The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-07-17

lnat the SECRETARY OF tue lTcabufy mas, IN
Cabinet council and otherwise, taken ground
glnia, aud Kindred movements In Mississippi
aud Texas, we hear in SO many ways that
we cannot doubt Its accuracy. His precise
views are Of course not made public, but we
presume those set forth in our yesterdays
Washington dispatch were substantially a
part Of them. We propose to reconsider the
whole subject in the light thereby afforded.
Promising that Mr.. BoutwelPs disposal Of
the official patronage Is not an object OF con
Germ with us, and that this article has no re-
laton thereto, we begin by rccapitulating the
more Important facts.
/. The conservative" or cx-rcbel party in
Virginia had very respectable State ticket
long since nominated, with General Withers
at its head, and was In a fair way to eight a
magnificent battle aud catch superb thrash
ing, as 1t did two years ago; when
II. The Radical Republican party held a
State convention at Petersburg, got into a
squabblc, nominated fair ticket headed by
General Wells, and adjourned.
III. The dissatisfied minority boltcl and
nominated another personally respectable
ticket, headed by Gilbert c. Walker, OF Nor
folk-a Northern man by birth, and Doug
las War Democrat, who had already de-
clared for universal amnesty with impartial
suffrage. The residue of the ticket was un.
questionably Republican.
~. II was obviou. from the outset that,
III an oid.asnionod party fight, the Walker
ticket must go to the wall and the Wells
ticket probably carry the day.
| V. The Conservative party, on full view
! OF the situation, resolved TO do what any
party must do occasionally II 1t is to live
suppress Its fools, or send them TO the rear
The men Of to-day consulted and refused u
play out game already lost. They agitated
till they got together new convention
whereby their State ticket was drawn out o
the way, and the entire Copservativ,
strength concentrated on the Walker Of
boiling Republican ticket, with the under
standing that they would vote for the new
constitution, but against the proscrlptiv,
clauses which General Grant had, at thei
request, submitted to a separate vote.
vi. This movement prevailed, as 10 wal
fated TO do from the first. There were al
least twenty thousand Republican votes
| pledged to Walker, and the Conservative
vote added to this made sure thing of the
result. The Walker ticket has ut least
twenty thousand majority; the proscriptivt
clauses are voted down by at least thirty
thousand; and the constitution, thus amend
ed, Is adopted by from one hundred and m,
to two hundred thousand majority.
VII. There Is no pretensc, on the one hand
that the Conservative thus acted through
any change OF heart, yet II Is clear from Q
thousand Indications that they acted In per
feet good faith. They said to the black
everywhere, "Do not prescribe us; we shall
not prescribe youj" and they won owe
thousands OF their number. II Is easy noa
to say that the ignorant blacks were cocrcet
or misled by deceptive ballots, but they ar
not no ignorant nor so dependent now q
they were two years ago, when no dodge o
coercion sufiiced 10 get one thousand 0fthcn
to vote with the Conservatives. Then
negro who voted with the Conservatives wa
mobbed by his own race; now they SO vote
by thousands with perfect impunity. The
the blacks felt that their political existenc,
was at stake; now they do not.
VIII. Mr.. Walker canvassed the State o,
the broad platform of universal amnesty witt
impartial suffrage. lie everywhere ayowet
himself friend Of General Grants Admins
tratlon, In favor OF the fifteenth amcndmen,
and opposed to all acknowledgements or pro
scriptlons Of white or black, By that sig
he conquered; and now he holds the sam
grounds, and has proclaimed himself sine
election In favor of universal education a
well as universal suffrage. And the Cor
sentative Journals unite In resenting all al
tempts of northern Democratic journals :
represent the Walker triumph as Demo
cratic victory.
Such are the circumstances under whic
Governor Walker presents himself at Wash
lngton. lie wants no offices for his friend
or his party. What he does ask Is that tn
new Legislature Of Virginia shall be sui
jected TO no test.oaths that have not bee
exacted Of the Legislatures OF other recon
structed States, but that the members sha
assemble, take the oath to support the FED
eral Constitution, organize, and ratify tn
fifteenth amendment and that the member
elect TO Congress shall thereupon be admit
ted to seats and the restoration Of Virgini
perfected.
The Walker party Is not Democratic NJ
an anti-Administratlon party, though
large portion Of Its members were once rel
els, and were prcsumptiyely favorable
the election Of Seymour and Blair. We ca
probably act SO as to make 1t an anita,
minlstration party; but why should W,
How shall We uphold principlel Where
the wide world shall we gain vote by settlr
our faces against the Walker men, and e;
GLIDING from the Legislature all who cannt
take the iron-clad oathi We need vi
ginia's vote for the Fifteenth Amendment
can we afford 10 rcpel ~ We think not.
The views attributed to Governor Boutwe
seem to make more account Of the unity au
Conference Of the Republican party than @
the triumph OF It's cardinal principle, whit
: is making tho altar Of more account thu
the god. We are struggling for the civil al
political equality of all citizens before Il
law; We are offered the votes OF Virglnl
Mississippi and Texas to establish tn
equality, and fix II forever In the FEEDER
Constitutions and we are asked to take ca
that our new allies pronounce our Shlbb
leth exactly as we do-nay, that they hay
always done SO, aud from the best Of IN,
tiyes. This will never answer. We cannC
afford to postpone the contamination Of OF
great work In order to have 1t done by me
who prove birthright membership In on
party. 1t is our duty to hasten, by all hot
est, lawful means, the reconstruction of III
Union on the basis Of all rights for al
"Let US have have peace!"--MsW Yor
Tribune.
On Thursday night fire on the Erie, A