Year: 1870

CoIored Celebration OF ths Fifteenth Amend.


WA nsut-signincant Signs. Ell


Within the last day or two our newly enfran-
chised American citizens Of African descent
in this city, at Newark, N. j., Philadelphia,
Wheeling, w. Va, Detroit, Chicago and at
other places, have turned out in imposing pro-
cessions in the celebration Of the proclamation
OF the Fifteenth amendment to the national
constitution, establishing 1t as ''the supreme
law Of the land" that neither the United States
nor any State shall make any abridgment OF
the right of citizens to vote on account of race,
color or previous condition Of servitude, and
that Congress shall have power to enforce this
universal right of the citizen by appropriate
legislation. These celebrations challenge at
tention, because of the order and good feel
ing everywhere attending them; because
of the intelligent appreciation manifested by
the blacks of the new position which as citi-
zens on the broad basis of civil and political
equality they now hold; because of the kindly
disposition universally shown towards them
by the whites Of all classes and parties, and
because Of the numbers of negro voters de-
veloped in these celebrations.


In the very remarkable procession in
this city yesterday all these considerations
were forcibly suggested to the thought
full spectator. The order and good feel
ing which prevailed along the whole cir
cult of the procession were very significant OF
mighty revelation in public opinion, as well
as in the national constitution; the department
of these newly enfranchised citizens was that of
men whose sense of gratitude inspires them
with the resolution to be worthy of the rights
and honors with which they are invested the
conduct of the whites towards this extraordi-
nary procession, even from the dangerous
classes" was that of respectful federation f; and
from the numbers Of men in the procession,
and from the great crowds of men, women
and children of their race along the line OF
march, we dare say that this new political
element in this city embraces not less than ten
thousand voters.


These, we say, are all significant signs of
mighty revolution accomplished, not only in





dominant white race, with all its inborn pre-
judices and teachings against the negro, as
belonging to naturally inferior and degraded
caste; yes, our white population every where,
we see, in the developments Of these celebra-
tions, spontaneously accepts this Fifteenth
amendment, and deferentially respects it as
the new law of the land. In this we see, too,
another manifestation of the universal force
of that great American idea-respectful submis-
sion to law. The Presidents proclamation is,
by the American people, accepted spontane-
ously as fixing this thing and settling it for the
present and the future. Hence there has been
no collision of races, no riots, no disturbances
attending these African celebrations, but uni
versal acquiescence and toleration.


But there is political significance in these
celebrations which especially challenges the
attention of the managing leaders of our politi-
cal parties. We are satisfied from this CO.
lored procession of yesterday in this city that
the black vote Of the city is not less than ten
thousand. This vote admitted in 1874 could have
elected Henry Clay President and in 1868, with
the additional colored vote Of the rest Of the
State, it could have beaten both Hoffman and
Seymour. The black vote of this city and
State may elect our next Governor; and the
same may be said of Connecticut, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Indiana,
and some other States north Of the late rebel
lious confederacy. From present appearances
fhis colorad vote will almost en- annsse on for
the party of which General Grant is the recog-
nized head and successor of Lincoln. But
the Northern democracy may do much to
divide and neutralze this new element; and
herein lies question which to them is mat
ter of no small importance.