The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-01
TIE VIRGINLi ELECTION

of both races has been polled under the Recon-
structlon act. Although there is a considerable
preponderance Of white voters in the State,
there seems TO be no doubt that the call for
convention is sustained by large majority,
and that the convention will be radical in poll
tics. SO far this is a very acceptable result.
But II lie attended with some dra Wbacks which
deserve attention, especially as they proceed
from causes which may End larger field of
operation, and produce very serious results.
We have on several occasions alluded 20 the
dangerous effects which might be produced
among the freedmen of the South by the cur.
rent talk about confsCatiOn, and the eugges
tions of politicians that the negro might pro
perly use his ballot as a means of personal ad-
vantage. 1t is evident that our warnings were
only 100 much needed, and our fears too well
founded. The fear, once common at the North,
that the votes OF the negroes would be con
trolled by their masters, has been entirely dIs-
PEELED.
The fear, common among a different class,
that the negroes would use their power brutaly
long since passed away. But while 1t is clear
both that the negroes will vote in Il mass for a
Republican ticket, and that they will be in the
main a law-abidIng class 1t is also plain that
they are in danger of falling into the hands OF
demsaogues who will use them without scruple
Tor purposes which will finally prove disastrous
to the race.
Mr.. HunDicutt. of Richmond, is the foremost
example of this class. Originally, no doubt, a
well-meaning man, jealous for liberty and 10y
atty, he has been perverted by the prospect OF
power which his great influence among the
cOlored people opened TO him, and emblttered
by the hatred of his white neighbors. His
pubic language has sometimes had an afecta-
tion OF liberality, but 1t is manifest that his
actions have all been governed by narrow
desire to keep the Republican party OF the state
under his own control. He has persuaded the
eolored people to distrust every white man out
side his own little clique; and has urged them
to a course OF political action which has ex-
Cluded every respectable white man from their
alliance, although thousands were willing and
even anxious to cooperate with them upon
honorable terms.
The natural result of such bigotry was shown
in the recent vote OF Richmond, where there are
hundreds of white Republicans fully as radical
as Mr.. Greeley or Senator Wilson, yet who we're
driven to support conservative ticket; so that
MIR. Hunnicutt and his associates received less
than fifty white votes in the whole city. II is
true that Mr.. Hunntcutt secured his election,
which was all that he cared ABOUT. but at the
cost OF consolidating the whole white race III
opposition.
We rejoice to believe that this event, in view
of the narrow escape which Mr.. Hunnlcutt had
from entire defeat, will prove fatal TO his higher
aspirations. But there are more important
interests at stake than the fortunes of single
demagogue The Republican party puts its
existence in peril by toleratlng such policy as
leaders of the party must find some means of
libeIalizing the party managers at the South,
or the whole plan of reconstruction will fail
dragging the party to ruin with 1t.
We say it deliberately, no scheme of recon-
struction can succeed with the white race at the
South unanimously opposed to 1t. 1t can sue
ceed though every Rebel, in States where all
the whites are Rebels, oppose it. 1t can sue
ceed against the will of nine-tenths OF the whole
white population of the South. But if it is SO
managed as to disgust the whole white race as
race, irrespective of birthplace, politics, assO.
Citations, and interests, it must inevitably iail
The reason is, obvious. The white race i'm
mensely pTepondevates in the nation at large
Other things being equal the whites will sym
patElze with whites, rather than with men of
another color. The staunchest abolIionist
shares in this feeling. Now the Northern
peonle, in their just indignation against Re
bellion, wicked in its origin, in its conduct and
IN its end, and, perhaps, even more irritated by
the bad faith with which the South sought TO
evade the terms to which it prolessed to acceie,
have fallen out of sympathy with the rebeiliOus
class, which includes nearly all the Southern
whites.
The opposition of this class to the plan of
reconstruction excites, therefore, little interest
in the mind of Northern man OF Northern
principles. The appeals of Mr.. Hill aud Mr..
johnson, though not without an element of
reason In them, create no impression at the
North. The rantlngs OF the malignant Southern
newspapers, when repubhshed here at all, only
strengthen the popular determination to sup
port Congress.
But ii every Northern white man MOVING
South and every white Republican is driven by
the int olerance of the colored men at the South
urder the lead OF a dozen selfish white leaders,
TO join himself with the opponents of the recon
structed GoVernments-if the negroes are mis-
led into drawing line by which, practically
white men are excluded because they are white
or even because they prefer the So
cety of whites to blacks-no sensible
man can doubt that the sympathies and votes
of the North would speedily be transferred to
the side of the white race, and that negro suf-
trage would be swept away without hesitation.
Possibly the negroes would resist the decree. So
much the worse for them. Their resistance
would be vain to save them, but would certainly
involve them in terrible calamlIies.
Now we speak in the interest of the Republi-
can party, OF equal suffrage, and of the colored
people. We are their friends, and desire to show
our friendship by faithful warnings while
there is time to profit by them. II is good
season for plain speaking. Mr.. Hunnicutt may
possibly not be the selfish demagogue that we
take him for Perhaps it lie only by an innocent
blupder that he shut out Governor PierponJ
and Franklin Stearns to make room on his ticket
for James Morrissey. Perhaps it is a mere mis-.
apprehension of his patriotic purposes which
has driven all the white Republicans Of Rich
mond, and two-thirds OF all in Virginia, into
the bosom Of the conservative party.
We may cOncede all this. But Mr.. Hunni-
cutt's innocence has enough ischief in il TO
damn the purest aud best party that ever eX-
isted II he is really patriotic he will withdraw
from position in whiyh he does 20 much harm.
II he will not do this voluntarily, the managers
of the Southern campaign owe it to their Oa'iy
and their country to enllghten his colored fol
lowers as TO his recklessness and their danger,
~ y. Nation.