Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-08-03
Jim Grow i'm Atlanta.


Yesterday the white carpetbaggers and
scalawags and the cOlored drivers of the
Radical party sat in secret conclave in
Atlanta, a proceeding contrary to all
Republican principles and usage. In
fact, whenever a political convention sits
with closed doors, the people represent
ed by it may be sure that there is some
thing wrong going on in it-fOr is it not
the servants of the people shutting their
doors in the face of their masters, who
have the right to know what they are
doing?
The excuse for this hidden star cham
Der proceeding in Atlanta, so viOlative
of Democratic frankness, as put forth by
the delegates, is THAT they desired to
avoid the ridicule heaped upon them in
previous assemblages by the news
papers" This, in the language of the
day, is 'too thin" Ridicule only waits
upon what is ridiculous, falling harm
less against truth and dignity. however
simply they may be clothed. Such an
excuse, therefore, is an admission that
previous conventions have made them
selves ridiculous; an admission we
will not deny, as we think
they have been as absurd as
any burlesque of the opera bouffe. The
tyro in political knowledge and expert
ence sees at once that such an excuse Is
veil to cover something else that will
not stand the light. And if he has any
sense at all he remembers that "men
love darkness rather than light, because
their deeds are eel, and who it was that
said so.
Now, how long we ask, will reason
able colored men in Georgia (and we
have a good many intelligent ones) per
nit themselves to be nose led, or driven,
by the white Radicals and their cOlOred
fOremen, who manipulate the sO-called
Republican party in Georgia, wheedle
| or force the mass of the cOlOred race
into their measures, and huddle them
up to the polls on election days like
sheep, that they, the carpetbaggers and
their associates, may sit in the
rulers seats and live on the fat
Of the land? Are they better friends
to the colored people, than the Demo
cratic merchants, tradesmen and me
chauics who employ them. and by doing
so furnish to them and their families their
! daily bread? Is there single white car
petbagger or scalawag who has done one
quarter of the good, politically and ma
terially, 10 the colored people of Geor-
gia that Mr.. Alexander H. Stephens has
done? And is there one of them who
can be as safely trusted, in any matter
whatever, as Mr.. Stephens
We ask our cOlOred citizens to take a
rational consideration of this extraor-
binary closing of their conventions
doors against themselves, and to ascer-
tain why it was done. Figures and facts
demonstrate that the Republican party
| has but a feeble showing IN Georgia,
and it is growing weaker yearly, now
| that the National Democratic party in
the State is well organized, and is being
strengthened every day by white immi-
grafton. Why then should sensible.
practical cOlored men waste their
time and energies in working for
desd issues Ito them under the
command of Republican bosses from
Maine, Massachusetts, or other States,
who have no interest in Georgia beyond
working the negro race for their own
profit? Has the Georgia negro no pride
in his State? If he has not he certainly
is not entirely a freeman as the Constitu
ton of the United States recognizes a
freeman to be; and we must wait
patiently until time and education shall
enlighten him in his civil and political
rights before Georgia can be sure of his
patriotism to her and to the Federal
Union, of which she is part. The
man. white or cOlored, who does not I'M
,!erstand his obligations to both his State
and the Federal Union cannot be relied
upon by either.