The Omaha guide., 1934-11-03
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1884.
WHY NEGRO DEMOCRATS?

WHY NEGKO
The question is often asked, "How can a Negro
be a democrat" This query comes oftenest from
the whites. Also one hears the statement, II don't
see how q Negro can be a democrat " The thought
naturally arises in the minds Of those who have
given Q study to the development Of. the Negro
and the progress made by him in all fields OF en-
deavor, .sWhat is so peculiar about him that he
should not, III a democratic form Of government
such as ours, be controlled by the same impulses
as members Of otber races?" Why is he supposed
to follow the beaten path Of his father? When is
he expected to doff his s~waddIing clothes. What
is meant BY the intelligent use Of the ballot? Why
is it necessary that one should be intelligent to
''vote Ter straight All these questions and more
suggest themselves to ones mind who considers
the first two questions in the light of reason and
not from the light Of prejudice and ignorance.
The. intelligent Negro is sick and tired Of hear
ing the SPELL BINDERS" OF FL REPUBLl
. CAN ART preach the doctrine of fear and hate
against the democratic party tired OF hearing
them "wail and gnash' their teeth and pull their
hair. in telling how Abraham Lincoln and the 'G.
O. P." struck the shackles of slavery from his an
~cestors; tired Of hearing how they left children,
wives, mothers and father and sailed forth with
sworn DuChICL w 1LCO In ~
of this in the face Of the fact that every thinking
and intelligent Negro knows that the call for
tfoops was for the purpose Of putting down a re-
beIlion started in Charleston, S.. c., by firing on
Fort Sumpter; that the most pessimistic Individual
in the North believed that the uprising would be
crushed in three months; and that the sole urpose
Of calling for troops was for that purpose only and
not to free the slaves. Had the president known
- had ba ap+icina+ad thatthe South was as form
liable as they afterwards proved to be, he would
have called for 100000 troops for a period of three
or five years instead Of having called for $4,000
for three months, as was the case. For three long
years the North and South were flying at each
others Threats. 1t was soon seen that 1t was a
vain boast that three months would be all the time
required to put down the rebellious South Fresh
troops, called by the President, were placed on the
line, and yet no mention of freeing the slaves was
made by any one, other than a few abolltlonlsts;
Friedrich Douglass, Garrison, LOvejoyy Philips.
AIRS. Stowe and others. Not until an economic con-
dition arose was there any mention made OF the
Negro, and even then his freedom was not discuss
ed. The problem at issue was, that he was supply
ing the rebels relief by raising crops and food
stuff while they fought. For this and for this
alone were the slaves allowed TO join the Federal
forces as laborers, more to keep them from fur
Their assisting the rebels, than for what real bene-
fit they would be to the union In that capacity.
In the meantime the Northern forces continued
to meet with crushing defeat. President Lincoln
was importuned by the Secretary of War to arm
the slaves, but to no avail, he said, as has since
been said by another war President, that "this Is
a white mans war; but after suffering other de-
feats at the hands Of the rebels, the Secretary OF
War with other members of is cabinet persuaded
the president to arm the slaves and issue the pro-
clamation which declared all slaves, in the states
which had seeded from the union, free, If those
states did not lay down their arms and come back
into the Union within one hundred days. AT the
expiration Of the one hundred days 100000 Ne
groes were equipped and armed and placed on the
field. not to free themselves, mark you, bat to save
fhe Union. The President had already declared
that if the South would lay down their arms and
come back into the Union, they could have their
y slaves, or he would buy their slaves. 1t is Obvious
by the statement, that had the South acquiesced,
so far as the president was concerned, the Negroes
would still be in the bonds of slavery. Had the
credit for the freedom of the Negro been placed
where 1t rightfully belonged-TO GOD, n THE
STRONG ARM AND BRAVE HEARTS OF THE
200,O00 black men, who gave their lives on the bat
tie field fighting for and defending .OLD
GLORY" a greater love for God and a higher
y regard themselves and their achevment would have
been engendered, and they wpuldnt have for
years, been exploited and sacrificed on the altar
sf partisan poktics.