Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-05-12

| crease OF Whtte VOterS-En0 OF Negro
Supremacy fan the Old Dominion
| Negro Candidates for Congress.
Correspondence of the New y ork Herald
WASHINGTON, May THE state-
ment which appeared in certain journals
the other day to the effect that represen-
tatiyes OF the late Virginia Convention
were in this city to see the President
proves TO be entirely inaccurate. One or
two gentlemen from that State may have
sought interviews but they claimed no
representative capacity whatever. The
committee appointed by the Convention
to wait on the President in relation to
the submission Of the constitution to the
people for ratification or rejection, conS
sists of Messrs. r. Z. Daniel, Judge
Meredith, Judge Marshall, w. II. Mac
farIand, Gen. Anderson and other con-
spicuous and influential citizens, all
chosen with special reference to their
holding moderate views, in accordance
with the line of policy which controlled
the recent Convention. This committee
has not yet reached the city, but are ex-
pected to arrive, and the President has
signified his readiness to receive them.
Gov. Wells had his say some days since
about the constitution, and the President
has heard also Mr.. Gilbert C. Walker,
who is the candidate for Governor Of the
other wing Of the Republicans The
conservative committee will ask, it is
understood, for separate vote on the
test oath and disfranchisement clauses
to county organization features and the
provision which denies to the Legislae
ture power to pass relief or stay law
for the temporary relief Of debtors. The
Presidents views are known to be
against the disfranchisement, test oath
and county organization, and a separate
vote will doubtless be given on each.
On the stay law question he is unsom-
mitted, though it is understood that the
present military order on the subject,
which gives considerable relief to the
debtor class, was approved by him as
promptly as it was tardily by johnson.
The same state Of things still exists as
then-embarrassment from q failure of
crops and a want Of State government
ANU hOulu 10
doubtless, to see the new Legislature
free to act on the question as the inter
ests of the people may require. An inn
portant question still remaining to be
settled is, whether, in addition to the
vote on sections, the vote shall be take
on the remainder Of the constitution or
on the instrument as whole. 1t is
argued that the latter would compel
many to vote against it who are anxious
to have the remainder adopted and
State government organized.
Nothing has been done yet towards
new registration, but it is probable the
order for an election will be issued by
the latter part of the ensuing week, and
a new registration ordered at the same
time. Many whites failed to register at
the last occasion, and there has been no
registration since the autumn of 1867
| There will be an addition of 10000
whites te the lists and of some thousand
negroes, but quite as many of the latter
will be stricken from the lists, and the
white majority on the lists cannot fall
much below 10000. Under the present
registration the whites have some 15,>
600 majority; but by the apportionment
| created by the Underwood constitution
| the negroes have largely the control Of
the Legislature. This apportionment
will be changed, if the Wells party lose
the Legislature, so as to conform to the
relative vote of the two races. The
late Conservative Convention waived the
suffrage issue, accepted the situation
and with their distinctive party ticket,
headed by Col Withers. They meant
by THIS line.Of pelicy to pave the way for
eIecting the Walker Republican ticket
| The contest is thus narrowed down to 8
struggle between the Wells and Walker
wings ofthe Republicans, and the friends
of the latter claim he will get fifty thou.
sand majority. They expect consider
able vote from various loyal leagues
which they control. They will get prob>
ably the entire Conservative vote, though
few sOreheads may refuse to vote al
all The fight for Congress will be
mainly between the carpet-baggers and
the Walker Republicans. The Conser-
natives have no Congressional candidate
L III TIC HCiu1 baNS ShC1 anu bhOAO 10 mum
talk Of running negroes against the car.
pet-baggers in the Norfolk, Richmond
aan other districts.
There will be hot struggle over the
Legislature, and more doubt about this
than other officers. Virginians now here
say the Fifteenth amendment will be
ratified if necessary to secure admission
An important point is whether the cleo
ton shall be limited to single day. i
is argued that having it for three day
tends to extensive colonization and rope
tition of frauds by which the city o
Richmond was carried at the late cleo
ton. The President will weigh thi
matter and all others very carefully ant
give due weight to all proper suggestions
lie is exceedingly anxious for the success
of reconstruction in Virginia, and hi
idea is to try the matter there first ant
take up Mississippi and Texas alterward
The result, so far, indicates the policy c
his message, and even Gov Wells is a
last out in letter accepting the Gran
platform, on which the new movemen
was based The election will be hel
early in July, unless there be som