The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1876-10-07
Democratic Coercion Of C0I0red
YntarS.

Voters.
Democrats OF the solid South do not
oyerestimate their power to bulldoze
and terroriZe, but they underrate the
Intelligence Of the eolored man.
Presuming upon his peaceful DISPOSE
ton, natural industry and domestic
habits, they handle the shotgun while
he handles the hoe, and they rely upon
c0ercing the colorcd voter of the Con-
federated Democracy. 1t is not in the
nature of things that five millions of
colored people should cheerfuily yield
up to former taskmastera the political
right purchased for them with the
blood Of Union soldiers. Ii is not con
sistent with human understanding to
| believe that one million colored voters
VIII ever voluntarily act at the polls
with the political party which asserts
| their unfitness to hold the meanest
Office, aud in that respect denies them
! Girectlepresentation. The Democratic
party of the solid South accepts uni
yersai suffrage because of the increased
representation of these same States it
gives in Congress. 1t is willing that
col0red men should vote, provided that
| they vote the Democratic ticket. The
| question of the campaign is to see how
many cOIored men can be made to
vote the Democratic ticket, and how
many who will not so vote can be
kept away from the polls. The induce
ments offered in the one direction,
and the threats and imtimidations in
the other are familiar to us all. DEM
ocrasic candidates will doubtless get
| a few eolored votes. All of the virtues
can not be claimed for the white race,
and the negro, being a man, must be
regarded as liable TO go aStiay; but
no thinking col0red man can conscien-
tiousiy volunteer to vote with the
Democratic party, North or South,
that party is united against him. AS
a result OF the war wagea by Union
soldiers against rebellion, the colored
nan became to be recognized as u
human being. A Republican Presi-
dent declared freedom to the slave;
a Republican Congress endowed him
with the rights of citizenship and suf-
frage. The Democratic party has
not improved or progressed. 1t nom
mates for President and Vice Presi-
dent men noted for sympathy with
rebellion aud with the shareholders
cause; meu whose political records
are i'll opposition to Republican meas
ures. The Democratic party claims
to represent the people. Among the
eight hundred delegates to the st.
! ,1
q single colnred man to represent the
five millions of colored people, nor
were col0red men allowed in the hall
as spectators, while at Cincinnati one
hundred colored delegates were al
lowed 10 express their choice for men
whom their rights could 6e trusted.
TO come nearer home, every Colored
man III our State knows that his race
was iet represented at tie Democratic
State Convention at Baton Rouge. He
will he asked to vote fer the State
ticket but had no hand III its formation.
Indeed, When the nomination OF Mr..
Penn was urged ;ls likely To eoneiliate
and meet the favor OF the colored
people an old bIil.lozer from country
parish said, Damn the Diggers; we
will take care OF them the electiod."
The old man but expressed the new
Democratic doctrine that tue colored
ln:tn, whey not protected by Yankee
laws, can be made to vote as directed
by his old master. 1t is the plan APP
proved and adopted in Mississippi;
but it is founded upon crime, and can
not endure. 1t is believed that
nowhere in this State has Democratic
club of coored voters been found who
will vote the Democratic ticket. 1t
is denying that the colored man pos
sesSes common intelligence to say that
he will vote as ordered to do, or that
he will IN any case, if honest, vote the
Democratic ticket He may be driven
from the polls, bIt he can never be
transformed into voting Democrat
by being shot at. The plan of coerc-
ing colorel men to vote against them
selves will rot work, and the South
for its o~p gDod should abandon the
national Democratic party and work
out its salvation with IL different poll
icy.--N. 0. Republican.
f.