Year: 1874

excuse offered by the Northern Republicans Ior tnoi'
political protege il without acceptance among these
Southern Conservatives, and not unfreqnentiy ne"
ones are invented by the latter to suit parucuia'
cases. The vials of their wrath are properly TO
served to be emptied upon the heads OF the WHO
men who have led the negro astray, and VINO, iof
their own base and selfish purposes would keep n'ih
the slave of ignorance and prejudice, and make
ruin of some of the fairest States of the Union


PRIEsTCRAFT AMONG THE BLACKS.


That the negro is political slave cannot oe
denied The League, the Church. and Society,
such as it is in negro communites-are all arrayed
against colored man who votes against the so-ca0u
Republican ticket. The League, by whatever name
it may be called, is potent agency for evil. by
its secrecy it wins the negrOs favOr-for the negro
is of all men the most secretive; by its pompous
and solemn ritual, it fills his mind with kind VI
religious awe; by its awful Oaths his superstition
is quickened and fear IS enlisted in the cause; py
its social enoyments his of rest is en1Veneu'
and by it's multitude of officers with high sounding
titles his love of place and power is gratifed WILL
ont bnderance to the ambition of the white leaders
for positions more remunerative. The Church is
equally potent as a political agency. There are
good men among the negro preachers, but IN the
rural districts at least there are few OF them WIN
do not make devotion to party as great virtue "'
devotion to the cause of Christ Somehow OF other
the requirements of church and party are as
sociated together in the minds of the congregation
Political announcements are made at religious ga'n,
erngs and religious announcements at pohticai
gatherings. Election tickets sometimes dis-
tributed by the very officers who circulate the bas
kets receive contributions for the support Oh tne
church and the pastor. In some churches prayers
are offered for the success of the Republican party
with almost as much regularity as prayers Tor tho
conversion Of the world. In an exciting campaign
the people are warned under fearful penalties against
political apostasy; the sermon becomes pohticai
harangue, and party felowshipis openly made pre-
requisite for fellowship in the church. In the cam-
paign of 1872 a very intelligent head man" on q
sugar plantation which visited the other day, re-
azing the obligations of his race to Mr. Greeley In
formed bis employer that he intended to vote the
Greeley ticket As the man was truthful his en-
poyer did not doubt his sincerity, but knowing INC
difficulties in the way watched with interest 10 sec
whether he would carry out his honest Intention
On the day of the election the negro came to him in
evident trouble MASS -" said he. Il told you
was gwine vote for Greeley and if you keep me to
de promise I'll do it shuah. But its hard WORK.
sab Hard work, shuahp Being pressed to an ex-
panation he finally stated that there had been big
meeting at the negbbOrhOOd church on the day be-
fore, and that Brother Simon, tho preacher, had
openly threatened to excOmmunicate any man vOt-
ing against the Republican ticket. He was released
from bis promise, went with the crowd to the polls
and voted with the crowd, and it is hardly possible
that he will ever be free from the shackes forged by
the party and fastened on by the church.


osTRAC1sM OF BLACK MEN by BLACK MEN.


Society also turns a stern face toward the negro
who has the independence to vote as he thinks II
that way of thinking happens to be against the
regular ticket" People may laugh at the idea OF
Society in the cabin and canebrake, but know not
how else to characterize that social influence which
have found to operate 30 powerfully-OccasiOnally
for good Oftener for eyil-upon the minds OF these
people Talk of ostracsm of white men by white
men for voting the Republican ticket! 1t Is MOTH
ing to the ostracism of black by black men Tor
affiliatiDg with the party opposed to Radicallsm.
Aposate never had worse fate than bcfalls the plan
tation hand who defes "t the public opinion OF the
auartersn Excluded from the cabins where he was
once welcome visitor; avoided in the feld COM
PEELED to tramp to town alOne dreading lest he be
"conjuredn or tricked;" condemned to solitude,
or, seeking the company of others, receiving the
cut direct " from old associates. have heard OF
cases in which mans own wife deserted him be-
cause of his political apostasy, and OF one in which
a wife drove her husband ont of doors rather than





In the cities it is not SO bad but there you will
find few indeed who are bold enough to secede from
the party. The only hope for such secession is q
strength secretly secured that will astOnish when
made known. Plnchback is one of the most popular
colOred men in Louisiana; he commands the conf
dence of his race, and as an avowed Republican
might lead majority of the negro voters OF this
State almost anywhere. "ODe blast upon his bugle"
ie worth good many thousand men. But Pipeh-
back as q Democrat might blow his bugle until it
should crack and the only response would be its
own echo.


TWO SIGNS OF PROMISE.


Viewing this political slavery of the negro one
IL tempted to despair of a division of parties in
Louisiana otherwise than Oh the color line. But
here and there we find ray of hope, which, faint
though it may be, must not be overlooked have
said that in the cities parties rest not quite so heav-
lily upon the negro, and that something may be
gained by independent colored men organizing be-
fore they declare their independence and then
standing together TO resist the assaults of the
Church. the League and Society. Thus have few
clubs of colored Conservatives been organized in
New-Orleans They are yet puny, and until after
the recent coup d'fat did not dare to make known
their existence. But they now gaining courage
and receiving some accession to their membership
and may in time become powerful believe they
are sincere in favOring reconciliation of the
and reform in government. Their work is attended
with trials and encouragement which white men
find it hard to realize, and which will probably
cause many of the members to weary in we'll doing
and return to the old bondage. 1t will be long be-
fore they will command enough votes to make them
formidable but in the meantime they have the
sympathy support and protection of the whites and
the good wishes of every friend of equal political
rights and honest government. Here is letter re-
ceived by Mr.. Mari, Chairman of the Committee of
Seventy, from the officers of one of these newborn