The national leader., 1889-01-12
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
Special Correspondence of the NATIONAL

It's uOptb. uhuROIS duu pU5SiUlklLl0S lOF
the people of our race throughout this
great country. We stand with bated
breath, upon the threshold of another
Administration, silently wondering,
what Will be the effect upon our for
tunes and condition when the "Grand
Old Party" shall be once more IN
power.
The treacherOus SOutt erner is already
| taking time by the forelock, crying
out: ''I have s1nned against the negro,
but see the error of my ways; makes,
however, no effort to right his wrongs.
but leaves him to me, sChO knotDS hin so
,cell, that l may acknowledge my error
and take counsel with him, how | may
| indemnify him for what he has suf-
| fered." lilies, all lies.'
The subtle flattery which traces the
President-elect's pedigree back to the
South is an Offset to these protesta-
tions of condition: and events will
prove, that the South, will not become
subjects of the party coming into
power, but will endeavor to strengthen
themselves by an allegiance which will
do more for them than could the sue
cess of the Democratic Party.
This view of coming events may be
but the vague imaginlngs of dis
ordered fancy, but it can be justified by
logical reasoning.
The point has been reached in our
history when the South can no longer
with safety persist In the systematic
outrages which have been perpetrated
upon the negro during the last twenty
five years.
The record of these murders has
astonshed and shocked the civilized
world, and very soon there will be a
monstrous uprising against the section
of the country which is bringing such
disgrace upon the nation.
What is to be done? Give the negro
his political rights and a free ballot.
Certainly. why notp The South has
only to array itself upon the side OF
Republicanism. then, let the negro vote
for the party which he loves 80 we'll.
The offices will remain where they
are now, the negro will have the ballot,
and OutrageS will have become a thing
of the past. Some will say ''this is
impossible, the prejudice In the South
is so strong against the Republican
Party" But they forget that the South
is ruled by an aristOcracy which has
admitted the pres1dent-elect to be one
of them by right of birth.
"All IS fair, In love and war;" and,
should the arIstocracy of the South,
array itself on the side of MIR. Harri-
son, the rank and file, would fall in
line, and the South be, as solid as to
day; it would only have changed Its
politics. given the negro freep ballot.
and then continued to count itself In
rs heretofore.
Does the leopard change his spots,
or the ethiopian his skinp Then will
not the South. change it's purpose of
keeping its heel. upon the negroes
neck. AS had the Jew. the negro
must work out his own salvation. Put
not your trust in parties; but let
each individual, gather to himself, a
little, OF the leaven of wealth and in
tellectuality that is about him, to the
end, that the whole mass, may be
leavened with that, which will do more
toward his elevation in a decade, than
would centuries of legislation. And
here, the thought of legislation, re-
minds one of the event, which aside
from the purely social affairs, inciden-
tai to this reason, was the principle
topic or conversation, during the past
week: l refer to the Emancipation
Celebration at Cooper Union on the
evening of January I'd.
The Chairman, Colonel Elliott F.
Shepard, of the Mail and EIpress. New
York's leading evening newspaper.
opened the meeting with a character
istic speech, which awakened the audi
ence to state of enthusiastic apprecia-
ton, prevailing until the last remark
was made, and the excellent band,
which had been secured for the occa-
sion, was rendering its final selection.
The series of resolutions read by
Mr.. John E. Bruce, OF Washington,
D. G., we're received with marks of
serious appreciation.
Letters from General Harrison, Hon.
Levi 2. Morton, and Frederick Doug
lass, were read and heartily applauded.
General Q. y. Howard followed with
remarks, which held the undivided at
tention of his audience, throughout
their delivery.
The Hon. j. NJ. Langston was in
one of his happlest veins. and, with
his eloquence, touched his audience as
with a magic wand, swaying them to
tears or laughter. as his fancy willed.
DR.. w. B. Derrick's speach was one
of his best efforts; as the representative
of our race in New York, he felt it In
cumbent upon him, to draw moral
from the occasion; which he did in
such happily chosen words, as to in
struct, warn and encourage, without in
any way failing to entertain and amuse.
Altogether. it was one of the most
successful. commemorations of that
event. which occupies such high place
in the history Of our race, which has
ever been given in our city.
The political big wigs, are meeting.
and parting, talking and schemeing,
in secret conclaves, and no man knoweth
upon what they have agreed; there are.
however, whispers Of a meeting to be
held, iu the near future, for the pur-
pose of giving expression, to our salts
faction at the victory; achieved by the
Republican party, and also to endorse
our leaders, whom we desire to be re-
cognized by the party. What has the