The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-07-04

I<RX
claration on the part OF the Lyncnoefs
convention in favor Of excluding negroes
from such positions as that OF trustee Oh
white schools. But a large majority OF our
advisers. whose name Is Legion, concur u"
the views expressed by the petersburg
Mail in the following article;
our Richmond contemporary Is iuhy
aware that there are some Democratic Jour-
mails in this State The Norfolk Ledger ana
Inndmark particularly--which seem 10 re-
gard with disfavor any action Dy tne
Iynchburg Convention which Will 'e'io W
drae the color line. r, ,yho
The editor OF the Norfolk Ledger, WHO,
ms he has grown In years, has also ausah ~,
In political wisdom, is opposed 10 any SUP
which will make the Democracy appear W
he the movers in any plan that may nav a
tendency 10 array race against race "h''es
against blacks. a.. Co,,vor.
We are Of the opinion that the Conven-
ton will be called upon TO give iortn sohic
utterance rs regards the color hne. anu on,
reasons will. we trust. be found Just ana
proper. In brief they are ms follows:
1. The "color line" has already Deen
drawn.
>. The men who wilfully drew 1t are de-
irving no little benefit from their treachery
70 their own race and the miserable pohcy
which they have adopted In their alleged
efforts to advance the interests OF the ne
groes. .,o.
3. The men who have drawn the "coloI
line" are the Coalition leaders.
The Democrats have never done more
than recognize the fact that the line mas
been drawn. -,
a. Since these Coalition leaders have
banded the negroes together against the
whites. by appealing to the race prejudice
of the black men, therefore ii behooyes the
Lynchburg Convention, in recognition OF
the danger with which we are thus threat
ened, TO deprecate the fact that race has
been marshaied against race by Coalition
leaders. To deprecate the fact, we say,
but none the less TO recognize IL, ana, In
thus fifty recognizing, give forth to the peo-
ple no uncertain utterance on this subject
OF race antagonism.
wherever there are negroes OF intelli-
pence they will be found voting with the
Democrats. The Democracy will lose mo-
thing by q wise and prudent recognition
of the unwarrantable wrong which the Co.
alition leaders have inflicted upon tue white
men of Virginia, and there are not few
negroes in the Second district and else
where who will vote with the Democrats
rather than assist their own race to commit
political suicide.
The issue has been made by the Coalition
leaders: the "color tine" has been drawn
by these same men. Now, white men OF
Virginia, you know what your duty to
your State and to yourselves demands.
Whatever else the Lynchburg Conven-
ton may do, 1t cannot for moment think
OF competing with the Coalitionists in the
matter OF bidding for the negro vote.
Richmond Democrats, for illustration, can
not offer to put three or four negroes on
their City Board Of School Trustees. If
there were no question OF principle in
yolved, the question OF eXpediency would
turn the scale against any such folly; for
the other side would be compelled
by the very circumstances which sur
round them 10 make still higher bid.
For our part, we are IN earnest
in deprecating everything that looks
like mixed schools. For this reason, we
have made no opposition whatever to the
proposition to have negro teachers for the
negro schools. We can very well under
stand that the negroes prefer teachers OF
their own race even IL these be inferior to
the white teachers who have heretofore
had charge Of the negro schools. We
would be willing so to change the laws as
to provide that negro schools must be
taught by negro teachers and white schools
by white teachers. We say we are OPP
posed to everything like mixed schools,
and therefore cannot countenance any mea-
sure or policy on the part OF the Demo-
Gratis which would afford to our opponents
nm excuse for going still further in their
efforts to please the negroes. 1t would be
Ms unjustifable in us to force them to make
still further concessions to the negroes as
IL would be in them to make these conces-
sions without being forced to do 1t.
Here in Richmond we have mixed
School Board. Are the Democrats of Vir-
ginia to hold their peace when such an
outrage Is perpetrated upon the white peo-
Die Of Virginia? II so, why? Because
they will drive off the negroes from the
Democratic party? Why, as the Mail says,
the color line has already been drawn by
our opponents, and all that we have to dc
Is 10 decide whether or not we shall accept
the gage Of battle which has been thrown
down before us. The negro votes have
already been secured. II the negroes
may be counted upon to vote against thu
Democrats because these denounce the
action of CAMERON, FAIR. and BLAIR
surely the same negroes will rally to tn,
side Of CAMERON, FAIR, and BLAIR. be
cause they have drawn color line whicl
the Democrats are afraid to recognize. 1
the negroes would band against the Demo
Gratis on a negative proposition, there can
we think, be no doubt whatever that the
would band against us on the same propo
sition aflirmatiyely stated.
As we sookl at 1t, therefore, the Demo
Gratis have nothing whatever to lose, so ia
as Virginia is concerned, by declaring tina
no negro ought to be allowed to hold an
position la (which he would be the officia
superior ~ whites.
Ney}Ntheiess, there are persons OF excel
lepk judgments who have told us tba
they would deem 1t bad policy for .h
Lynchburg Convention even TO recog
nize the fact that the coler line ha
been drawn by our opponents. Why
Because-and II Is the only reaso,
which has given us pause-becaus
as the Democrats are morally certain tina
they will elect the next President Of tn
United States II the southern Democrat
do nothing between now and November