Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-08-06
IFrOn the New York Herald, tRAd.l
The Situation in the South.

In round numbers the aggregate popula-
tiOn OF these ten outside States may be set
down at eight millions, and the proportions at
four millions five hundred thousand whites,
against three million five hundred thousand
blacks, which gives the whites u majority of
million. Allowing one voter to every sew.
EN- persons, these figures will cover five hum
dred thousand black voters against six hun.
dred thousand white voters. The blacks have
decisive ma ajOrities in South Carolina, Missis-
sippi, and Louisiana; the whites in Virginia,
North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas,
and Texas, while the two races nearly balance
each other in Florida allowing for the larger
destruction of the whites by the war, aud the
increase Of the blacks by accessions during
tue war from the border slave States. Hence,
ii all the voters of both races are brought
out, the blacks are sure Of three States, aud
they may carry four of the ten. We may
safely assume that, while the blacks en nldsse
will vote the Republican ticket, they will be
supported by some considerable fractions of
the whites; SO that ii We 80 no further, the
chances are in favor of the blacks
But rebel distranchisements will probably
in the aggregate cut off say seventy.five thou
sand men otherwise entitled to vote SO that
in all the ten States concerned the whites
will have but seventy five thousand majority
to rely upon. But in the next place, the ac-
tual registrations made of voters from Vir>
| Sina to Texas exhibit an almost unbrOken
catalogue Of black majorities, SO heavy in
most places as to show that large numbers of
whites, from indifference, disgust, or despair,
have given up the fight on the Threshold,
and that from the Potomac to the Rio Grande
the Republicans, with their solid black vote
and their white supporters, hold the game of
reconstruction in their hands.
So, from the facts and figures before US,
the actual situation of things warrants the
conclusion that the Republican party will car
ry nearly all, if not all, these ten outside rev.
OlutiOnized Southern States in their work of
reconstruction. Nor is it likely that the
blacks, constituting in all these States the bulk
aud strength OF the party, will consent to do
all the WORK without any Of its rewards.
They have only to demand share of the
hOnors and Offices to get them. Hence, we
may confidently expect, aud during the pres
eut Congress, that spriukliug OF members of
African descent IN both Houses suggested by
Senator Sumner.
We are called, then, to inquire what will
be the moral effect in the political world of
this startling innovation upon the old order
of things! We may be sure that negro
equality, proclaiming itself through negro
voices from both Houses OF Congress, will
make profound impression upon the public
mind throughout the North. We apprchcnd
that the result will be u general reaction
against the Republican party III the Northern
States for we know that there is astronger
wall OF white prejudice against the negro in
the North than exists in the South. This
prejudice elected Buchanan in 1856, and
would have elected Douglass or Breckinridgc
in 1860, had the Charleston Convention con-
sentcd to unite upon either. We may expect,
then, when the blacks assume the political
balance of power of ten reconstructed South
crn States, and send up their black represen-
tatives to Congress, there will be a revOlu~
tionary reaction against them among the
whites OF the North which will upset the Re-
publican party
This may be the real object of thos leading
Southern white politicians who are urging
their people to the experiment of allowing
the Radicals and the black all the rope may
desire in this business OF Southern reconstruc.
ton. Let US push this thing of negro equal
ity, say these Southern leaders, into Congress,
and then the laboring white masses of the
North against this Southern negro political
balance OF power will take the alarm. and
Northern reaction OF the whites against the
blacks will be the inevitable result and thus
the Republican negro party will be destroyed
by its own weapons.
This will, in all probability, be the solution
Ofthe experiment of the political organization
Of the blacks against the whites in the South
"a reaction of the whites against the blacks
and the Republican party in the NORTH
Meantime, however, We suspect that the
spontaneous aud powerful popular movements
North and South in behalf of General Grant
for the succession will carry everything be-
fore them; but with the settlement of this
question there will unquestionably come
decisive Northern revolution on this other
and momentous issue of negro political and
social equality.