New-York tribune., 1867-10-21
TIE SOTTHERN ELECTIONS.

The States of Alabama and Louisiana have
already held elections under the Reconstruc-
ton Acts of Congress; the rest are about TO
follow. A change of tactics on the part OF the
self-styled conservatives" deserves cOnsidera-
ton
The acts of Congress require, first, careful
registration of all persons who are legal voters
in the respective States next, IN election
whereat those legal voters shall determine
that Convention shall or shall not be held to
reorganize the State. Delegates to said Con-
ventiOn are usually chosen at this election
but, unless majority of all the voters regis
tered vote at this election, the whole move
ment is inyalidated, and the Convention must
not be held.
At the outset the Conservatives" lex
Rebels) were inclined to "accept the situation
in good faith, and to unite with their heart
ily loyal fellow-cti i'll recognizing their
respective States and i'll choosing officers to
govern them. Even so bitterly COpDerhead
sheet as The World advised them to do this,
not as intrnsicay desirable, but as the most
iudicious course practicable. Some of the lead
ing SouthrOns, like Gov. Brown, of Georgia,
Wade Hampton, Gen. LOngstreet, and Gen.
jeff. Thompson, took this course. The major
ity however inclined to a sullen, logged, pas
sive resistance They very generally regis
tered, but declined to vote; hoping thus to
nullify the movement for Convention and pro-
tract indefinitely the military despotism" which
they represent as so int0lerable. This man
euver failed In spite of yellow fever and con-
certed Conservative" effort to keep voters
from the polls, both Alabama and Louisiana
have cast a decided majority of their registered
votes, and thus insured the holding of COnven-
tiOps. Virginia and North Carolina are about
to follow; but the results of recent elections
have impelled the change of tactics already
noted. The Conservatives" in each of these
States are making desperate efforts to carry a
majority of delegates in their respective COnven-
tions and, as each State has decided majority
of Whites registered as legal voters, and as the
Republicans have been much divided they cherish
strong and reasonable hopes of success. The
Conservatives will vote "NO Convention" but
they will not abstain from voting as their
brethren in Alabama and Louisiana did; and it
is quite probable that Virgi la will poll
heavier aggregate next Tuesday than she has
ever yet done. A like result is quite possible
in North Carolina. And, if nine-tenths of the
Whites shall prove to be Conservative" they
may carry the Convention or, failing In this,
they may vote it down and prolong indefinite
ly the Military rule.
Conservatism means simply a denial of the
Right of Suffrage to any but Whites, Such IS
held to be the purport Of recent elections at
the North and Virginia proposes to follow the
fashion set by Ohio. The Blacks are not seek
ing to disfranchse ex-Rebels; the ex-Rebels
are seeking to disfranchise the Blacks. We
ardently hope that the attempt may be sig
nally defeated.
South Carolina and Mississippi have each a
clear majority of COlored Men on their regis
tries; and it puzzles us to see how the minority
can hope to disfranchise the majority. We
shall be somewhat astonished if sensible
Conservatives" shall unite in the effort 1t
can have no other effect than to embitter the
relations of the two races. There should have
been no thought of White or Black in politics;
but, if large majority of the Whites in any
| State see fit to make the disfranchscDent