The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-08-30
NUMBER so.
The political Status Of the Celored Ian.

It's evident that in many places in
the Northern States the colored voters
are becoming restless in the Republican
party. They have always demanded
that peculiar recognition implied by
.cohferring Office upon one or more OF
their number. Where they have not re-
-ceived this sort of recognition they COM
plainof unjust discrimination, and where
they have received it in some degree
they prove to be remarkably fertile In
the production of new candidates. The
fastest revolt among the 'tcolored
troops" is in Newport, R. L.,where they
have passed resolutions denunciatory OF
the Republican tendency to ignore their
claims, and have appointed an Exscu-
7tive Committee to work out their con-
ten4tlated vengeance. Mr.. George T.
Downing is Chairman of this COM
mittee, and, in that capacity, has ad-
dressed an extravagant letter to the
Providence Journal, a sufficient notion
of4Yhch can be obtained from the fol-
lowing extract:
We have felt attached to the Republican
pans because it was made agent for the
rightsSaecause it had allied with it some honest
Ct the colored people at the present time is not
,undegsto ID. Go not to colored oface-holders ut
I Washington to learn it. The coIored people
are {fpe for independence, aye, for revolt,
and II viii take place If the Republican party
Tes not manifest some respect for its black
entreated the party. What has it avsiled1
Seif+respect does not admit of submission any
! longer to the jcer5 and deridings the black
man is subjected to on all sides for tamely sub
| hitting to insult. He must assert his man
msny we viii 40 cSeer lear s e1g o Se coor n
pie will be misrepresented no longer by fawn-
ing colored men. No cap-in-h hand Office holder
| coming to the front. hail the fact with much
E,may depend upon my honest support in its re-
Solve to play the part of freemen-
Without stopping to inquire whether
the Republican party is really unjust to
the blacks who have been in the habit
of voting with it, or whether the colorea
men who now contemplate a revolt in
| the Republican ranks are ungrateful.
the tone of the above letter, which may
| be assumed to reflect the sentiments of
colored voters in any locality who de-
sire to break away from the party, sug-
gests one obvious course: wherever any
| blAck man or number of black men
cqne 10 the conclusion that they have
not gained by changing their condition
fnom-one of enforced servitude to one of
paIty loyalty they should lose no time
rinlGafng over to the Democrats. If the
ntpg men of the negro race labor under
tflreGnpression that they will not justify
ftA6A Aelaim s'to play the part of free
1spfS until they quit the Republican
sS55aEf and vote with the Democrats, then
iXH3 should certainly try the experiment
.tsee what it yields them. It viii be
justas well to have the colored vote ev-
divided up between the par
ties according to individual preferences
and-convictions, and good deal better
! in the South whenever that result can
be brought about without intimidation
or fraud. If the blacks at the South
had defended their right to vote with
anything like the same energy those at
the North urge their political claims
upon the Republican party, it would not
have been so easy for their former mas
ters- to override them. cheat them of
their majorities, practically disfran-
chise them. and pass laws which abridge
their political and civil rights. - Chicago
! Tribune.