New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-07-22
Especial Correspondence Of the Republican. !
NORTHERN POLITICS.
$ One, But q Lion"

''One, But a Lion"
BOSTON, July II. 1876.
1t is related BY naturalist, in fable form,
| that on a certain occ 1sion Eoness was
| taunted by the other animals as being able
to bring forth only one cub. while they
| could have litter after litter, and doz en-
at litter. eyes, replied the queen of
| animals. zone, but q lion" If the question
| is asked why l still recur to the negro
question, while there are hundreds OF other
subjects to be introduced into current
newspaper correspondence, reply to the
charge of harping upon one idea: "rrue-
one. but a lion" True. the negro ques-
| tion is in one sense "one-idea issue, "
| bnt it is an idea that connects itself
with every other idea affecting socie-
! science of government, which connects it
self with the future of the South, with the
fate of the American Union, with the con-
Germs of both Spanish and Anglo Saxon
America, and with the destiny of a race.
More than this it involves the decline O-
the ascendency of the Roman hierarchy in
the New World.
The negro power, therefore, is fact,
and mighty fact. Always the leading
element in American politics, the negro
question is to-day more vital to all that
concerns this country, this age and univer-
sal civilization than ever before. Dealing
with it in this light, let us glance at its re-
lations to the problems which American
statesmen propose to solve. First, we hnd
this negro power 80 intre1ched inside of
the Union that all the power of the nation
combined can not suppress or overthrow 1t.
Three causes serve to give the negro this
position. One is his connection with the
cotton zone of the United States: another
is his practical monopoly of the labor sup
p!y in this zone; the other is his numbers.
The cotton interest alone is sufficient to
keep the freedman alive and multiply his
numb bers annually. As to labor supply,
the South may be likened unto man who
owned a cave and who desired to fill the
cave with guests. So he stood at the mouth
of his beautiful cave and called the attention
of the world to its beauties and attractions.
1t was full of gold. 1t held diamonds. 1t was
cool in summer and warm in winter. Every
thing grew in it. Life was long within
its enchanted walls. Health, and strength
and beauty came from breathing its pure
air. But this enchanting cave possessed,
alas, one draw back" shouts out the owner.
"a Blackanore resides in the cave. He
has the form of man, but he is of fact a
beast. He is black as night. His presence
taints the otherwise pure air of the cave.
He robs every man of what he produces.
He fills his pockets with gold. He swallows
the diamonds. He murders all who offend
him. He eats children. Come, every body,
into my cave. my beautiful cave NJ beau
tifui cave, Come, come, come, come" And
go the man shouted. but no one came at his
call. Gold could not tempt them. Dia-
monds could not tempt them. Perpetual
youth and beauty could not tempt them;
for were not all these practically destroyed
| in the cave by the presence of a living
leprosy and a living death! So the South
ern whites have been shouting at the mouth
| of their cave from the day of EN- ancipation
| This shout Of "Blackamore, beware Of the
blackamore, is all the more readily accepted
because the North sent forth the same
| shout about the South when the
negro stood for slavery. Consequently
free labor did not come into the South il
times past to engage in competition will
slave labor. The same eelf-respecting in
stinct makes free labor shun the Soutl
under the cry raised by the Confederate
party. land where law secures not lif
is not a land where peaceful labor will eve
go. And for these reasons the negro vii
hold the labor supply for the cotton zon'
for generations to come, aided by tn
| climate and other natural causes. AS Il
the question Of numbers it is sufficient t.
say that a race Of 100000 of people ca.
not be exterminated, to say nothing of it
| rapid annual increase.
It is evident that We are to have con
test over the negro. on the part OF tn
Protestant and Catholic parties of the coun
try. He is already the object of earnes
solicitude on the part of rival denomina
tions who are struggling to enroll him il
their ranks. Various educational bodie
are also at work in connection with tht
negro, all aiming at ascendency in this fell
of influence. Add to these agencies an'
activities those political contests at tn
South, which are purely local tunconnecte
with the interests of Southern sectionalism
such as contests for the Legislature, owe
subjects involving county affairs taxes
railroads, and the like, and where tn
colored vote will be in demand, and W
find that the negro is fixed institution a
the South, say what men may, and do wha
thty may.
And yet, notwithstanding ali this. th'
government of the United Sta tes is to b
finally an Anglo-Saxon nationa lity. Wha
other result can we have, under these Gil
cumstances, but distinctive African civil
ization, which shall dominate absolutel
ican continent This result makes thu
future of the Republican party, as thi
party stands related to the negro question
as deeply interesting as its past has beer
because the Republican party is alone abl
to solve the problem involved in the futur
of the negro in the New World. 1t impart
to the social and political struggle no,
wasng in Louisiana, an exceptional an
abiding interest, because Louisiana mus
become the seat Of power of the new rae
civilization, and New Orleans must be
/ %ha of; TIC nd aI