The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-07-19
Republican Opinion on the Virginia
Election.
From tho Chicago Tribune.

General Candy, in command Mt Richmond.
has stated what perhaps is unquestionably
true, that the recent election in that State
was as fairly and peaceably conducted as any
| election ever held in the country. The
Richmond papers which have supported
Governor Wells did not take the defeat very
gracefully, and already there is a disposition
to appeal to Congress to nulify the election,
by Il rejection Of the constitution. Some
body has taken the pains to telegraph the
fact that one of these Richmond papers as
serts that in the demonstration over
Walkers election some rebel flags were dis
| played. This may or may not be true, but
it has nothing whatever to do with the
| question whether the election was fair
expression OF public opinion, or whether
the constitution is Il proper one. Walker is
| q man OF northern birth and education. il
! he took any active part in the war while il,
Virginia it was not ON the rebel side. The
convention which nominated him took plain
and distinct grounds in favor of political
| equality, and expressed unquestiOnahle
Union sentiments. Walkers speeches d,l-
ring the election and since have been openly
and distinctly in favor of every principle
that an Illinois Republican Convention
| would assert. The constitution, as ORR
ginally framed was so odious that Ge.
neral Schofeld, and after him General
Candy and Congress, refused to submit il
| to the people us a whole. At General
Grants suggestion, Congress granted the
| power to the President to submit it III such
separate parts as he might choose, and he
did so. With excellent discrimination, he
separated such sections us he thought ought
not to be adopted, and permitted separate
votes thereon; and the people of Virginia,
while ratlying the main body of the consti-
| tuition, have confirmed the Presidents dis
elimination by rejecting all the separate
clauses. The constitution as adopted Is just
such II constitution rs Il free people, tit to
participate in the political affairs of their
Government, ought to adopt for their local
| government.
If these rebel States are ever to be re-
organized, and the Union restored to its po-
| litIcal harmony, it must be done with the
popular consent. To insist that no State
EXTREMIST Radicals who may be candidates,
would he as uniustitiablc rs to refuse recoS.
milton to any State who might elect such
Radicals. An election is Il mOckery unless
the popular choice, fairly expressed, Ol
eligible candidates be respected and en-
| forced. Mr.. Walker was elected by 4
mixed vote Of Republican whites, De.
mocratic whites, and colored Republi
cans. IF Wells had been able to obtain
the support of all the Republicans in
the State, he would have been elected
and his defeat is no more just reason fol
! setting aside the election than his election
would have been. While we think the in
tcrests of the whole country and each State
thereof would be better promoted and pro-
tected by the ascendancy everywhere of tho
\ Republican party, we do not think the de
feat of the candidates Of that party, who
are Objectionable to Il portion of it, and the
success of other candidates pledged to the
same general policy, afford any reason fol
keeping Virginia any longer unrepresentet
in Congress, or any longer without civi
State government.
We trust that the rule-or-r,lin policy sc
strongly urged by extreme men will find nc
support in Congress, and that that body
will by its action give an effectual quietus tc
the threat which comes from Richmond
that :" Virginia shall be Republican or Cos
sack" The men who make this threat have
no clear conception Of the principles of the
Republican party. That party demands that
the popular voice shall be respected, and
when that popular voice repudiates Well.
and selects Walker, the Republican party
has no choice but to suStainit. What farce
would elections be if they were to be decided
one way or rejected. The Richmond Wh'g
which is not Republican paper, thu;
states what the result OF the election is
"Lct no one claim it as Il Democratic Oh
4 Conservative victory. 1t will simply be {
peoples victory; it will be the success q
President Grants liberal reconstruction
policy. wrought out by the combined vote
of northern residents and natives, Of Re-
publicuns and original Union men, and
those who antagonized them during the
war, aided by portion of the colored
vote"
The President and the country will suS
tain the election in Virginia rs an expires
sion of the popular will, and we trust that
Congress will listen to no appeals, come
from what quarter they may, for any arb
trary action to defeat that election and re-
mand Virginia to chaotic disorder or mill
| tary rule.