The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-11-14
Thursaay. November Il. 1873.
Intimidation.

citizens of the country is eminently char
acteristic Of party purity and devotion TO
the exalted principles Of human freedom
The fact that the colored citizens nave
mainly voted 10 the late elections at tne
south with the democratic party Is citea
as a melancholy proof of the dangers Wnlcn
threaten their devoted heads, aud OF INC
power Of democrats to constraln and coerce
,hoso ;oroceut children Of the sun to
vicariously sacrifice themselves and the
republican party for the sake OF peace and
harmony in their Deighborhood relations.
The eolored men have not yet reached
that exalted state Of political ecstacy which |
would render them superior to the wants
and necessities Of daily life, nor are they
quite insensible to the influences Of their
immediate neighbors and employers, or to
the advantage Of being on good terms
with those among whom they reside. That
the colored race should so soon forget the
obligations which must rest upon them
through ages of ages to be always the ser
WIG HUu AOblOHCAo W AhS ~
publican party on account of the accident
Of their freedom resulting from the
necessities of war and claimed by the
republicans to be their special gift
is one Of those perplexing problems Of
human prever sity which goes far towards
establishing the ancient orthodox doctrine
Of total depravity. The colored mans
emancipation from involuntary servitude,
his being clothed With the rights and
privileges of citizenship in model repub-
lie, and his being invested with the sacred
and inestimable honor oil. manhood suffrage,
was intended to preserve him in perpetual
security against the wiles and machin-
ations of the unterri6ed democracy, and to
build up an alliance In support OF republl-
cans which should render them at once and
forever the dominant party in that part of
the country inhabited by the colored race.
This noble and disinterested political
scheme, which was conceived in the spirit
of true bene6cence and which displays the
amiable adorable virtues Of the most up
right and exemplary party the sun ever
shone upon has strangely miscarried, and
the dearly beloved wards Of the nation,
like infants advancing to adolescence, have
proved sinsularly ungrateful to their bene-
factors and stupidity insensible to the praises
which have been showered upon Their
teachableness and docility. The grea
party of God and humanity" which has
embodied within itself all the coucentrat
ed virtues Of past ages and the excellence
of every thing to come, has once again
awakened to realizing sense of the i'm
PROJECTIONS of human nature, even when
existing 10 its superior excellence be
meath colored skin, and in its righteou
Indignation it no longer "persuades men
but threatens the terrors Of the law.
Can it be that such awful wrath exists il
heavenly minds?
Ben Butler says the great party of go,
and humanity is guilty of more intidima
ton in the old puritan state of MassachU
sets than all intimidation elsewhere com
OiBCus LUZ buCu DCu 10 q b0ShohNSA' -
few years ago and his word would hav
stood good among republicans a
against the world-now there is no repui
lican $50 poor as to do him reverence.
Butler specifies with great particularly
he schedules his opponents by classes az
points out what each did-he uses vel
PLAIN and unequivocal language in charl
ing the party of moral ideas with obliquit
coercion, and intimidation. 1t does Il
hearts of the faithful good to see with VIII
avidity and scorn the charges of Butler al
repealed. There was no intimidation; Il
truth was presented to the minds of tt
people with such cogeDcy and enforce
with such weighty reasons that me
were converted and their minds change
from life long errors to the truth as it is
the republican party in the twinkling of ;
eye, 30 to speak. No, there was no coe
cion. But men were taught with marve
Gus clearness where their future subsis
ence lay, and that the way {, future en-
pIoyment lay in the direction of voting Il
republican ticket, A keen sense OF RICH
eousDess and adherence Of moral deli
quency taught the amiable and liberal e,
Founders OF republican party faith to avoi
even the appearance oeevil," and men wei
LETT free to vote as their inclination or the
judgment should dictate-subject only
the certainty that their own emYloymel
and their families subsistence dependt
upon voting against Butler. There wi
perfect ireedom-there was the sense
manly independence which becomes Il
honest voter there was free and unr
strained choice, and a sense of perfect 8,
curity in depositing the ballot-but, g
these things were only felt when the vote
conscience became enlightened to the d
gree of deeming il his duty to vote the r
publican tioket.
Did it ever occur to the republicans th
il was parallel condition of affairs whit
lost them the votes of the colort
men of the South2 Those simp
and docile children of the sunny SOU
initiated the example of their fellow cit
zens IL the factories ard workshops of Il
north. True, the clear and convincing a
guments which Leo captive their judgmen
and changed their political convictio,
were made by the democratic party, br
doubtless they were quite as potent ar