Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1876-01-20

uA, hoeOrOunly engaged IN An illegal and |
hostile expedition esanst the Spanish, govern:
msnt, WAS captured by . Spanish cruiser, and |
rome afty Of the crew tried BY court-msrtiAl |
md shot, the Government demanded immediate |
and threatened Spain with war In
case Il was not made. When some s,x years
ago an American boat was fred upon and two
mon wounded upon tho coast OF O0rea, our fest |
demanded rspaTatiou, and when IL was not
granted, bAstersd down the forts and slaught- |
cred nearly three hundred OF their soidien. |
When Mexican robbers made raid across the |
border into Texas and steal i've or six hundred
CATTLE, the degradation 10 tonfold maRnihed, |
the Government OF the United States IL urged |
BY many 70 70 70 war with Mexico. and 1t least
to place the Army Of the United 1tates along
the Rio Grande for the protection Of the prop |
erty Of the people OF Texas but whom . hum |
drsd negroes Ars Murdered IN oold blood IL is
considered . ANAL AFFAIR, unworthy Of the alton
ton Of the Government, and not even justify
ing an examination. One difference ID, per.
haps, that the cattle can DO sold and the NO
gr0es cannot . t5" ~
TIE sTALs LIES ABOUT NEGRO rLors.
The Infamous lies about negro plots to muir
der the white people have become exceedingly
stale and disgusting. Last summer the columns
groaned with the stupid and clumsy story that
the negroes had conspired to murder the white
men aud the ugly white women Of Georgia.
That this infamous lie waA intended ~ . pre-
text for slaughter, there il but little doubt.
II spprshensions Of these uprinngs ever existed,
they grew out OF the conviction Of intOlerable
wrongs inflicted upon the colored people, and
are another proof Of the tru,h OF that saying
"consoience doth make towards Of us AL"
Every year before the war their were stories
OF plots among the slaves TO " rise" aud murder
their masters and families, which believe in
every instance turned out to be false, but were
often made the pretext for the greatest cruel.
ties
There ID . class Of newspapers in the North
not profossedly democratic, but really 49, that for
or to blacken the character Of southern republi-
cans. They have denied. justified, or excused
every persecution and outrage that have been
hexped upon them. They have jeered at their
complaints and sought to cover with ridicule and
calumny every man who has dared to lift his
voice against these horrible atrocities
The peaceable conduct Of the colored people
Of the South during the war in remaining upon
the plantations and working with their usual in
dustry, while their masters were III the field
fighting for the professed purpose of perpetua-
ting slavery, has been the subject Of world. wide
consideration and surprise. Their general bs-
hsvi0r since tho war, and often under circum-
stances OF q eat trial And oppression, has been
remarkable for its pacific character and for their
failure 70 take into their own hands VEN
have suffered. Nothing could be more
infamous than the attempts which
have been repeatedly and, in fact, constantly
made to justify the atrocities committed
upon them by alleging that they themselves had
conspired to rob aud murder the white people,
and had themselves y. provoked and begun the DIFF
greatly. The conclusive answer to these foul
cslnmniss Is found in the fact that colored men
only are killed that, IL white men are killed
they are few in number, and the cases are excep-
tional
| While tho masses OF the colored people of the
South ara uneducated, they are far from being
destitute OF natural sagacity, are well instructed
| in the lessons Of experience, and possess fal
greater intelligence than their enemies give
them credit for. They know full well that theiI
enemies are trained in the art of war possess
tie best quality Of arms, are skilled in the use
OF them, and are daring and aggressive, and thai
| in any conflict that may ensus themselves must
be the greatest sufferers. They knew full vel
that til cir interests lie in peace and in the OBJ
aervsnce Of the laws.
| DUTY OF THE REPL BLlcAN PARTY TO MAIsTAIN THr
| RIGHTS or coLoRED men.
While it is the duty Of all men to maintain
the equal rights OF the colored people, that
duty rests wish peculiar force upon the mem
6ers OF the republican party. 1t was the repub
millions Of people free, and this alone il the
grAndest achievement IN the history OF any po
lltical organization. 1t WAS the republican
party that elevated tho colorod people to equA
civil and political rights, and gave them q share
in the administration Of government, and thu,
placed them in = position to be assaulted b,
those who believed iu the rightfulness Of SLAYER,
and that colored men should not, under al,
circumstances, enjoy civil and political rights.
IL, after having thus placed the colored peopl
IN this position Of trial and assault, and expose.
them To tie dangers to result from disbelief il
their natural rights, their mental and moral ca
pscity, and the hatred OF their race. the Repub
lcAn party should become tired, and no act tina
their enemies can say that they admit that til
brief experiment OF negro freedom and suffrag
lisa failure, it would deserve the execrston Q
men. and. doubt not, receive the punishment
OF Heaven. IL seems that there are politics
handles who have nomnally professed belief Il
the equal rights Of men, who now think it il til
genteei thing to abandon the oolored people, All
10 Join in the crusade against them by profess
ing high regard for good government in til
South, and that the further consideration O
their rights and remonstrance against thei
wrongs should be eliminated from political dir
cussions, which should be confined exolusiyel
TO questions Of currency, tariff, civil service re
form, and other economic subjects.
Should the republican party Of the North be
come indifferent To the fate Of tho colored peu
pie Of the South aud ignore the atrocities CON
mitted upon them, nothing can prevent then
from sinking rapidly into 3 state OF vassaIagt
and their last condition will be worse than III
first That tho Democratic party OF the Sout
are reconciled to the civil and political eQualit
OF the colored people is contradicted BY the
every act, BY their daily life, by their history
the past and their aspirations in the future /; an
when they get the physical power-regartlle q
constitutional provisions or congressional 81
I actments-they will hurl them from the plH
! form OF equality and reduce them to yasssslag
0 but one remove from slavery.
WHITE LINE POLICY.
The whte-line policy, adopted by the demo
cratic party in mississippi and other Souther
States, proceeds upon the idea that the Go,
. erment should be exclusively in the hands {
i, the white people. and that coiored people shout
Il be excluded from all participation therein. On
!. excuse given for this II that the colored psopl
~ had adopted . color Lime, by which they sougl
!, TO gain exclusive control OF the government /
= mississippi and other Southern States. Thi
: charge against the coored people IL utterly an
: hasrAntly false So far from having eve
= sought to establish = color line aud TO take I
n themselves exclusively tho government of Mil
a sissipW or other Southern States, they hay
. continually disclAimed il. and by their contlut
|, proved the sincerity Of their disclaimer. The
). have always been An1ions To act in concert wit
:, white men and, although in Mississippi an
u other Southern btates the number Of white RI
publicans acting with them has borne but
small proportion to their own number, they hav
n given to the whites constantly majority Q
. the Offices. Tho fart that the coiored peopl
q have not joined the democratic party and or
tered the ranks OF their bitter enemies is mo,
! absurdly, even fooliahy, offered ~ proof tbs
J, politics. Had the oolored people Joined n
y ranks Of their implscable enemies they woul
! indeed have proved themselves 10 be the stupi
y and incapable beings they have constantly Doe
!, represented. The whte-line policy WAS estat
lished by the democratic party immediatel
: after the termination OF the war, and has neve
been relaxed or abandoned for single moment
Occasionally resolution has been put forwar
in some convention renouncing that policy, b.,