The Delawarean., 1900-09-22
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND THE
NEGRO VOTE.


The distinguished gentleman in
black, who replies to the article in the
Index of the 31st ult., dodges the issue
He attempts to vitiate and destroy hhe
force of the article-ihe Negro Voter
by arguing contraries and not contra
dictories. The negro has become 1.-The
slave of the Republican party is THE
irrefutable indictment, and when the
defendant lis called ON to plead, he
splashIes about ON THE Republican
party freed the negro" gave HIM THE
righld of franchise, gave him protec-
tion, gave him six millions of patron
age absolutely, and gave him oppor-
tunity and therefore, the negro is not
the slave of the Republican party.
All the topics descanted upon, with
more zeal Shan knowledge, are false in
part and HE ought TO know that half
truth is always a lie. The insidious
contention Ithat THE Republican party
freed the negro has been taught Ito the
negro so long that most of the negroes
and some of the white people believe it
ito be TRUE. The civil war was not
waged TO free THE negro, it was fought
ito perpetuate the Union, and to keep
slave labor from coming in contact
with free white labor of the north
Tine two great armies were not divided
into the Republican party ON the one
side and the Democratic party ON the
other, as many negroes generally con-
tend. 1t was a war between the senti-
menia of those who had their work
dome by the serfs and slaves and the
sentiment fthose who did their
work themselves.
In the north Republican and Demo-
crat rushed to arms to save ldhe Union
and to prevent slave labor from COM
peI.ing with white labor. Fully half
of the northern army, generals and
infantry, were originally Democrats.
Yet the whole white army of ithe north
did not free the negro. The two hun
dred Thousand negro soldiers, who
barred their breast Ito shot and shell
We're the balance of power in that
mighty struggle for the perpetuity of
the republic and won their own free
dom.
1t is historic fact that the north
contended for two years that lit was
not fighting for the freedom of the
slaves, and if they were allowed to
enter the army it would lay down dts
arms, as it was mot lighting for "nig-
gers" Mot until Lee had threatened
Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
and drenched the mountains of Penn
sylvania with some of THE best blood
of 1.-THE Nation, THAT necessity and dire
distress forced the north Ito call ON the
dusky SONS of Ham.
The muse of history has yet in her
keeping THE facts relative Ito the con-
spicuous part played in that war for
civilization, the perpetuity of the Re
publican form of government and their
own posterity. The negroes i'm the war
Of the rebellion, outnumbered the pres
emit army of the United States nearly
two to- one; and still we are confronted
thirty-five years after the war, with
the consummate falsehood, that "the |
Republican party freed the NEGRO"
Our pugnacious opponent in black
will just remember that THE negro
soldiers, an army NEARLY 100000
strong, saved the Union and won their
own freedom, being THE balance of
power.
Our ardent opponent says the Re
publican party gave the Negro his
franchise, and we admit in part; but
We hold that the ibestowal of the fran
'hise upon the negro, i'm his condition
ut that time, was the greatest wrong
hat could have been perpetrated up
on the negro; and furthermore, it
would never have been done, only 1T
was the only alternative the Republi-
AN party had to reconstruct the south
Ind perpetuate itself in power. That
S to say, had the Republicans recon-
structed THE south and not given the
negro the franchise, the Democratic
party would have voted them out of
power and kept them out barring
political tidal waves. Tt was not for
,he welfare of the negro it was legis-
ating for, but its own self-aggrandize-
ment, and to-day we are the great
sufferers.
The just and equitable way to have
THE south after it's at
.empt to destroy the Union, was to
lave turned 1.-THE States into territories
Is a punishment for its rebellion; then
educated the children irrespective of
ace in uniform separate school, with
Uniform text books by appropriation
rom the national treasury, for alt least
/ quarter of a century, then recon-
structed the territories and enfran-
.hised the negro. Had this been done
here would be mo race question to
lay.