Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-10-02
RECONSTRUCTION.
The Election Farce i'm IOuisiana-The
Registration SWindIe in Alabama.

RECONSTRUCTION.
The Election Farce in I.OuisIana-The
Registration SWindIe in Alabama.
From the New Orleans Pieayune 18th.
Yesterday passed off as quietly as if the
question, "a convention" or mo conyen-
ton" to remodel the constitution Of the
State had never been mooted. Not the
least interest seemed TO be manifested, exs
cept by few ambitious candidates and
exceedingly small crowds of negroes inter
spersed by few white men, which were
gathered around the polls. Great expecta-
tions of disturbance seemed to have been
felt, by the tone Of the previous proclama-
tons, and judicious disposition was made
of the police force under the command Of
acting Chief lard TO Immediately quell
any outbreak.
But for all the excitement created, the
election might as well have been held in
our new acquaintance KamschatsAa. Not
even a fight occurred, unless a few words
and single blow between an elevated frau
chise and a white man, which occurred at
poll No. ], twenty-second precinct, in the
fourth district, might be called one but
as they we're Immediately locked up until
their ardor cooled TO aa epidemic tempera-
ture, the matter will hardly serve to tele-
graph North.
In consideration of the extraordinarily
large development Of new franchisers by
the books Of the registrars the vote was
exceedingly small, and the apathy dis
played must be heart-siCkening to the en-
thusisstic philanthropist.
Cuffee, as a race, did not certainly show
proper appreciation of his proud eleva-
ton.
Very few white votes were polled-a
mere handful. Even the most devoted
seemed 10 be hypocritically willing to give
their black confederates the first choice,
rather than march TO the polls with him
and cast his vote.
From the New Orleans Times. 23th.
Anelectoral farce was performed through
out Louisiana yesterday, in accordance
with instructions given by the hero of two
rides, while he was still Radical stage man
ager of the fifth military district. As
general thing we do not object to farces,
especially if they have telling points and
are productive only of harmless merri-
ment Such, however, was not the charac
Ter Of the farce Of Yesterday 1t was
serious, delusive, wicked farce; performed
in defiance of public opinion and at the
expense Of the intelligent Taxpayers of
the State. The newly enfranchised Black |
Republicans and the red Radicals of the
itching palm" had the affair all to them
selves, for the white men saw clearly |
enough how the political blacklegs had |
stocked the cards, and they determined TO
have no hand or part in so treacherous a
game.
When majority Of the taxpayers have
been DISTINGUISHED by sectional and fanati-
cal partisans-w the descendants of rev
dictionary fathers have been humiliated
by the forced elevation Of their former
slaves above them-when in the name Of
liberty all the true principles of liberty and |
law have Jeen violated-then, an electoral |
cheat, intended to serve as the sanction and |
conservation of such misdeeds, becomes not |
only a farce, but an absolute dissertation Of |
the highest and hottest privilege Of citizen
ship.
THE REGISTRATION swINDLE IN ALABAMA.
From the Montgomery Mail.
The registration business in Alabama /
has been managed entirely in the interest |
Of the negro Radicals. In the majority Of |
counties Of the State it was with great diff
Gculty that a respectable white man could |
register. Men like old Stanwood, of |
Lowndes would ply every decent white
man with insulting questions and express
his valuable opinion az TO the applicants
political record in such manner that a
gentleman would prefer to fall short of his
duty rather than be brought into contact
with such insoent and impertinent adyen-
turers. Every negro was admitted TO the
registry list with open arms from the ten
der age of sixteen to that Of majority.
Two hundred Africans in Montgomery
and Autauga counties, who came over in
the Wanderer and cannot speak English.
were allowed 10 take an oath by touching
a pen, for the purpose Of voting for some
registrar who would be a candidate for the
convention. A number Of negroes, debarred
from suffrage by felony, registered the day
after receiving Gov. Patton's pardon. Thus
the lists were swelled by the names Of those
who were expected 20 vote for Swayne's
party and were reached with difficulty by
those who expected TO vote for the consti-
Triton of the United States. After the regis
tration farce had been concluded, il was
found that the one hundred and twenty
thousand white voters Of Alabama had been
cut down by every appliance which could
be brought to bear, TO the bare moiety of
seventy thousand, and that the seventy
thousand colored male adults of the State
had been swelled in numbers TO near ninety
thousand.
According to this registry we find that
the colored population is ten per cent.
larger now than in 1850, notwithstanding
the fact that several Of the northern tier of
counties have lost nearly ali of the negro
population by the ravages Of war and by
emigration 10 the elysium OF Brownlow,
aud notwithstanding the fact that large
bodies Of negro laborers left Alabama last
wear bv the Selma and Meridian road for
the Mississippi valley. This registry has
the impotence to assert, upon its face, that
the adult colored population of Alabama
is larger than il was before the war; when it
is a notorious fact that a numberof planta-
tons in each county are not worked, and
that none Of those which are worked have
a full complement Of laborers.
The registry is a swindle; and some one
of the registrars in nearly every county is
hoping 70 run into the convention upon
the back Of the swindle. We wish il to be
distinctly understood that we do not charge
willfnl swindling upon all the registration
officers. Not at all. But we are assured
bv credible witnesses from all parts Of the
State that men who are legal voters under
the Sherman act have been deprived Of the
poor privilege left them, and thousands
upon thousands have been allowed 10
register who are not permitted to do SO by
the act The swindle consists in the law
itself, in the ambition Of the registrars,
and in their ignorance Of their duties.
As a climax to this gigantic fraud We
find that the commanding officer Of the
State is made the agent for the distribution
Of political pamphlets in the interest of a
certain party, and that the personal in