The Washington bee., 1888-12-29
THE LANGSTON MOVE
MENT.

3lst OF last July, oel 1AnHoAe
invited the republican chairmen
of the various counties of the 4th
district TO meet him at his private
residence at Petersburg, to debate
the matter of Langston's strength,
and to determine upon his defeat
at all hazards, because of his COM
plexion, q new character and
significance was given to the
movement then being made, with
reference to Langston's nomins-
tion and election to Congress. For
Gen1 Malone to announce in
earnest, formal declaration, that
no colored man should represent
that District in Congress, thus
drawing the color line in demo-
cratic meaning and with demo-
cratic purpose, in violation OF
recognized republican principles,
was to give to this movement as
we have stated a new character
and new significance. What
ever may have oeen true of Lang
ston 40 q probable candidate from
the district up to this time in in-
dividual character and aspiration,
this was lost in the represen-
tative and race character which
ne was made to assume, by reason
of this declaration of General
Malone.
Langston became at once not
only the representative Of his race
but he became the representative
of the American political doc
trine, so clearly formulated and
expressed in the great American
state papers, including the late
amendments to the constitution,
which teach that no color line
determinations shall be, for they
cannot bejustly, made against any
American aspiring TO office.
As American citizenship is not
dependent on complexion, so the
official recognition of a eolored
mau may not be opposed on &C
count of his color. The negro,
an American citizen, recognized
as such in the law, constitutional
and municipal, may not be denied
official aspiration and official
place because be is black or
mulatto. And when MIR. Malone
made objection TO Mr.. Langston,
as indicated above, Mr.. Langston
lost his individual and local char
acter in the struggle in which he
was engaged, and became The
representative of his race in its
claims to emancipation from civil,
educational, and political thral.-
dom-the thraldom which is the
extreme indefensible democratic
position, to which Malone
would assign the negro if his doc
trine were carried out against
him. The Langston movement
then in Its moral significance is
not limited by the election of o
negro to Congress, however able,
learned and efficient such person
might prove to be when made
the representative Of the Con-
gressional District of the black
Belt in the House of Represen-
tatives. This movement represents
the positive assertion of the me-
gro to full recognition to official
place and power under the govern
ment without reference to, and in
spite OF, his color. In other words
still though Mr.. LsngSton be q
colored man, he has the right to
represent his district, composed of
white and colored citizens, when
duly nominated and fairly electe d
in spite of the curl of his hair or
the color OF his face.
If this be the moral significance
of the Lsngston movement in
Virginia, colored men who are
opposing him and it, are indeed
appearing in sorry light before
the citizens of our country. Mr..
Langston has served bis notice of
contest upon his opponent. He
has doubtless heen elected by O
plurality from about three to i've
thousand. He will vindicate in
his success the right of the colored
American to full official recogni.
fion in state and nation, in spite
of the base democratic doctrine OF
Malone and his followers express
ed long ago, in the LAM,
gusge of Chief Justice Taney
"tbat the negro has no rights
which the white man is bound to
resnect Ter fha eolorad ynon of