The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-11-01

cause Of the Republican losses at the late
especially in Pennsylvania and
Ohio, and the best means to relieve our
country from its unhappy complication,
and restore harmony and union. | am
always prompt and free to give my opinion
on political questions, and choose now to
give it through your widely circulated
paper.
BY publishing the enclosed you will
obligo your obcdicnt servant,
T. EWING.
TIE CAUSE OF REPUBLICAN LOSSES AT THE
RECENT ELECTION.
am well satisfied with the result OF
our clcction-we may consider it a tie
the one hundred thousand majority which,
when VIC were altogether Union war
party, elected Brough our governor has
been driven Off by a few Radical leaders,
whom the Republicans in the two Houses
have allowed to rule, and perhaps to rum,
them. There is very large number OF
Old Line Wings, and of those who inherit
their prcposscssions and opinions, VINO
went with the Republicans ut the late
election in all things except the constitu-
tional amendment, because they feared 10
place power in the hands of their old al
ycrsarics. the Democrats, while they
heartily Glsapprovcd the extreme radical
policy or the Republican party. TINS
class of voters is very nearly numbered
in the difference between the Demo-
cratic vote for Governor and the vote
against the constitutional amendment. On
the whole, the result has shown that II q
new election were to take place at once
it would be in the power Of the Conserva-
tives 10 give large majority to either side
at pleasure. This may or may not be the
case year to comc-either party when in
power may, within that time, utterly
destroy itself past the possibility Of rescue.
The present tendency of the Conserva-
lives is to unite with the Republican
party, if that party will, in obedience to
what they now know to be the will
of the people, recall their proscriptire
mandate, and leave the intelligence
of the southern States free to act in
and carrying on their State
and desist from forcing on
them negro suffrage and quasi-negro quasi
military rule. This they will do if they
read Alright and profit by the lesson which
has just been taught them.
The two propositions-namcly, Of giving
suffrage to the blacks and denying it to the
whites as punishment for past political
and military otlences-were for the first
time submitted to the people, and their
opinion asked upon them, at the late cleo
ton in Ohio.
Ohio was selected as the most decidedly
Radical among the great States, and the
questions were put to her people, first Of
all, in the confident expectation that their
authority would be obtained for fastening
the reconstruction acts on the South, and
extending them Over the border States,
under the assumption that the government
of no State can be republican that does
not admit negro suffrage and prescribe
men who have been rebels. Both these
questions were involved and discussed in
the Ohio election, the Republican orators
insisting that it would be inconsistent and
unjust to force negro suffrage on the South
and not accept it for ourselves. This was
mauifestly true: wecould not, with any pre-
tence of political justice, place the Whole
South under negro government by admit
ting all black and excluding so many white
voters as would give the negroes majority
everywhere, and at the same time refuse
to suffer 1000 negroes to vote in Ohio,
with 500, 900 white voters TO control them.
When the people OF Ohio refused to accept
negro suffrage as part Of their own sys-
TEN they were guilty Of 10 Inconsistency
and no Injustice they had inflicted neither
prescription nor negro suffrage on the
South-as far as it had been executed it
was the act Of their public servants, and
they, by this vote, refused it their sanction.
This was the response Of the forty thousand
majority who voted against the constltu
tional amendment. They disapprove pro-
scription for past political or military
offences, and they disapprove of the at
tempt to force negro suffrage upon an un-
willing people.
| have no doubt large majority of the
Republicans in the two Houses of Con-
gress are conservative in their opinions
and feelings; that, as a matter OF choice,
they would prefer for themselves and their
ncighbors white to negro rulers, and would
rather soothc and heal the wounds Of the
Union than to aggravatc and intlame them.
Fortunately for them and for the nation, the
Ohio election has. shown before 1t was too
late that it will consist with the will Of the
people to act in accordance with such feel
ings and convictions. l therefore most
earnestly hope that the conservative Re-
publcans of Congress will dethrone their
lespotic leaders, keep out Of those pens OF
political bondage called congressional eau
cuses, and take controlo OF the two Houses
for they can do it readily if each and all
will but keep themselves free to vote and
act according to their convictions, and
thus represent each his district, instead Of
all representing a caucus. And they should
at once rcscind all measures which operate
men of the South give over the effort to
establish negro government by the dis
Of the whites; repeal their
ordinances placing the southern States
under military government, and make the
military there again subordinate to the
civil power, and replace it where the Con-
stitutiou places thunder the control of
the Executive admit at once the loyal
and legally qualified senator's and repre-
sentativeS from the ten excluded States,
not making party adhesion test of either
qualification or loyalty. They will then
have the aid and counsel Of the wisest and
best men of those States, and reconstruc-
ton will be possible, and, in time, effectual.
There will still be, for while, disturbance,
riots, crimes Of violence, and, perhaps,
local Instructions for the public mind
which tended to settle down in
peace after the close of the war, and
under the Presidents plan of restoration,
has been again greatly agitated, and IN
happily the men most interested IN rceSta-
blishing order, the men OF intelligence,
men of property, men who, by their posi-
ion in society. had influence over the