The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-22

ventiOn are usually chosen at this electOh;
but unless a majority of all the voters regis
tered vote at this election, the whole move
ment is invalidated, and the Convention must
not be held.
AT the outset, the conservatives" Eek
Rebels) were inclined TO "accept the situation"
in good faith, and to unite with their heartily
loyal fellow citizens in recognizing their re-
spective States and in choosing officers TO
govern them. Even so bitterly COpperhea1 q
sheet as the World advised them to do this,
not as intrinsically desirable, but as the most
judicious course practicable. Some of the
leading SOuthrons, like Governor Brown, of
Georgia, Wade Hampton, General Longstreet,
and General JEFF. Thompson took this course.
The majority, however, inclined to a sullen,
dOgged, passive resistance. They very gene
rally registered, but declined to vote; hoping
thus to nullify the movement for a Convention
and protract indefinitely the military despot-
ism' which they represent as so intolerable.
This manWuvre failed. In spite of yellow fever
and concerted conservative efforts to keep
voters from the polls, both Alabama
and Louisiana have cast decided majority
of their registered votes, and thus in
sured the holding of conventions. Vr-
ginia and North Carolina are about to
follow; but the results of recent elections
have impelled the change of tactics already
noted. The Conservatives" in each of these
States are making desperate efforts to carry
majority of delegates in their respective con-
veDtons; and, as each State has decided ma
io1ity of whites registered as legal voters, and
as tie Republicans have been much divided,
they cherish strong and reasonable hopes of
success. The conservatives will vote " No
Convention" but they will not abstain from
voting as their brethren in Alabama and
Louisiana did; and it is quite probable that
Virginia will poll a heavier aggregate next
Tuesday than she has ever yet done. like
result is quite possible in North Carolina.
And if nine-tenths of the whites shall prove to
be conservative, they may carry the conven-
tion, or, failing in this they may vote it down
and prolong indefinitely the military rule.
Conservatism means simply denial of the
right of suffrage TO any but whites. Such is
| held to be the purport of recent elections at
the North; and Virginia proposes to follow the
| fashion set by Ohio. The blacks are not seek
| ing to disfranchise ex-Rebels; the ex-Rebels
are seeking to disfranchise the blacks. We
| ardently hope that the attempt may be sig
nally defeated.
South Carolina and Mississippi have each a
clear majority of colored men on their regis
| tries; and it puzzles us to see how the mi
nOrity can hope to disfranchise the majority.
We shall be somewhat astonished if sensible
conservatives" shall unite in the effort. 1t
can have no other effect than to embitter the
relations of the two races. There should have
|
but if large majority of the whites in any
State see fit to make the disfranchisement and
| political suppression of the blacks the corner
stone of their edifce, they absolutely compel
every black to stand against them. Thus the
Memphis appeal, edited by Albert Pike, a
paroled prisoner of the United States, born in
New England, sets forth his,creed as follows:-
"a government Of white men for white men,
| and no political miscegenation.
Loyalty to the Union of the States; fidelity
| TO the Constitution in its true intent and
| meaning; ob, dience to and maintenance of ali
laws, state and national, constituttonally
"Restoration of disrrauch citizens TO all
rights and privileges of which they have been
! sseized; no prosecutions or disqualihcatipns
for political opinions; for the past, oblivion o
onenses; for the present and future, Union
Perpetual assurance to all freemen Eof the
African race OF all the civil rights of freemen.'
What sort of civil rights the African race
| are likely to enjoy under the unchecked rule
of such men as Pike, they were shown at the
taking of Fort Pillow, and again at the Mem
| phis butchery of the following winter. If the
| blacks are allowed even to give testimony
against whites who assault, main, and roE
them, it will be because such whites as Pike
no longer rule the country.
The Appeal thus responds to our restate
| ment of universal amnesty with impartial suf
frage as the true basis of reconstruction
''You cannot close up the work OF reconstruc
tion' on any such basis. You cannot br1be the
people of the South with universal amnesty tC
accept negroes as their political equals. YOU
own people in the North, even IN Onio, VIII
not accept them as such; and the true men o
the South are not sunken quite so low as tC
accept their equals those VINO are ueeIheC
| upnl TO be the equals OF the men OF Onlo. 1OuI
| bribe OF universal amnesty is not WortI
| enough. You cannot buy mems Sonls win III
nor their honor or selfsrespect. Those Whon
you can purchase will not prove worth th'
| buying"
Our readers know that we have steadfastly
disclaimed any idea Of bribing, or coaXing, o
| bargaining in any way with such inveterat
Rebels as Pike. We suggested the bases o
reconstruction which seemed to us states
manlike, generous and benefcent. If thos
who made war on the Union for slavery's SAX
are not willing to stand henceforth on a foot
ing Of perfect political equality with those VIII
vanquished and compelled them TO surrender
we must forego the hope of having the aid @
the former in the work of reconstruction, on
basis OF amnesty and liberty. We are con
soled by the reflection that, as the Union wa
/ | upheld against their best efforts, il may no
, be impossible to reconstruct it without thei
cooperation.
! Elections under the Reconstruction act
will take place as follows
virginia OCTOBER
OCTOBER ~, ~ s
oNemDer H. 10, II
South Oyember 49,
NOrth oVenDer 49,
. Mlsslbhlppi.'...'s.
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: The Significance OF the Vote on NeEr
7 Suffrage In Ohio