The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-08
A Leaf From History.
From the PhiIndeInhfn Peco,,,

N'O"' Hto GftEIIStDntQ Record.
The story of Abraham Lincoln's Milan -
create Government fund of S4O0. 00ID00
to indemnify the Shareholders for neoyro
emancipation, as told by Messrs Hay and
NIcolay in the Cent,t,.1I e.
November, has more than historicaIi
interest. In a letter to-
Alexander 81. Stevens, soon after his cleo.
ton TO the presidency, Mr.. Lincoln aslred ;
DO the people of the South really enterS
tam fears that a republican admins.
tratlon would directly or indirectly inter-
fere with the slaves or with their masters
about their slavesg' Answering his own
question, he said: eff they do, I wish to
assure you as once friend, and still, hone.
not ennemy, that there is no cause Tor
such fears"
The conservative opinion thus sincerely
and frankly expressed by Abraham Lincoln
was entertained by the great mass of the
Republican party. Even when civil war
arose through the act of the shareholders.
it was not waged to free the negroes, but to,
preserve the union. The idea of emancipaa
ton, though cherished by a small element
OF the Republican party, was care
fully kept in the background lest it should
prove a serious obstacle to q vigorous
prosecution Of the war. Events, however,
rapidly outran the deductions of cool
policy; and freedom to the slaves, without
as well as political necessity Of the situa-
ton.
But now the latter-day republicans are
making a claim of gratitude upon the
negroes for political event which was not
in the programme of their predecessors.
The collision of arms precipitaUed an act
which Abraham Lincoln and the great BODY
of his supporters solemnly protested they
did not desire. In this great republican,
6if Of h0l fhsVc =
have held all the republicans whose views
were in advance of Abraham Lincoln's on
this subject. Yet the latter-day republic
cans practically demand that the negroes
shall have no opinions on current questions
of policy, but are bound to their party by
ties of gratitude for an event which oe-
CURED more than quarter Of a century
ago. The negroes, who are emotional and
grateful by nature, have been imposed
upon by the incessant DINING of this party
claim in their ears. Abraham Lincoln's
honest letter shows how little justice there
is in such pretension. The confederates,
who refused peace on any terms except polls
tical separation. are about as much entitled
to the gratitude of blacks for the uncon-
trollabIe events which eliminated in their
emancipation as are the republicans, who
made war without seeking or desiring
emancipation.
Even if this claim to the gratitude of co.'s
ored voters be not founded upon historical
misconception, it is none the less perniciouss
and demoraIizing in its effect upon political
development. Political ingratitude is the
independence of the citizen. Party tradi-
tions, names and associations, however
venerable, weigh nothing against the duty
of the living present. Those people whose
eyes constantly revert to the past are the
Jacobites and Bourbons of American polls
tics. When the negroes shall know better
they may learn how hollow and absurd Is
the party claim to their grateful suffragess