Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-07-25

moment IN pOlltlcS. we nave W taho az
count of what is. The actual condition
must be candidly and courageously appre-
hended. Otherwise we shall 60 on blind
" and ignorantly. and by reason of our
ignorance we shall put it out of our power
to guard against repettions of the awful
events that now excite the indignation OF
all who are not stepped in party prejudice.
Let us understand just why this event
should properly be treated as apolitical mat
ter. One of the results of the war, which
the democrats North and South profess to
have accepted, is the comforting OF certain
rights upon the colored people, rights
which are precisely the same before the
law as the white man claims and has. 1t
was only by professions of repentance.
and by promises 10 respect the rights
which the republican party has secured
to the colored race, that the democrats
have been partly restored to the Ia
vor of loyal and patriotic men. We do
not believe that this assertion will be
questioned by any democrat, but whether
it is questioned or not, the fact is capable
Of full proof by reference to the platforms
and the speeches of democrats in all parts
of the country. Now the questions arise:
Was the conversion sincere? Did demo-
Gratis mean what they said when they
agreed to regard the changed relations OF
the races in the South as a settlement not
to be disturbed? Can they be trusted to
continue the policy of protection to the
colored race which the republican party
began. and which the people of the coun-
try have approved on every occasion when
it has been made an issue at an election !?
If the answers to these questions be in the
affirmative, then the issues of the war are
indeed dead, and the politics of the coun-
try must turn wholly on others matters.
1t is, therefore, Of the first Importance
that we get at the truth about the feelings
and purposes of the democratic parry.
How are we 10 do this !? Clearly by OBJ
serving whether, in case where the demo-
Gratis have the power to be either loyal or
disoyal to principles which they confess
to have received with reluctance, they
prove true or false to them; and by OBJ
serving whether the party, as whole, ap-
prove or disproves when the principles
are adhered to or disregarded During
the past four years there have been nu-
merous violations of the compact which
the democratic party made in 1872 with
the country, TO treat the lives and the
rights of the negroes with respect. Posi-
bly, there have been occasions when such a
violation could be committed with safety,
which were not taken advantage of. On
the other hand, there have been many in
stances of open and fragrant outrage up
on the colored race when there was Meth
err excuse nor palliation for the offence. 1t
is, therefore, entirely fair to say that the
people who are in immediate contact with
the emancipated colored people of the
South have not been fully converted to the
principles on which the party processes to
be acting. If we extend the inquiry to the
spirit in which the party. as whole. re-
ceives the intelligence of violations of its
principles. we shall get an opinion even
more unfavorable of its sincerity. The
first impulse of democrat at the North is
to deny the truth of alleged outrages. and
to persist in denial, even in the face of the
most conclusive proof A remarkable eX-
ample of this was given when the original
account of the Hamburg affair was pre-
pared. The account, which we published
yesterday, was deliberate misrepresenta-
ton from beginning TO end. 1t falsfied
the origin of the trouble, ingeniously con-
torted the incidents of the fight. and it
went so far as to represe mt as the leader
of the whites colored man, whom the
brutal rullians actually compelled to flee
for his life. In the North the truth about
this and other similar outrages has been
persistently denied, and when denial
would serve no longer there has been
more apology for the rufiiany acts than
manly condemnation of them. 1t is so
rare to find democrat willing to express
horror at the acts of coldblooded atrocity
perpelrated al the South, that those who
disclaim sympathy with the actors in such
tragedies are listened to with undisguised
astonsment. The Charleston News and
Courier and Mr.. Lamar are at present al
most the sole representatives of their par
ty who have said in regard to the South
Carolina murders what every man of hui
name instincts ought to think.
The democrats had the power to stop the
mouth of every republican who insinuated
a doubt whether they were sincere in their
protestations Of respects for the rights of
the coored people. They are only to cry
shame at the cowardly and atrocious acts
of handful of gentlemanly desperadoes,
and to declare that they would applaud
when the law meted out to them a we'll
merted punishment. They did nothing of
the sort. They vouch for the leader in