The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-10-26
The Suffrage Spectacle in Virginia.

Whilst Ohio has refused by an immense m
jorlty suffrage TO the comparatively small
mum her OF cooTed men in her population
" Virginia, with her vast body of eInanc cipa tee
slaves, has Just been subjected 10 the expert.
ment of enforced negro suffrage in an election
for convention TO form the organic law OF
The Commonwealth. We are much mistaken
if the parade Of returns from that election
and the figures, facts, and incidents connected
with it, do not greatly accelerate the reaction
At the North which has been manifested in
the late elections in northern States. The
spectacle which has been exhibited id the
Virginia election may we'll cause all men OF
any capacity Of reason and forecast, even
in the Radical ranks, 10 pause and re-
feet what is TO be the end of such things.
What we have just seen in Virginia is n solid
organiZa tion of blacks, rs completely under
the control of their leaders as an army under
its general in time of war, not only marching
TO the polls TO vote down conservative in telli-
gence, but TO vote down Ill moderate men, in
Guiding those we'll known rs the prominent
Union men of the State, and literally 10 hunt
down, to pelt with stones and threaten 10
hang those Of their own color who attempted
to vote the Conservative ticket, and furiously
| 10 assault the police when they endea vored 10
protect Conservative men Of their own color
from their violence. One illustration, out OF
many of the manner I'm which the leaders OF
the blacks in Virginia have compelled their
followers To draw the line between white and
black, and make allegiance TO one Hunnicutc,
principles, the standard o + qualification in the
late election Of delegates 10 the convention, is
the defeat Of Franklin Stearns, Esq, in the
county of Henrco MIR. Stearns Is north
ern man by birth, an original Union man
Of the strongest kind, n gentleman Of
high character, great energy. and fine busi-
ness talents, and has large interests identified
with the welfare of Richmond and Virginia.
This Gentleman, recognized MS one of the most
in1luenti tial Republicans of Virginia has been
beaten by the president of a local negro league,
who is understo TODD not to have received W te
vote in the county. Mr. StearnS had been alto
gether dsinclined TO 20 TO the Convention, and
only consen ted in order TO save the county from
being represented by a man thoroughly incom-
petrnt. Another case is that Of II well known
leading Republican, Lewis Mckenzie, Esq, OF
Alexandria, 4 gentleman of talents and politi-
cal experience, formerly justly acknowledged
by the colored men rs one OF their - best
friends who received only ninety nine votes,
whilst the selected chief Of the extremists re-
ceived ,4s7.
The frauds in registration the injustice OF
the apportionment, which, with a large white
majority in the State, so arranged the districts
rs 10 insure q ma jority TO the blacks in the
Convention; the contemptuous arraying OF
the blacks against old Union men the infuri-
;tted and boodthirsty assaults upon those of
their own color who declined TO vote their
ticket, and whose lives were only saved BY the
interposition of the military and the police,
furnish ample food for reflection to all in the
North who read the returns of the Virginia
election, and viii intensity the re-ac actionary
tide which has already set III so strongly from
Ohio, Pennsylvania, and other northern
States, and has compelled Radical leaders like
Chief Justice Chase and the Governor elect
Of Ohio, feeling the ground giving way under
them, 10 abandon an untenable and impracti-
cable position and seek safety in more conser-
vative ideas.
Anything so ridiculous and monstrous can
no. stand-the evil must in time cure itself
Baltimore Sun.