The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-12-25
OUR POLITICAL TROUBLES.
THE SHORTEST AND BEST WAY
QUE OF THEM.

The present unhappy cohoi'ion saoIn
einia and the gloomy prospectus "h,T n o
: - lie before us naturally fill every thonsn.,
ful mind with painful apprehension. ohou.u
tba Constitution recommended by the reSen1
Cnnvention be ratified, or be reported 10 |
Conoress as ratified, By the popular yo1e,
~ Condition OF the Commonwealth VIII DC
a;r u intolerable. Almost every man
rnrfhv of public trust will be dlsiran,
cb;sed. not only as to Office, but IN resasu
- suffrage: and the political power Oh tne
State viii pass into the hands OF strangeIs
ond odventurera. The property OF the
country win be at the mercy OF those "h9
NV l;ttle or no portion of the taxes, ana
We we shall be plundered at the will OF those
Tho come among us to obtain ofllce anu
crafty their greed for spoiis. rt
II requires much prudence on the part
Of the people of Virginia, and the sacriilce
of many cherished opinions, to avert 'hcse
diref,,l calamities. The question Is now nov,
forced upon us TO decide, not what we woulu
des;re not what we are willing 10 taKe' out
ubat we shall be allowed to retain.
We have already made many and pam
f,l oacrifceg, We have sanctioned by our
rotes the constitutional amendment when
abolished slavery, and we have snapeu ouf
leeislstion SO as to accord WIFE tne pio'i
sions of that amendment.
thought at the time they would be fatal to
the prosperity of the State. But in large
portions of the Commonwealth, if not
throughout its whole extent, it has been
found that the results have not been SO
disastrous as was anticipated. In some dis
tricts in which there was not an over pro-
portion Of blacks the change has proved be-
neficial; and the writer of this paper has
heard many who had been shareholders
say that they would be unwilling to restore
slavery if it were in their power to do 80.
AS immigration flows into the State this
opinion will become more general; and
when our political troubles are finally set
tied it will prove to be almost universal.
But the point to which now wish to draw
public attention is, What further sacri-
fees of opinions and prejudices are neces-
eary to render those which we have already
made productive of good fruit, and to secure
to ourselves and our families exemption
from the evils to which have adverted?
AS matters now stand ne have great reason
to apprehend that the ballot-boxes will be
so manipulated at the coming election as to
fasten the proposed Constitution, with all
its odious features Of Acknowledgement and
burthenscme taxation, upon US. We are
naturally led, then, to inquire how can this
bitter cup be turned away from our lips.
There is one point on which northern SEN
timent, or, as the politicians and press of
the North are pleased to call it, the ma
tional will" seems to be fixed and irrever-
sible; and that is, that universal suffrage,
without distinction of race or color, shall
be forced on us. They maintain that negro
suffrage is legitimate, /" if not necessary,
sequence" Of negro emancipation. Judge
Chase and the more conservative Repub
licans hold this opinion, and urge us to
adopt it as the means of avoiding greater
evils.
This proposition is exceedingly unpalata-
BILE to the people of the South. We know
that the negroes ore not qualified to exer-
else the elective franchise, and that they
would be unsafe depositaries of political
power. But how are we to help ourselves
We are powerless to resist by arms, and the
recent national elections have shown that
we are equally powerless at the ballot-box.
There is an old adage that "half O. loaf
is better than no bread,' and would re-
specially ask is not ours case for the ap-
plication Of that proposition? Is it not
better to surrender half than to lose all ? Is
it not better to take universal suffrage with
an exemption from disfranchisement and
the other evils to which | have alluded than
to have them all forced upon us? After
grieyous travail of spirit, have come to
the conclusion that such is the dictate Of
prudence and common sense.
The southern mind is naturally sensitive
in regard to everything like negro equality.
We cannot forget that they were recently
our slaves, nor can We dismiss from our
minds the conviction that they are natu-
rally inferior to the white race and the
knowledge that they are uneducated and
ignorant Of the first principles of govern
ment. Every step, therefore, In the dlrec- |
ton Of that equality has been taken reluc- |
family and with many misgivings. When |
it was proposed to introduce negroes as wit |
nesses, the public mind Of Virginia was |
not prepared for the proposition. At first |
their admissibility was limited by law to
cases in which negro was party. After
forwards the restriction was removed, and |
they became lawful, competent witnesses
in all cases and, as far as l have heard,
no mischief has resulted. Their testimony |
is received and weighed, like that Of other
men. But competency does not necessarily ,
imply credibility. Their testimony is be-
lieVed or disbelieved in proportion to the
character of the witness and the intrinsic |
probability of his evidence.
We now look with extreme aversion on
negro suffrage. 1t is natural we should do
80 for reasons already stated. But may we
not find upoo actual experiment, as in the
case of negro testimony, that it is not such
O bad thing rs we have been accustomed to
believe?
The inherent inferiority of the race, and
their want Of education and property, will
necessarily place them in position of su-
bordiDation TO the superior race. This has
been found to be the case in Mississippi,
Georgia, and Louisiana. knowledge is
power. Property is power. Would it not
therefore be strange if the superior intelli-
gence and accumulated property Of the su-
perior race should not exercise q controlling
influence over the ignorance and penury Of
the inferior? 1t seems to me contrary
apprehension must be ill-founded, because
it is opposed 20 reason and human expert
ence.
Will it not, therefore, be wise for the
people Of Virginia to make up their minds
to come up at once to the proposition of
Judge Chase and the New York Tribune
" Universal suffrage and universal am
nesty"? Better that than "universaI suf-
trage and universal Acknowledgement"
Matters may not work altogether smoothly
for time. We may have some trouble in
portions of the State, but it will be tempo
rary. The influx of whites from abroad,