Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-09-12
w nv
Should the CoIored People vote the Repub-
lican Ticket?

lican Ticket?
The Republican party claims that
the colored people belong to them for
| what they did for them in liberating the
slaves and doubtless many colored
voter has been fooled and mede to be-
| lieve tina: all that has been done for
| them and their race has been by the
| Republican party. Let US investigate
little. Did the Republican party las
such) even indicate in their platform
the idea of abolishing slavery? Not a
| word of it. The party was organized
with view to check its extension north
into free territory, and to oppose the
Fugitive Slave law. Was it for the in
| terest they had in the slaves, or was it
to prohibit the slave holders from CON-
| ing north with their slaves? The slave
power felt that they were losing polit
| zeal power for want of territory 10 ex-
tend their institution. This was the
real cause of the rebellion Was the
Republican party willing to allow the
colored man to enlist AS soldier and
| fight for his country and bis people :?
No, no; the white man was not willing
to let the colored men even of the north
70 organize into regiments to go aud
help protect their country and to put
down the rebellion. Thus the war went
on without the least idea of abolishing
slavery or freeing the slaves that were
under bondage by the wickedness of the
nation. The intelligent colored man
looked on without hope; but prayed
that God would not allow the rebellion
to be put down until the slaves were
made free. God heard his prayers, and
God allowed the war to continue, and
defeat after defeat came upon the
northern army; and thousands upon
| thousands were falling by southern
| bullets, and thousands were dying in
southern swamps with malaria and in
southern prisons; until the widows and
| fatherless children were mourning all
| over the land for fathers and husbands
| that were not. And mems hearts fail
ed them and cried out that there was
no hope, and gloom was settling over
the country.
President Lincoln took in the situa-
ton as thousands were crying out for
| the abolition of slavery, and for strik-
| ing at the root of the whole evil. 1t
| was now life or death to the nation
when the proclamation went forth for
| abolition and confiscation as war
| measure. Butremember how this proc
lamation made provision that if they
| {Confederates) laid down their arms and
returned to their homes in ninety days
they should save their slave property.
| But God did not allow this to take
place, as no good would thus be accom-
| plished in the interest of the colored
| race, and the sin of the nation would
| not be removed. But death was star
| ing the army in the face. Now the proc
| lamation takes effect, the slaves are
set free. armed and equipped and al
| lowed to enter the army and fight for
| their liberty, and to shield the white
soldiers from the enemy's battle. Sue
cess now follows the Union army and
the nation is saved. Was it love for
the negro and slavethat this proclama
| ton was sent forth, or was it to save a
white mans Government? In view of
| the situation. is there any reason or
obligation upon colored men that they
should be carpet bagged and compelled
to vote for and with the Republican
party, drunk, dishonest or sober? The
| cOlored people of the South have made
| great progress since the war in educa-
| ton, and whereas only about seven per
cent of the colored race could read and
| write at the close of the war, now over
two million can do it, and now should
be allowed to vote independent of all
| politicians, Republican or otherwise.
Sod has a better purpose for men than
that they should be led by a drunken
party. Vote for prohibition and be
men.
ETHAN LANPHEAR
Plaiutield N T.