose of these leagues is TO create an
tagoniSm toward the white population, thus
maintaining the color line in the most objec-
tionable form. So tyrannical and lawlesS are
these secret organizations that in many parts
of the South colored men who desire to vote
with Democrats can only do so ut the risk OF
their lives.
\ prominent citizen of Mississippi, writing
to The Sun upon this subject, very justly ar
CUES that the whites were never responsible
for the color line in that State; that II was
forced upon them. 1t assumed by the
provisional Government of 1869 that every
black man was loyal and A Republican, and
every native white man Democrat and =
rebel Acting upon this idea, the races were
separated in two distinct parties At tn" polls,
and the whites, except few protested Rcpub-
licans who had been appointed to office, were
not permitted to approach or speak 10 the col
ored voters, Federal soldiers and armed blacks
being stationed to prevent any iutermlngllng
of the races The color line thus introduced
has since prevailed against every effort OF the
whites to oblterate it, and the result has been
the impoveriShment of large proportion Of
the white population of the State.
1t is encouraging to learn, however, that
there is every prospect that this evil Will soon
he abatcd, if not entirely overcome. The more
intelligent of the colorcd citizens are beginning
TO appreciate the fact that they have been used
for the most ignoble purposes by their self
constituted leaders that the consequences OF
the carnival of fraud and peculation which has
so impoverished the South reach them as well
as their white neighbors; and that the inter
eSts of the TWO races are identical, As they can
not expect To prosper if the white property
holders to whom the most Of them look for
employment, are crushed by cXorbiAnt taxa
ton, for which no return is given. As a natural
result. they are deserving the party which Is
responsible for the acknowledgement Of the
South, and joining hands with the whites in ei-
forts for honest administration Of public aaairs
The Democrats of Mississippi are counting
upon q heavy colored vote for their ticketin the
approaching election. and in other States indlcA-
lions Of similar change are nanifestins them
selves. 1t is the Grant politicians, aad not
the Southern whites, who are responsible feF
The color line, and who ar" now making the
utmost e1Crtious to maintain it,