National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-02-09


citizen and the representative ola high type
of Christian civilization never loses sight of
this fact in the discharge of his duties to
himself, TO society or to the government of
which he is u component part. Order being
the first law Of heaven--as the poets sing
it should be the ruling spirit of the inhabi-
tants of this mundane sphere, and he who
fails to contribute to it, fails to maintain
the stature of the genuine freeman, and be-
comes distrustcd receptacle of power to
any extent; for he who cannot rule himself
is an unfit repository of power relating to
the government of Others.
Pending the recent political movements
in this District relating to the appointment
of two delegates to the Republican National
Convention at Chicago in June scenes have
been enacted, methods have been introduced
and agencies have been resorted to which
in no degree reflect high order Of civiliza-
ton, or give assurance that the principles
of fairness, justice, order OF common hon
esty prevail with the ruling spirits of the
occasion. This was a mere skirmish line
in the pending political battle and it is
source of supreme satisfaction to know that
in this conflict the District of Columbia has
exhausted its power and influence in
the sl,rmish, and will go into camp
at that point From the hour
that the first note of preparation sounded
in this local contest the worst methods that
can possibly attach to and corrupt Ameri-
can politics were injected into the cOntro-
versy. The primaries, with few honorable
exceptions, were so many pandemoniums,
and when these elements were concentrated
in the convention, it seemed to bring into
its embrace the very furics that are pic
tured in the confines of perdition 1t was
| IIades let loose. Disorder aud violence con-
fronted good order and the laws and rules
of propriety throughout from first to last,
and the only wonder is that as good results
were gnrnered in the harvest as were pre-
sented in the final event.
The truth admonishes us to say that
while the convention was as four 10 ono
colorcd, taking the affair together from the
initiative to the denouement, the most tur.
bulent spirits and the most active and un-
principled instigators of all that was dis
orderly, unfair and disgraceful throughout
the affair were white men, who assume TO
| be leaders and exercise a control over the
cOlored masses of the District. For six
years these leaders have been in camp
under the effects of the law which disfran.
chised this District, with but one parade
for exercise prior to the present, during
that period. But time had not rustet
their armor, nor had it disarmed them o
the agencies and methods under the usC
and exercise of which they forfeited the
right and were stripped of tn,
privilege of exercising suffrage. Time doe
not seem to have profited them much il
its study, for they have not forgotten any
of their bad practices and methods nor ever
interspersed them with any that are goot
to ameliorate their pernicious effect Or
the first opportunity the old white leaders
have marshaled their hosts with the same
methods the same influences, the same tao
tics and tricks, the same abuses and per
nicious influences that six years ago con
tributed TO overthrow the right of suffrage
and relegate the people of this District to 9
condition of mere vassalage in government
II is very unfortunate for those who have
been labOrng zealously and honestly il
behalf of the restoration of suffrage, thai
upon this occasion white leaders SHOULD
put on dress parade the very worst ant
most disgusting agencies and influences
that corrupt, demoraize and dsorganiz,
political action, under the very eye of {
Congress that has just been memorializet
to rehabilitate this people with the right o
suffrage. The suffrage committee hav
been wounded by this action, for the caus
they have in hand has been so badl,
smirched by some of those who seek sui
| frage that all hope in that direction seem
now at an end, until the present can b
forgotten by this Congress or anOthe
which has not yet been disguise,
shall take the matter in hand. What ha
been done in this interest has been perhnp
overturned by the disgracolul conduct o
some men who have been training in tn
front rank of the suffrage army We re
frain at present from making persona
mention Of the prominent actors in tn
scenes that have shown to Congress and tn
country that this people, as a whole, ar
not quite yet pre- pared to become the re
positories of political power There mus
he large number of emigrations, death
or conversions to decency, to say nothing @
right, before this field will be rendered at
tractiye as a repository Of suffrage. This
TO be deeply regretted, for those who hay
? endeavorcd to secure the restoration {
suffrage for this people have been urged I
il under a sense of the fact that all cit
zens who are trained in the walks Of ciyi
izaton and act under its eleyating inhr
ences in n representative form of govern
ment are entitled to suffrage, but the
find no good defense against til
weapons that the people in their recen
political performances have put into tn
| t...,.I, II I,a .,,ap,fau nf franc IN daIpa