The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-11-02
The Army as a Police,

dent should use the army TO suppress
what they call outrages in certain south
ern states. 1t is tolerably plain to the
commonest understanding that without
the employment of outside pressure the
republican party candidates stand no
chance whatever of an election. The
original device Of giving the ballot to the
colored people was to provide a club to
knock the white men on the head. 1t
was expected and said that the colored
man owing his emancipation and the
privilege of the ballot to the republican
party, would become its steadfast and
submissive tool, and by reason of superior
numbers and outvoting the whites would
give the republicans all the offices and
especially the representative in congress.
Thus they designed to perpetaate party
power and party supremacy. For some
time carpet-baggers and adventures by
controlling the colored vote did manage to
get themselves elected to all the Offices,
state and national, in several of the south
ern states, and they robbed the people and
stole their substance with all the rapacity
of unprincipled Williams and the relentless
ness Of conquerers against PROSTATE and
defenseless people. But such are unnaiu-
raj state Of affairs could not last; even the
colored men perceived. though somewhat
tardily that these republican carpet-bag-
gers where no true friends; that their
real interests lay with the white people
who owned the soil, who gave them en-
ployment, who had in former times been
their old masters, and who felt all the in
huences of birth, Of association, of boy
hood and manhood in some sort Of form,
and Of being native to the same soil and
belonging to the same localities in their
relations with each other, and which they
continued to sustain as employer and em-
ployed, though the relation of master and
servant had been broken. These infuen-
ces were stronger than the new political
relations between them and the adventur-
ers who had come among them to organ
ize and hold them to the republican party
Not all at once did the colored men per.
ceive the drift of affairs, to what base uses
they were being put, nor all at once leave
their carpet bag friends and ally them
selves with the whites; but they came tC
it finally and almost en- DldsSe; suddenly
the republicans discovered that the clut
which was TO keep them installed in powe
and repel all opposition had passed from
their grasp and was being vigorousi!
welded for their OVID demolition. One at
ter another the states Of the south passed
out OF republican rule and misrule int
democratic hands, and even the most bit
ter republicans must acknowledge that The
south has been more peaceful and orderly
since the democrats regained supremacy
and power. And that is where the lamen.
tation comes in. 1t is simply loss of pow.
er, and the loss of it from al
unexpected source. The colored mel
have proved more intelligent than they ex
pected, they have not only perceived wher,
their interests lay but they have joined
and made common cause with those wht
were willing to recognize and protect theil
material interests and prosperity. Tht
awful consequences Of civil war, of violen
disruption of material relations and thu
changes in regard 10 labor and industrial
pursuits were things which could not al
at once become happily adjusted, OF prop
erly accommodated each to the other
There was some violence iu localities, there
was in some degree the diverse feelings Of
race and caste, and the republicans eagerly
sought to create division upon the colol
line. They even attempted to hold anC
maintain this unnatural relation between
whites and blacks, with themselves as tn,
benehciaries Of the dissensiOns, by fore,
and use Of federal bayonets and Executiy,
Interference in local and state affairs
That such management became unbear
able to the whites is nothing astonishing
that it convinced the colored man wher
his true interests lay Is one of the retribu
tive influences of human action which wa
not foreseen or suspected, and which ha
destroyed republican control and manage
ment Of the colored vote 1t il gone ant
forever. The periodic wall is still heard
and talk about using the army is INDUCED
n, but such walls grow feebler and les.
frequent as their futlity becomes NOR,
evident. They have been made for nor
them use, aed to inoite the northern
mind, But when tits seen that even III,
colored man despises such tricks and per
sistantly votes with the with the dem
ocrats, when the profered sympathy i
seen to be a sham and party device, ant
that reports Of outrages and i'll treatmen
are given the lie by the votes of the color
ed men, side by side and in connection
with democrats, regardless of the mocl
heroics and the crocodile tears Of their pre-
tended northern friends, the subtertuge
and articles of the republican party owe
outrages upon the colored race will di
out, and become things of the past. Sucl
has already been the case in all the South
ern States, save possibly South Carolin,
and Louisiana. In these two states th,
races are drawing nearer and nearer to
gether undar kba ,,~on.- e