Year: 1870

From the New York World.


THE KENTUCKY DEMoCRACY-THE NEGRO


QUESTION


In an era of transition, great political
party bears some resemblance to a march,
ing army. When an army breaks up
its encampment and moves forward to
an advanced position, the whole body is
not set in simultaneous motion. The
alert regiments which are to lead the
van are first ON their feet, and, with
beating drums and flying colors, they
may be far on their march before THEN
faithful comrades appointed to bring up
the rear have gathered up their. camp
equipage. Every part OF the great FAR
my cannot be in the front. Military
discipline has no seventies for the hind
most merely because they are behind ;
and even some lettering would be par
doned by an indulgent' commander, if
the loiterers were in other respects good
soldiers, and did not seem disposed to
hang back and separate themselves from
the army in its forward movement.
When an army breaks up its camp to
advance against the enemy in new
position, it frequently has to abandon
some partofthe heavy baggage and camp
equipage which would cucumber and
impede it's march. If, when the great
body had moved forward in Liz int march
ing order, one Or two regiments tagging
in the rear should attempt to gather up
all the abandoned whisky-casks and
camp kettles, refusing to proceed without
mass of luggage which they were un-
able to carry, their comrades would not
consider them as very enlightened SOL
| diers.


In the forward movement of the great
Democratic army it seems to US that the
Democracy of New York are in the van,
and that the patriotic Democrcy of Ken
tucky linger in the extreme rear and
refuse to march without great burden
of camp kettles strung upon their
shouldered muskets OR inverted upon
the points of their fag-staffs When
the fifteenth amendment was declared
adopted, the Democracy of New York
at once concluded that the negro ques-
ton W as, for any effective political pur-
pose, at an end. Our Democratic Leg
| islature, then in session, Immediately
passed an act repeating all the State
laws that Disseminated against persons
of color; and we carried the State cleo
ton which soon followed by an unpre-
cedented majority. We felt some doubt
whether the Demo cracy Of other States
would Immediately approve our course !;
but there was no dissent among our
selves, and we were willing to trust to
results for our vindication elsewhere.
We have since watched Democratic
movements in other States with much
interest and some solicitude, to see how
far they were likely to follow our lead.
Except II Kentucky we have found
nothing but encouragement. The Dem
ocratic party of Ohio has since held a
State convention, and adopted plat
form in which further opposition to ne
gro voting was silently withdrawn.
What is more important and significant,
the Democratic Senators and Representa-
tives in Congress have recently held a
consultation, and issued an address in
which not word is said on the negro
question, and the party is counseled to
waste no effort OH dead issues The
great body of the party is marching up
to the position taken by the Democra-
CIV of New York, who lead the advance,
with the single exception of Kentucky.
Even in Kentucky the Democracy
are by no means unanimous as to the
expediency of re-baptising themselves as
white mans party" and protracting
bootless fight against the negro. By
far the ablest Democratic paper in that
State, and one of the ablest in the coun-
try, the CouRIER-J JouRNAL, of Louis
vile, has steadily protested against a
hide-bound, short-sighted policy, which,
if the whole party adopted it, could re-
suit in nothing but continued defeat and
disaster. A journal SO enlightened and
vigorous as our respected Louisville
cotemporary cannot fail to exert great
influence. especially when its forcible
reasoning is backed up and reinforced by
the prevailing Democratic sentiment Of
the whole country. The COURIER
JaURNAl understands its epoch. Clear
" discerning what opinions the Ken
tucky Democracy must have three OF
Eve years hence, it takes time by the
forelock and gives advice on which we
do not bestow excessive praise when we
| call it statesmanlike. Its course is al.
ready indorsed in other States, and will
| yet be universally approved in Kentucky
y itself.


The people Of the border States give
themselves unnecessary trouble in their
demonstrations Of hostility to the newly.
made negro citizens. Negro voting is
an evil which must be borne for the pres
ent, whether they like i: or not and
they may safely leave the future to take
care Of itself. II will probably turn out
that the white inhabitants Of the border
States have no greater permanent inte.
rest in this question, 50 far as it effects
their local prosperity, than the white
people dwelling north OF the Ohio and
of Mason and Dixon's line. Il is almost
certain that the great bulk of the negro
population will, 10 the course Of the en-.
suing ten or twenty years, make great
exodus from the Border to the Gull
States. The negro is child Of the sun
which has supplied the pigment which
blackens his skin. His native country