New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-26
THE SOUTHERN ELECTIONS.

The results of the registrations and elections
in the Southern States have demonstrated that
the colored race is not disappearing as rapidly
"a Gov. Sharkey and other Conservatives pre-
dicted it would that it is not so intensely
ignorant as not to know on which side it ought
to vote for the protection of its own interests
that there Is a White loyal party at the South
which when backed by the colored vote, is
willing and able TO control nearly or quite
every Southern State that, while negro-killing
was an active occupation so long as the negroes
had no political rights, it suddenly and univer-
sally ceases when Blacks and Whites are placed
on the same level and that all the Freedmens
Bureaus, imaginably backed by hundred
thousand bayonets, are not so effective to pro-
tect the rights of all classes of Southern society
as the ballot has proven to be.
These demonstrations are all-impOrtant, for
they vindicate the creed of the Republican
party on the question of reconstruction as
fully ms their previous principles relative to
the wrong of Slavery, and the practicability of
sustaining the Union by force of arms, were
indicated. During the past two years the
Republican party has made forward move
ment toward an advanced position, viz: the
realization in practical craftsmanship OF the
vital truth asserted by the Declaration of indie
pendence that all men have natural, inalien-
able right to participate III the government
under which they live, and that all just govern
ment is based OH this participation or consent
of the governed. In taking this advanced
position, portion of our line was necessarily
thrown far forward, and sustained some
momentary repulses and some casualties
before the main body of our army
came up. AS usual, on critical OCCASIONS q
regiment of vagabOnd deserters and stragglers
struck for the rear, under pretense that those
who were bravely fighting the battle in front
were bringing disaster on the cause. But the add
vanced position has been reached, captured, held.
As the result the ten recOnstructing States where
for half century no man could advocate polti-
cal equality and live, now vote for politi-
cal equality by large majorities. The ten States
which elected every President, from Jackson to
Buchanan, by their solid vote for Slavery, will
vote at the next Presidential election, in equally
solid phalanx, for free ballot, free schools,
free speech, free labor, and indissouble union
with the free States
The conservative policy of White suffrage
only has been allowed to prevail in Maryland
and Kentucky, aud these States are irrevoca-
bly, consigned to Democracy and disorder, dis
Indignation ard decay. Had the same policy
been permitted to prevail in the other Southern
States, the work of determination and massacre
begun at Memphis and NewOrleans would
have swept like bosom of destruction over
the whole South, and all the Bureaus and
Armies of the Union could not have stopped
its course The ballot which, it was charged,
would bring on war of races, has ended that
war. As soon as the constitutions Of the re-
States shall have firmly secured
the country against the disfranchisement of
the Blacks, it remains for the Republican party |
10 remove all disabilities from the class of |
Rebels now under han, and thus in universal |
suffrage to find universal peace, with equal |
md exact justice to all men.