The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-02-14
The White Voters of Virginia to be
Overslaughed.

Oversianghed.
Forney's Chronicle Of yesterday publishes
The following letter:
70 The Members Of The Republican Party in
the t,oo Houses Of Congress:
The undersigned would respectfully ask
the attention of the Republican members of
Congress TO the following facts, and relying
a?on the earnest sincerity Of the friends
olthe Union to bring about the restoration
of the ten southern States to their original
and natural relation to the Government Of
the United States, he cen entertain no
doubt that remedy for the evil complain
ed Of will be at once applied.
By the regulations now existing the re-
cistered voters of the State of Virginia
are required to vote in the district where
their votes are registered, and if this is not
changed, either by law or by the district
commander, the friends of the Union will
DC beaten by $4,000 votes on the question
of adopting or rejecting the Constitution.
The Democratic party, calling them
selves the Conservative party, never was
so thoroughly organized as it will be for
that occasion. Every man whose name
has been registered and can be induced to
vote against the adoption of the Constitu-
ton will be carried to the polls. The cir
cumstances and condition Of the two
claSses-1 mean the whites and blacks
are essentially different in this.
It is rare thing to find white voter
who has not a fixed and permanent resi-
dence, whilst it is equally rare to find q
colored man who has-especially in the
rural districts. The colored people are of
migratory disposition they are naturally
fond Of change, and it is rather an uncom
mon thing to find them willing to remain
at the same locs lily for any length Of time,
no matter how comfortable and desirable
home they may have. They hire them
selves chiefly by the month, sometimes by
the year, but rarely two years at the
same place; consequently they are shift
ing about from place to place, from one
district to another, and from one county
to another, nearly all the time.
To illustrate the extent and effect of this
change of residence among them, the
writer Of this article will state that on his
single farm alone there are as many as
nineteen changes Of locality, most of
whom have not only changed the district,
bu, the county in which they were regis
-crcd, and will consequently lose their
votes or be subjected to degree Of incon-
yenience and expense that they cannot be
expected to encounter to get to the point
of registration. How many thousands
there are throughout the State in the same
situation may be inferred from this simple
case and unless some provision is made
10 correct the evil, it is not deemed an
unreasonable calculation to suppose we
wi!l be beaten from forty to fifty thousand
votes in the State.
1t is, therefore, respectfully suggested
Ehat Congress shall provide that every re-
giSicred voter shall be permitted to exer-
else his right of suffrage in the county and
district where he may reside at the time
of voting, upon his making oath, under
heavy penalties for false swearing, that he
was duly registered according to law in
such county and district during the late
registration authorized by law. If this is
not done either by Congress or the mill
tary commander, let all make up their
minds at once for a most inglorious defeat
on our part when the whole work of re-
construction will have to be gone over
again. And as it is possible the district
commander may not be inclined to assume
che responsibility, would it not be better
for Congress to perfect its own work with
out further delay There is nothing either
unjust or unreasonable in this, as it applies
equally to all; on the contrary, it is no
thing but a simple act of justice to an i'm
} pOveriShed, uneducated class, who, in the
absence Of such legislation, will be de-
pFived OF the means Of protecting them
selves in ell the rights which have been
conferred upon them by law.
A FRIEND TO JUSTICE AND
FOUAI RIGUTS