The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-07-13

AuD var8sMs1 EacctAOu-NOt Hot Vut Oh tuO
Woods.
The results OF the late Virginia election are
80 very extraordinary as to create the suspi-
ciou Of bold political game not yet dis
closed The successful conservative candi-
date for Governor, G. @. Walker, is North
ern man, and was put in the field by tho
moderate republicans against Wells, the ultra
radical, test oath aud rebel DISTINGUISHING can
didate. Otherwise the two men and the two par
ties occupied substantially the same ground
for the constitution, adopted by radical State
convention; for negro political equality, includ-
ing several negro conservatives elected to the
Legislature, and for the fifteenth amendment
ofthe federal constitution establishing univer-
sal negro suffrage, with the power to Congress
to enforce it In every State.
Now the question arises, have these negro
equality doctrines, these radical changes from
the democratic creed of negro inferiority and
subordination, been honestly accepted by the
Virginia democracy in their support of the
Walker ticket and the moderate republican
faction in this Virginia election2 If so, the
conversion of these Virginia democrats to the
new dispensation is only second as miracle
to the miraculous conversion of st. Paul on
his way to Damascus. The Virginia demo-
cratic politicians are Of the old Southern State
sovereignty school, and to the last gasp were
thoroughly devoted to the late Southern con-
federacy. From the declaration Of their lead
ers they accepted the Walker ticket and the
Walker platform in this late canvass as
choice of evils. The great concessions to the
negroes involved were accepted in order to
carry the election and to secure possession Of
the State.
Now having, by this mastery flank move
ment, secured the Governor and the Legisla-
ture, with two-thirds of the State delegation to
the lower House of Congress, the next step
in the programme became exceedingly impor-
tant and somewhat doubtful withal. AS far
as we know majority of the Legislature thus
elected is made up of the old dyed-in-the-wool,
infexible anti-negro democratic elements OF
the State. Will they ratify the fifteenth amend
ment? viii they proclaim the ratification Of
the new State constitution Will they admit
or reject the negro conservatives elected
to the new LEGISLATURE If they do
all these things in behalf of the equal
rights of the black race they will
inaugurate this new dispensation of negro
political equality as the future programme Of
the democratic party, beginning with Virginia.
Let Virginia lead the way, and the Southern
democratic party, which on the negro question
was the Southern rebellion, will follow Virginia
in all the other Southern States and then the
Northern democracy, to recover the Southern
balance of power, will be compelled to go the
same way.
We have something Of leaning in this d.
rection in the nomination of General Rose
Grams as the democratic candidate for Cover
nor of Ohio, although the Ohio democracy
swear they will never consent to this fifteenth
negro amendment, never. They are far be-
hind the Virginia democracy, then, unless the
Virginians may be considered as playing q
double game. If they could fight off this new
State constitution by legislative strategy till
1870, when new Congress is to be elected,
they might hope, with the new Congress, for q
great change to their advantage in that depart
ment of the general government Now the Vir-
ginians may do this. They have only to make
their work distasteful to Congress in order
to have it rejected, and thus they may go on
till 1870 in the hope that then there may be 9
democratic majority in Congress which will
make everything right. 1t is only upon such
theory that we can account for the astonishing
concessions of negro equality by the Virgins
democrats in their late election. Upon itl
face they have gained q great victory, bu
what it means has still to be revealed. There
is a mystery about it and we fear there is mis-
chief in it to all concerned.