The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-07
NOT THE ONLY MISTAKE.

Giving the ballot to the negro is not
the only mistake the Republican party
has made in connection with the black
man. That party has perslstenuy taught
che negro that to it he owes gratitude
for his freedom, and that the Republicans
fought for and freed the slaves because
Of the love of humanity, and the love of
the negro which was felt by the people
of the North This faisehood has part
in practically every history written by
Northern man. 1t is repeated and en-
phasized by politicians and preached by
ministers of the gospel.
Every intelligent person who knows any
thing about the causes of the civil war
knows that it was not begun on human-
tartan grounds, or for the purpose of free
ing the slaves. The war came about be
cause the North did not want negro slaves
in the territories, which were the common
| heritage of the whole country. Except
ing a few thousand abolitionists, there
was no party in the North which objected
| TO slavery so long as it was confined to
! the South; Northerners objected to extend
| ing the system into the territories. That
| objection was not based upon opposition
to slavery upon moral grounds, but upon
| the fact that save labor would compete
with white, free labor.
There was no thought on the part of the
North of freeing the slaves until the war
had been in progress for long time. But
after awhile il became apparent that If
the Republican party was to be saved and
Lincoln reelected to the presidency, the
abolit.onists would have to be placated.
The emancipation of the slaves was what
the abohtonists demanded, and this was
| conceded by the managers of the Republi-
| can party. in opposition to the wishes OF
! the masses of the North. There was
nothing of high moral purpose involved
In the movement Ii was merely mat
Ter of political and military expediency
of shrewd wre-pulling. All of this talR
of humanity and justice toward the Negro
is the fruit of an afterthought, which is
a perversion of the truth.
| When the negroes of the South are
taught, in histories, by politicians and
from pulpits THAI the great and good Re
publican party went into the war for the
purpose of rescuing them from the bond.
age of the wicked and cruel Southern
white men, they are being given danger.
Gus education. The seeds which brns
forth crime and lynchings are being sown
for the negroes are taught to hate che
Southern white man. to harbor malic,
| against him, and to plan revenge upor
him for wrongs which the histories, tn,
politicians and the preachers have told tn,
negro he has suffered at tn,
hands of the Southern white man
The negro does not go back an,
seek the truth respecting the Origin
Of the war: he does not by research a.
certain that the North was as much Of
S save trader as the South, so long as Their
was money to be made at the business
8 He accepts the statements of the histories
e the politicians and the preachers as facts
and accordingly arrays himself agains
the Southern white man.
However, the efforts Of the old-time Re
] publican party to prevent negro labor from
] competing with white labor. and for whicl
cause tens Of thousands of Northern mel
laid down their lives, is thing of tn
y distant past The existing fact is tina
the very thing which that party thai
| wished 10 prevent Is now taking place
g | The negro from the South is competin,
with the white man in che labor field