The Washington bee., 1898-09-10
REVOLT OF THE NEGRO
VOTER.

At no time since the anactment
Of the Fifteenth Amendment to
the Constitution, conferring the
right to vote upon the cololed man
has his attitude been so doubtful.
In fact, it is in many places hostile
to the republican party. The rea-
son for this remarkable change is
.ot wanting and is easily found in
the events growing out of the war.
! The respect, consideration and
friendly attitude of the former op-
posing party led by Tammany is
largely responsible for it. There
the noble part played oy the color
ed troops at Santiago, has helped
wonderfully. Few are now to be
found so prejudiced as 10 deny the
manly valor of the negro soldier,
and that being conceded, his rec
ognition as mai, as an American
citizen WI | speedily flow and be
sustained by public opinion every
here. No man who hoved the
dangers of the Santiago paign;
who bore the brunt at ri Caney,
or participated in the heroic charge
at San Juan hills, will ever say
ought, or cowardly listen to dis
para cement of the negro soldier
again from any quarter, hence all
parties can consistently accord MIN
manhood, rights aud conscien
tiously rebuke any who who would
deny him a mans chance. Since
he has won it on the field
of glory. Heretofore the colored
voters of the country, nearly TWO
millions in number, have been kept
in hostile array againss the demo
cratic party because that party Was
always pictured as opposed to
granting the colored man civil
rights and in many OF the States
controlled by democratic officials
particularly i'll .jim crow car legls-
lation." there WIS much to sustain
the allegation. But such legislation
does not correctly represent the
party. Since the legislatures of
Virginia, Missouri, South Carolina,
Maryland, North Carolina and
Delaware refused to sanction such
legislation and there is little doubt
that the unfrlendly legislation COM
planned of will give way to better
sentiment and increased respect for
tue negro Of his heroic action in de-
fence Of the country. His heroic
valor displayed in the civil war
could not from the very nature of
the circumstance gain recognition
from Southern States or people
since it has displayed fighting
against them No man who valued
his reputation or popularity in The
South was willing to lmperll either
endorsing to stay hostile acts or
secure 10 him mans chance III
the race of life IN the Southland, by
citing his valorous deeds as result
ed IN the annals of the civil War.
But all is changed now, CuampIons
may appear III any assembly and
claim for the negro white mans
chance anL receive respec ..ul
hearing. But let us not dlgress
too far from the subject we have
set at the head. The revolt of he
negro voters in Maryland and Vir-
ginld. The bitter hostility and
unfriendliness to the negro shown
by the War Department through
out the war is the principal cause
OF the ueep resentment felt by
colored men in every part OF the
country contrasled as 1t must he,
with the friendly aud manly stand
of Gov. Tyler to equip the Virginia
colored troops with colored officers
from top to bottom against the
protest of the War Department
officials. "Action SPEAK louder
than words.' Everybody knows
who is all familiar with the facts
that the ten regiments called 81 he
Immune" were intended by Con-
gress to be recruited from among
the colored population of the coun.
Try. " hat are the facts? Only
four were given to the cclored people
and In thuse they were hot allowed
a higher place than first lleuCenant
No matter what may be his quallfi.
cations every colored man enlisted
under the War Department, must
be under white captain. 1t seems
that nothing less death could stay
the revolt among men subject to
such discrimination, or treatment.
Again look at the condition and |
treatment of the 10000 colored peo-
pie in the District of Columbia
who have close relations with their
brethren both IN Maryland Virgin
la. In the whole administra i've