Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-10-29
Ths sulfrAga spectaeIe IN VLreInia.


lively small number Of colored men N
her population, Virginia, with her vaoi
body OF omancipated slaves, has just
been subjected 70 the experiment Of
enforced negro suffrage IN an election
for convention TO form the organic Law
of the Commonwealth. We are much
mistaken IL the parade OF returns
from that election, and the figures,
facts, and incidents connected with 1t,
do not greatly accelerate the reaction
in the North which has been manifested
in the late elections in Northern States.
The spectacle which has been exhibited
in the Virginia election NAV well cause
all men OF any capacity Of reason and
forecast, even in the Radical ranks, TO
pause and reflect what is to be the end
of such things. What we have Just
seen in Virginia is a solid organization
of blacks, as completely under the con-
troll of their leaders as an army unders its
general in time Of war, not only marching
10 theIpolls TO vote down Conservative in
telligence, but TO vote down oil moderate
men, including those well known as the
prominent Union men of the State, and
literally TO hunt down, to pelt with stones
and threaten TO hang those of their own
color who attempted to vote the Con-
servative ticket, and furiousy to assault
the police when they endeavored to pro-
tect Conservative men OF their own color
from their violence. One illustration,
cut of many, Of the manner in 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 Hun
nicutt, an agraran white Radical, in.
stead of Union principles, the standard
of qualification in the late election of
delegates to the convention, is the defeat
of Franklin Stearns, Esq, in the county
of Henrico. Mr.. Stearns is a Northern
man by birth, an original Union man OF
the strongest kind, gentleman of high
character, great energy, fine business tai
ents, and has large interests identified
with the welfare of Richmond and Vir-
ginia. This gentleman, recognized as
one of the most influential Republicans
of Virginia, has been beaten by the
president of a local negro league, who is
understood not TO have received a white
vote in the county. Mr.. Stearns had
been altogether disinclined to go to the
Convention, and only consented in order
to save the county from being represent.
ed by a man thoroughly incompetent
Another case is that of well known
leading Republican, Lewis Mckenzie,
Esq, of Alexandria, gentleman OF
talents and political experience, formerly
Justly acknowledged by the colored men
as one of their best friends" who re-
ceived only ninety-nine votes, whilst the
selected chief of the extremists received
1887.
The frauds in registration; the injus-
tice of the apportionment, which, with
a large white majority in the State, so
arranged the districts as to insure
majority to the blacks in the convention
the contemptuous arraying Of the blacks
against old Union men; the infuriated
and bloodthirsty assaults upon those of
their own color who declined to vote
their ticket, and whose lives were only
saved by the interposition OF the mill
tary and the police, furnish ample
food for reflection to all in the
North who read the returns of the Vir'
ginia election, aud will intensity the re-
dictionary tide which has already Set in
so strongly from Ohio, Pennsylvania,
and Northern States, and has compelled
Radical leaders like Chief Justice Chase
and the Governor elect Of Ohio, feeling
the ground giving way under them, to
abandon an untenable and impracticable
position and seek safety in more con-
sentative IDEAS
Anything so ridiculous and monstrous
cannot stand-the evil must in time cure
itself. Baltimore Sun.
neA. The N. Y. Herald correspon-
dence, from Washington the oath, has the
following:
The work of tearing down the old
penitentary Of the District of Columbia
goes on very slowly. The contractor en-
gagged to pull down the old buildings for
81, 900, and to have the work completed
within three months, but for seven or
eight days past there have been but six
or eight men employed upon the work,
and fair beginning has scarcely been
made. The removal of these buildings
will effectually obliterate all the objects
associated with the trial, execution
and burial of the assassination con-
spirators. 1t was for the purpose of
demolishing these buildings that the re-
mains of the conspirators were removed
to another spot. The grave which was
filled by the body of Booth since his
death still stands open, as it was left
when the body was exhumed few weeks
ago. 1t is located in the corner of
large storeroom at the northern end of
the Peniteutiary. The brick flooring
was taken up, the body buried, the
bricks replaced the huge iron door was
then locked, and the key deposited in
the War Department, and not soul
entered the dismal looking room from
that time until the day the body was re-
moved. The remains of the conspirators
now lie buried in a room at the n. b. corner
of warehouse No. l, arsenal buildings.
The room is about thirty feet by fifty;
the walls are lined with shelves contain
ing ordnance stores, and on the floor are
huge piles Of boxes Of small arm ammu-
milton. The floor is composed OF flag
stones, and about the center Of the room
an oblong space is marked, the four
sides of which are indicated by a narrow
white stripe, painted on the stones. Be-
meath the floor and within this spot is
the common grave of Mrs, Surratt,
Payne, Atzerot, Wirz and Booth, lying in
the order named.
bd5~ A Washington dispatch to the
Philadelphia Press says:
The chief topic of political gossip here
now is the reported reconciliation OF
differences between Thurlow Weed,
Horace Greeley and other New York
politicians, for the purpose Of securing
the Republican nomination for Vice
~ a Ia = lad