New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-16

that the Conservatives thus acted through any
change of heart yet it is clear from THOUSAND
indications that they acted In perfect goou
faith. They said to the Blacks everywhere
"Do not prescribe us we shall not prOscriDo
"you ~ and they won over thousands OF their
number. 1t is easy now to say that the lgnor-
ant Blacks were cOerced or misled by deceptive
ballots. but they are not so ignorant nor 30
dependent now as they were two years ago.
when no dodge or coercion sufficed to get One
Thousand of them to vote with the COnserva-
tiyes. Then, negro who voted with the Con-
servatives was mobbed by his own race; now
they so voted by thousands with perfect lmpu-
nifty. Then, the Blacks felt that their political
existence was at stake; now, they DO not
VIII. Mr. Walker canvassed the state on the
broad platform of Universal Amnesty with I'M
partial Suffrage. He everywhere aVOWed nun
self friend of Gen. Grants Administration,
in favor of the XVIII Amendment ana opposed
to all acknowledgements or prescriptions OF
White or Black. By that sign he conquered.
And now he holds the same ground, ana has
proclaimed himself since election ID favor OF
Universal Education as well as universal
Suffrage. And the Conservative journals unite
in resenting all attempts of Northern Demo-
cratic journals to represent the Walker triumph
as Democratic victory.
Such are the circumstances under which
Gov. Walker presents himself at Washington.
He wants no offices for his friends or his party.
What he does ask is that the new Legislature
of Virginia shall be subjected to no test-oaths
that have not been exacted of the Legislatures
of other reconstructed States, but that the
members shall assemble, take the oath to sup
port the Federal Constitution, organize, and
ratify the XVIII Amendment, and that the
Members elect to Congress shall thereupOn be
admitted to seats and the restoration OF Viz
gnia perfected.
The Walker party is not democratic nor
an anti-Administration party, though large
portion of its members were once Rebels, and
were presumptively favorable to the election OF
Seymour and Blair. We can probably act so
as to make it an ant-AdministratiOn party
but why should wei How shall We uphold q
principleq Where in the wide world shall we
gain n vote by setting our faces against the
Walker men, and excluding from the Legisla-
ture all who cannot take the iron-clad oath ]
We need Virginia's vote for the XVIII Amend
mend-can we afford to repel itf We think not.
The views attributed to Gov. Boutwell, seem
to make more account of the unity and CO.
herence of the Republican party than of the
triumph of its cardinal principle, which is
making the altar of more account than the
god. We are struggling for the civil and po-
litical equality of all citizens before law; we
are offered the votes of Virginia, Mississippi,
and Texas Ia establish that equality and fix 1t
forever in the Federal Constitution and we
are asked to take care that our new allies pro-
nounce our Shibboleth exactly as we dO-nay,
that they have always done So and from the
best of motives. This will never answer. We
cannot afford to postpone the consummation OF
our great work in order 20 have it done by
men who prove a brthright membership in
our party. 1t is our duty to hasten, by all
honest, lawful means, the Reconstruction OF
the Union on the basis Of All Rights for All
"Let us have peacen