Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1884-07-22

crnmeut as ours could not be d disregard
ed by any civilized nation. In the
treaty of Washington we led the world
In the means OF escape from the horrors
of war, and it is to be hoped that the
era when all international differences
shall be decided by peaceful arbitration
Is not far off.
The central idea of Republican
form of Government is rule Of the
whole people AZ opposed to the other
forms which rest upon a privileged
class.
Our forefathers, in the attempt to
erect q new Government which might
represent the advanced thought Of the
world at that period upon the subject
OF government reform, adopted the
idea of the peoples sovereignty, and
thus laid the basis Of our present Re-
public. While technically q Govern.
ment Of the people, it was in strictness
only Government of a portion of the
people, excluding from all participa-
tion certain other portion held in a
condition of absolute. despotic aud
hopeless servitude, the parallel to
which, fortunately, does not now exist
in any modern Christian nation. With
the elimination, however, of another
cycle OF advanced thought, the Ameri-
can Republic suddenly assumed the
full character of a Government of the
whole people, and 100000 human
creatures emerged from the condition
of bondsmen 10 the full status of free
men, theoretically invested with the
same civil and political rights possessed
by their former masters.
The subsequent legislation which,
guaranteed by every legal title the
citizenship AID full equality before
the law in all respects Of this pre-
viously disfranohised people, amply
covers the requirements and secures to
them, 80 far as legislation can, the
privileges of American citizenship.
But the disagreeable fact of the case is
that, while theoretically we are in the
enjoyment of a governments of the whole
people, practically we are almost as far
from it as WE were in the ante e-bellum
days of the Republic. These are but a
few leading and indisputable facts
which cover the whole statement of the
case In many of the Southern States
the colored population is in large excess
of the white.
The colored people arc Republicans,
AZ are also considerable portion of the
white people. The remaining portion
of the latter are Democrats. in the
face of this incontestible truth these
States invariably return Democratic
majorities. In other States OF th,
South the colored people, although NO
% majority, form a very considerabl,
body of the population and with fhs
white Republicans are numerically il
excess of The Democrats yet precisely
the same political result obtains, the
Democratic party invariably carrying
tie elections. 1t is not even though
advisable to allow an occasional ol
unimportant election 10 be carried by
the Republicans as "blind" or AZ q
stroke of Rnesse.
| Careful and impartial investigation
has shown these results TO follow the sys
tematic exercise of physical intimida
tion and violence, conjoined with the
most shameful devices ever praoticed
in the name of free elections. So con
| tirmed has this result become that WI
are brought face to face with the extra
ordinary political fact that the Demo
cratic party of the South relies almos
entirely upon the methods stated for it
success in national elections. This un
lawful perversion of the popular fran
chise, which desire to state dispassion
ately and in manner comporting will
the proper dignity of the occasion, i
one Of deep gravity to the American
people in a double sense-irst, it is ii
violation, open, direct and fiagrant, o
the primary principle upon which ou
Government is supposed TO rest, viz.
that the control of the Government i
participated in by all legally qualified
citizens, in accordance with the plal
of popular Government, that inaioritie
|, must rule i'll the decision of all ques
lions.
Second. II il in violati ON of tn
rights and interests ofthe States where
in are particularly centred the grea
wealth and Industries of the nation
aud which pay an overwhelming poi
!. tion of the national taxes. The in
, mense aggregation of interests ell
| braced within, and the enorinousl
greater population of those other State
of the Union, are subjected every fou
years to the dangers Of wholly fraudr
, lent show of numerical strength.
Il Under this system minorities actual
! attempt to direct the course of nationa
affairs, and, though up to this tim
success has not attended their efeort
, to elect President, yet success ha
> been so perilously imminent as te Oh
, courage n repetition of the effort at eac
-lquadrennial election, and to subjet
the interests of an overwhelming ma
], jority of our people North and Sout
, 10 the hazards OF illegal subversion.
ii The stereotyped argument in refuti
/ ton of these plain truths 10 that If tl
, Republican element was really in IL
| inr 1t 81, nf ha n nriy AI Z
, their rights and privileges by mino
! | ity but neither statistics of populatio
I nor the unavoidable logic of the stu;
tion can be overridden or escaped. Tt
colored people of the South have recen
| | ly emerged from the bondage Of the
{ present political oppressors they hay
had but few OF the advantages Of ed,
, cation which might enable them to con
. pete with the whites.
As l have heretofore maintained,
order to achieve the ideal perfection ,
u popular government, 1t Is absolutel
! necessary that the masses should
5 educated. This proposition applies
> self with full force to the colored PEI
Pile of the South. They must have be
: ter educational advantages, and thr
Y be enabled to b: come the intellectui
\ peers of their white brethren, as man
OF them undoubtedly already are. 4
D liberal school system should be provide
D for the rising generation of the Soutl
and the colored people be made d
lcapable of exercising the duties I
5. electors as the white people.
In the meantime it is the duty of th
0 National Government to go beyond r.
1 solutions and declarations on the sui
ject, and to take such action as may i
y lin its power to secure the absolute fre
a ] dom of national elections everywber
r to the end that our Congress may ceas
h to contain members representing fict
!. tious majorities of their people, thu
T. misJirec'ing the popular will conceri
r ing national legislation, and especial
=. A.. tha end that in Presidential contest