Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-09-20


will undertake it myself; aud will
undertake to show that no human in
genuity can devise any ''way,' while
the Constitution of this country re-
mains what it is, by which the negro
can be deprived of the enjoyment OF
any right that the Constitution has
guaranteed to him. suppose the
1doertiser scarcely believes that the
election Of Mr.. Tilden is going to
throw open the Supreme Court to the
"malign will" OF the Southern Demo.
Gratis, or to throw down the barriers
ofthe Constitution. This, OF course,
is simply impossible,
But it is not impossible to keep up
the cry that the negroS rights are in
danger, and so TO continue the feeling
Of a peril for which no human being
can point out rational ground, 1t
was against this mischievous cry that
| endeavored to warn those to whom
my letter was principally addressed
Short as the periud has been since its
publication, | have received practical
proofs that some Of my young coun-
trymen have had their minds assisted
to the conclusions which wished
them to reach and it is my firm be-
lief that such phrases as 'practised Sc
ducer, and "distOrtions of the truth
of history" with which the -4dvertiser
ornaments its columns, will not stand
to much purpose between me and the
young men for whom | wrote.
In some of the paragraphs Of my
letter | gave what | believe to be con
elusive reasons why Gov. Tilden, as
President, could not possibly initiate
or carry out policy having for its
object the recognition of the whites Of
the South rs the sole political power
of that section, and why no Federal
Administration can seek TO prevent,
Or can possibly prevent, or allow any
body to prevent the negroes from en-
joying equal rights with white men,
When see a rational answer to these
positions I will admit my error.
In the mean time, so long as the
Cry is kept up that the political sue
cess Of the Democratic party will put
in peril the Constitutional rights OF
the negro, so as long those who utter
this cry afford the strongest proof that
the antagonisms of race which now
atfiict the whole condition OF the
Southern States originate with and are
justly chargeable upon the political
and party policy Of the Republicans.
Nothing in the world put this pre-
tence OF danger to the negro from
Democratic ascendency in National
and State affairs induces the colored
people of the South to withhold their
confidence from their white fellow
citizens, or leads them to yield their
confidence to those who have plumber
ed those unhappy Commonwealth
until there is but little left for further
depredations.
The Republican party, through |
their official organs, profess to desire
that peace be restored or secured to
the Southern States. lfthey are sin
cere in this, then | should say, cease
to maintain that the Constitutional
amendments are in any danger; cease
to tell the colored people that if they
do not vote on the Republican side
they will lose the right to vote; cease
to inculcate the idea that their white
neighbors are their enemies because
they are Democrats. Just so long as
this pretence, which has no object but
political effect and no justification in
is kept up, just so long will
all political contests and all political
action in the South be inhamed by the
prejudices and passions Of race against
race just so long will it be impossi-
BILE to make politics there the same
thing that they are at the North and
ought to be at the South-a peaceable
about measures of govern
ment and the moral and material well
fare Of society.
Thus tar the political education OF
the negro has been confined to the
one idea of voting against his
white neighbors, because they are
white and he is black Give him
to think of besides the COL
or of his neighbours skin. Give him
some chance to learn that civil rights
are secured to him by a power that
has never spoken in vain, the power
g .Lo Constitution Of thn J-nitp6