The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1877-05-31
Going Book ON tho Darlsey.

Going lsOck ON tho Darkey.
The negro has been for years the
stock in iradcof the Radical
politicians. In their darkest hour of
trial they have looked to the colored
brother for help. Even Hayes was
willing TO give up his hopes for the
Presidency but his heart bled for the
fate of the negro. But there seems TO
be growing desire TO abandon him
and leave him to his fate. The Gin
cinnati Gazette, the recognized leading
Republican organ of Ohio, delivers
the following address 10 the negroes:
"In the place of the maxim that the
safety of republic lies in an lntelii-
gent people, the argument was accept
ed that the freedmen would know
enough to vote for his friends. The
meaning OF this was that as the Re-
publican party freed them they would
vote for the Republican party, and
thus its ascendency would be assui Ell.
THUS the promise of party ascend
encv through ignorant suffrage was
accepted in lieu OF the public safety
through intelligence, and we went de-
liberately-that is to say, as deiiber-
ately as people can in the heat of civil
war--at work TO found governments
of great States Oh solid body of ig-
norant voters, and on the additional
and still worse basis Of an antagonism
of race and color, which had been ex-
aggerated by the previous relation Of
owner and slave. History does not
tell of greater political blunder.
* 4 II
"The foundation OF q political party
on mass of ignorance, and an antag-
onism of race, founded chronic civil
war. The making of the ignorant
class the governing class was the sur
render of States 10 degradation and
spoilation.
"This sacrifice of all our rules of
safety for republican government has
the logical result. In those States
where the colored vote made the Gov
ernment there was social anarchy and
chronic civil war. Their misgoyern-
ment became crying shame.
y
"The failure OF n policy which at
| the outset abandoned all that we had
| before called wisdom was foregone.
These Republican majorities. based on
| ignorance, aud disgraced by misgov-
ernment went down one after another.
The mass of these who were said 10
know enough to vote for their friend
succumbed to the natural social order
The ignorant, incapable aud tlmid
sank to their natural place, and that
part of society which is united by ira.
ditional superiority OF race, which has
the natural leaders of society, and the
courage and supremacy, came to its
natural place at the top. No law can
suhvert the order of nature.
| x
s.The end was more ignominiou'
than the whole history had been.
"The outcome is not pleasant to con
template, but neither is any part of the
history of this reckless experiment
The ending was better than the begin
ming. TO fight to prolong it was tC
sacrifice the welfare of the whole
country to protract a disgrace"
Commenting on the above the En-
Quirer says:
This is giving up the ghost for the
Republican party. 1t kicks the negro
| damns the whole reconstruction poll
cy of the Republican party, stigma
tiZes the course OF that party since the
war rs disgrace and as tending
to sacrifice the welfare of the whole
country" All this is necessary in or
der to maintain and defend the South
ern policy of Mr.. Hayes. Ii tins
thought were hemmed in by the col
umns or the circulation of the Gazette
| it might not deserve mention but ii is
the confession OF the Republican party
through its Administration. The gen.
tlemen who, in 1872, couldn't break
up the Republican party outside of it,
have, by capturing a, de facto Pfesi
dent, broken il up, insideof il, in 1877.
The present Republican policy relin-
quishes all claims 10 the negro vote.in
the first place. The negro vote, even
in Ohio, Is considerably larger than
was the Republican majority in Octo-
Der or in November last. In several
of the States it is nearly all OF the Rs
publican party. This vote is now en-
lirely abandoned by the Republican
party through its de .taci0 Presiden,
and its organs. The negro has been
| declared Il nuisance, n pestilcnce, III
the Republican party, by it. The
| Gdzejfe, with great trani>ness, has ut
tered the sentiments OF the Republican
party toward the negro. But the vote
| OF the negro, to which the Republican
party lays M further claim, was but =
/ sinai! portion of the negro's strength
! in our politics. Fredrika Bremen said
that the fate OF the negro was the 70
nance OF American history. The ne.
gro has been the pivot OF our politics
for more than a generation. lie was
the foundation OF s. civil war. Ths
sentiment kindled by the fate of ,Et
| story OF the negro was the soul OF !ht
Republican party till the close of III,
war, as il has been its inspiration aht
salvation since. The Republicn party
has "banked" upon the black man. Hi
and the spoils have alone held tha
organization together for the last De
cate, as he alone bui:t ii. Now no
only the vote of the colored man i
spurned by the Republican party, no
ticc being flied on him that be is unti
to vote, but the sentiment and the i'm
pulses that have made white mel
Republicans are shattered forever
They have no longer a place where &
stand in the Republican party. Han
dreds of thousands of men in tn
North have voted the Republica
ticket only for the sake of the negro
That allegiance is now dissolved
What can take its place? If no hin
takes its place what will become of tn
Republican party!
OF Mr.. Hayes course in postponin