Wilmington journal., 1869-07-16
virginia Election.

Virginia Election
The hearts of patriots everywhere must
be glad to know that the Old Common
wealth has redeemed herself from the
sway of carpet -baggers. The victory has
heen almost complete. From the noun
tains to the seaboard, there has never been
such an earnest and enthusiastic uprising
of the people. They rose in their might
and we're irresistible. Attached, as we are,
to Virginia proud of her noble people
and her glorious history; Identified In
sympathy and association with her hal
lowed battle-fields, we can rejoice with her
citizens that the noble State has been
saved from the deep humiliation and dis
grace which wns attempted to be thrust
upon her. Her gallant sons have cause to
be proud of this last great achievement
Success, more grateful from what it saves
the State than from the achievement itself,
would have been still more complete had
not there been positive certainty OF the
refusal of Congress to recognize any cleo
ton which would have elevated to power
such men as Virginians would have de-
lighted to honor.
The result of this election has an lmpor-
tance beyond the lines of the State in
which it was held, and the victory will be
hailed with delight by Conservatives IN
Mississippi and Texas and cheer them on
to the work before them. 1t is impossible
for the Virginia election not to have a
marked influence upon the result IN those
two States. And, too, the example set by
the Conservative white and colored people
in Virginia will give encouragement to
their friends in all the Southern States.
We look for great changes in political mat
ters when the people are again called upon
to vote.
The most significant feature of this
election is that it is the second and an i'm
portant step in the emancipation of the
black people from the thraldom of carpet
baggers. The movement inaugurated in
Georgia and Mississippi has grown into a
power in Virginia, and the influence of
the unknown political pedlers and trick
sters over the blacks in that State is gone
forever. 1t was shown more in the recent
election by the inaction of the colored
voters at many points than by positive
opposition to their candidates. It is lost
altogether with defeat. Broken promises,
inability to confer further favors, dis
belief in the power and the will of the
utterly helpless and characterlesS vagrants
to help them, natural aversion to remain
with the weaker party, all combine to de-
stroy forever the control of the Northern
squatter over the blacks in that State.
Henceforth the colored people of Virginia
will be great conservative element in the
politics of the State.
In North Carolina, nay. even in our own
city, we witness the gradual estrangement,
from want OF confidence in personal in
tegrity rather than the absence of political
sympathy, between the better classes of
colored citizens aad the carpet-bag Radi-
Gals. This feeling is on the increase every
where, and is founded upon good and
solid considerations. An utter disregard
of plighted faith with the blacks a selfish
and gluttonous appropriation of all the
profitable positions a want of manly and
genteel behavior in social life, and tar
nished personal characters, are gradually
weaving the colored people from the
miserable slavery into which they have
been led through ignorance and unnatural
preiudices. \ great revolution in South
ern political affairs has been successfully
where it will end ?