National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-04-05
PRINCE WILLIAM.
Alabama Politics.
To The Editor Of The Republican:

10 ue Edtt0f o. Inc heLdOttcdH
In The REPUBLICAN of December II We
read your article "The Negro in the South
wherein you generalize on his condition, and espe
cially his political slavery. We believe with you
that the remedy for the ills he suffers lies in the
hands the North but from your article we can
not clearly gather your idea of the remedy TO be
applied. 1t is certainly true, You suggest, that
his fortunes depend in great degree upon the
fostering care of the white men of the South. But
have the events of the past fifteen years been such
as to inspire us with the hope that the Bourbon
party of the South will ever be just to hin? !?
Speaking as a native Southern man, fully ae-
we despair of that And we feel assured that the
people of the North and West are at last about to
arrive at the same conclusion VIII you, tnen,
forbear TO throw the just and proper safeguards
around his rights? Remember that he was always
faithful to your flag, and that your poor captives
fleeing from prisons by the light of the north
star never feared to enter black mans cabin and
ask for bread" VIII you stand By him now, or
will you again daily with Chalmers OCon-
face the perils of Solid South? Do
you think that the men who have waded through
blood and snirched themselves with fraud to ae-
cOmpliSh their purposes are to be eonciliated by
another sentimental policy? This great ollgar-
chy, like worm in the bud, must be crushed
under the foot of Justice fnot political serfdom
andrng rule will surely follow in its Shiny wake.
We who know the negro well can safely and truly
say that he is not turbulent revengeful riotous.
tractable, patient, and peaceable. Instead of
being aggressive in his new estate of freedom, he
only seeks protection i'll the great rights with
which he is invested. He is continually apprehen-
Sive lest he may be fully remanded to the mercies
of his political enemies. He oscillates between
hope and fear The let alone policy that Senator
Pugh recently enunciated should he faithfully
and energetically applied TO the negro. 1t will do
well enough 10 let alone the Bourbon Democrats
when they in turn conclude to let alone the negro
But when he is held under the heelof TepresSiVe
and hostile legislation and actually sWindled out
of the elective franchise to which sWindle in part
Senator Pugh owes his elevation then it is the stern
duty of Congress to give us a republican form of
government WINFIELD ). BIRD.
EUTAW, ALA, March ID, 1881.
with every word of which, Mr.. Bird, we fully
agree. 1t is not our opinion that "a sentimental
policy" can result in anything but renewed inso-
ience and bitterness on the part of the Bourbons.
What we do mean is, that if there are white men
In Alabama who are now willing to act with you
and your political associates for the first time
the simple issue of free ballot and fair count,
in antagonism TO the BOurbons and if they are
willing to aid you in compelling division of cleo
ton officers in every precinct, then, for the pur-
pose of establishing republican form of govern
ment in your State, the anti BoUrbons ought to all
unite, and 10 party name be insisted on in
merely State contest. The end would be good
Ed. REPUBuCAN.1