The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1882-1884, 1883-05-10

his color, the honorable teachings O
our honored ancestry. and ally him
self with our political enemies. wa
for long time a puzzle to US.
Our ignorance was caused by Oh
reluctance to attribute imprope
motives to others. We now fee
quite satisfied that such as have de
serted us act upon the destructive
principl that,
..To reign is worth ambition though il
He'll,
Better reign in He'll than serve in Heaven.
We dislike to Judge our fellow.ma'
harshl,. We are no: intolerant. We
recognize the fact that every mai
has the right to think and act just a.
he pleases so long as he does not
tran sgress the law and infringe the
rights Of others.
Noone will deny that the Repuh'
lican party South is composed %,
negroes and not the best ele ment o.
the white race. We may be in error
but we don't believe there is in the
South to-day native born white Re
publican from principle. If that
party had no offices to bestow. white
Republicans would be as s.arce as
black Democrats. What is true OF
North Carolina. politically, is true OF
the entire South We don't know
of a single white Republican il.
North Carolina who has not held al
office. or who has not been canGi
date either for election or nominal
And. whenever a white man zoe.
over, or, to speak more accurately
goes down, if he does not get Office.
his return is as speedy as circum
stances will permit.
1t is sad thing for a white ma,
to join the Republican party. Nint
hundred and ninety-nine times Out
of a thousand he does it from in
proper motives. Conscious Of hi
own depravity, he feels that he ha:
forfeited the esteem. if not the re
spect, of the best citizens. He knows.
when he has taken the fatal step, t.,
what depth he mus descend in order
to receive the plaudits and reward
of his party. He knows that he mus
pander to the sentiments of an 10
norant, uneducated, and supt rstI
tious people. Man necessarily feels
mean and abased when, for the frs
time, he acts from impure motives.
Men seldom commit crimes in thu
beginning Of an evil career. The
conscience must first be scared and
the moral principle become extinct.
SO it is politically-a white maj.
never goes down to the Republicans
at one time-that is TO say he him
self will not admit it. He is first !.
bolter, then Liberal, next whit.
Republican. next an office holder
finally a ruined man. This is NJ
picture of the Imagination. Results
and history of Republicanism in this
State prove the picture real. we
believe Governor Brogden is credited
with saying that the negroes will not
let any decent white man remain in
the Republican party in this State VT
imagine the Governor is true. Ii a
white Republican in his speeches
keeps within the bounds of reason.
moderation, AMI responsibility, he
has as little chance of prefcrment a.
he has of receiving the appreciation
OF right thinking men. The speeches
of white Republicans are not near ST.
conservative, manly and respectable
as those Of their colored brethren.
Listen to the political speech OF
the average white Republican, and
you hear nothing Tut malevolent
abuse, nothing but the bliahtine.
poisonous TRADE of the denayosue.
nothing but miserable attempts to
array race against race, and class
against class. 1t seems strange that
men who now speak so elegantly o
'rich mau's war. but poor man 5
battle were so late in discovering
it. Had such men used their elo
quence in discouraging the war in.
stead of using it in getting up a
company of poor men to fgh: it.,
they would now be credited with
sincerity instead of demayo.ism.
They gain nothing by such shifts
ana clumsy devices All so,s;h,.