National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-01-17

The falsehood and deceit of the South
ern leaders who have pretended to ac-
quisce in the Fifteenth Amendment have
become so transparent to the Northern
Republican mind that the whole party
has finally come. to a realization of the
truth. The worst men we have had in
the country since the war have been
nominal Republicans of prominence in
the North who, in order to get rid of
farther trouble, or to curry favor with
the Southern bull-dozers, have falsely
pretended not to believe in the well as
certained prevalence of Democratic politi-
cal outrages against the black and white
Republicans of the South. These have
been the Pilates who have permitted the
crucifixion of humanity when they could
have prevented it. They are the priests
and Levites at Jericho who have gone by
on the other side, falsely pretending
that they did not see the beaten and
wounded man at the roadside. They
have been the cowardly concealers of
murder. They have acted as the " fence
for stolen ballots; the swift witnesses
for the criminals. Cringing, fawning mer-
cenaries, they are now as ready as ever
to sell human rights, unless they can get
a better price for professions in their be-
half This class of false teachers have
had large following of honest people
who were deluded by their fair preten-
sions.
Just now, when fifteen years of hot and
brutal violence during time of miscalled
peace have brought us up to a tolerably
united determination among Republicans
that Bourbon tyranny and election cheat
ing shall cease, the friends of the black
man are invited by Bourbon leaders to
urge one of his race for seat in the Cab
met.
Senator Bruce, one of the foremost of
his race, and Senator, is deservedly
complimented by his own friends as
worthy of the high honor named. This
is all iii order, and he and his friends
will, of course, be entirely satisfied with
whatever decision General Garfield may
makeon the subject. Many will be called,
but few chosen. 1t will no more occur to
Senator Bruce, if he should not be ap-
pointed to the Cabinet, that he is left out
because he is colored than it will to Gov
ernor Foster, should he not be appointed,
that he is passed by because he is white.
We have no color test for office. The
colored people cannot ask an appoint
ment for their friend because of color
with any more propriety than the white
people can ask that all the Cabinet be
white on similar grounds. Our Constitu-
ton and laws know nothing of color. Of
course all this will be disappointing
to the gushing leaders of the Bour-
bons
Chalmers, of Mississippi, in whose
district majority of thousands against
him is neutralized by the gentle
Democratic friends of the Fifteenth
Amendment, is for Bruce for the Cabi-
net. And he learns that Lamar is
equally desirous that his present col
league shall be transferred from the Sem
ate to the Presidents council board. The
Legislature that chose Mr.. Bruce to the
Senate was the last that was ever chosen
by the people of Mississippi. After that
came the murderous Mississippi Plan,"
by which Republican majority of thirty
thousand was changed to an apparent
Democratic majority of the same number.
Pitched battles, wholesale savagery-
scenes ofwhich the tamest accounts freeze
the blood of the listener-these gave Mis-
sissippi to the Democracy, and placed
Lamar in the Senate and Chal-
mers in the House. Do the men
who profted by the Mississippi plan
ask anybody to believe that
they are the friends of Senator Bruce and
his black friends? Do they suppose that
the simplest mind cannot see that in
their advocacy of any colored mans ad-
they only seek to array pre-
iudice on their side in one event and
jealousy in the other? We do not depre- |
cate the candidacy of Senator Bruce; but |
we believe he will fully agree with us as
to the grounds on which it should |
not be placed, and also as to the mo-
tives which might induce some people,
not his political friends, to advocate
him. !