The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-05-29
The VirsfnIs s3Ieefi0n,

The leefi9lt yes ro-
The result Of the recent election Of del
ezatss to the General Assembly of Virgin
IA, 90 far IS known, il StroBglyih favor of
former d~isunionists. Men who hsvs gain
ed fame and position in the rebel service,
and solely because Of the r'bsllion, are
elected over the heads Of Union men. Not
only this but when the choice is made be-
tween two men, both Of whom have been
connected with tbe rebellion, it falls upon
him who has gone flrthest and don most
.agSiuss the Guyernmsnt Things could
hardly hsvs been worse under the regime
of Davis, Lee and Extra Billy Smith.
Il is obvious thst if this result is per-
mitted in tbs reconstruction of the other
rebel states-and, unless steps are taken 70
prevent it, It will be inevitsble every whore
In the South the restoration of pace and
good order will be indefinitely postponed,
and instead thereof we shall have anarchy,
ousrrels between Federal and State au-
thoriies and between governors and gen
erals, emancipation retarded, Unionism
discouraged, guerrilla warfare WinkedA st and
protected by legislation, fresh treason plot
ted and fresh rebellion breaking out. Itcan
easily be seen that no Legislature composed
Of men who have been personally engaged
in active rebellion would give hearty Co
operation to the plans of President Johnson
TO maintain the Union, to the emancipation
of the slaves, or the restoration of Peace.
Nor would such men Is these be aptto do
even scant Justice to the true Union men
of heir own States, with whom for four
years they have been sworn enemies en-
gagged in the bitterest and desdliest strife.
Imagine for one moment how Ishsm g.
Harris would treat Psrson Brownlow, and
how safe it would be to lesve the interests
of Tennessee Unionists to the protection
OF the men who plunged that State, against
her will, into sscessioni Looked st
IN any light, to entrust the government Of
the seeded States TO former rebels iIto
forever annihilste Union sentiment ard
legi.lation. Whatever else happens, that
must not be done. s
How shall we prevent this 2 Most essi-
", most obviously and most surely, by ne
gro suffrage. By putting the ballot in the
hands of the blacks of the South we not
only do Justice to them, but wesdd another
safeguard to the Union. We neutrAlizs
the effects Of rebel votes by admitting the
black mans ballot. In, perhaps, every
seeded State, though q majority Of the
poor whites are at heart Unionists, OF
would be under favorable circumstances,
the influence and wealth of the rebsls
would carry an election, unless the freed
men sre allowed to vote. Give them the
ballot, aud the insolent rebel is check
mated. Two 70 one he would not 20 near
the POLLS. His lofty soul would revolt at the
idea of being jostled by 8 negro, and cast
lug his ballot into a box which held the
votes Of black men cheek by iowl with
those of whites. Even if he voted be
would find that the ballot of his former
slave balanced his own. The black and
white Unionists united could carry every
State in the South-even South Csrolins,
for there the slaves Outnumber the whites.
This, then, is the lesson which the ns-
ton should learn in the Virgins election
"a lesson which we have yet fully to CON-
prehend bat which must be accepted be-
fore national security is restored: TIE
BLACK MANS BALLOT The ONLY SAFE
GUARD OF UNION.