The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-07-06
THE ELECTION IN VIRGINIA.

LDE ELECIIOH Nv FlHUIhId.
TO-DAY the eyes of the whole country are
turned towards Virginia. The question of
the ratification or rejection of the Constitu-
ton framed by the Underwood Convention
held in the winter of 1967-68 is to be decided,
and in addition to this the people of the
State will select from the rival aspirants the
persons whom majority of them desire to
control the State government in case the Con-
stitution should be ratified. The distinguish
ing features of the so-called Underwood Con-
stitution are provisions for unqualified negro
suffrage; the disfranehisement and disqualif-
cation for Office of all persons who held any
civil or military position, under State or
national authority, and subsequently engaged
in the Rebellion; the subscription, on the
part of the State officers, to a rigorous and
exacting iron-clad test-oath; a homestead
system, retrospective in its action; compli-
Gated system of county organization; and a
common school system, similar to that in
vogue in nearly all of the Northern States
The first issue joined between the old Rebel
element of the population and the new ele-
ment brought into being through the agency
of the reconstruction acts of Congress, was
upon the question of negro suffrage.
Onerous and depressing as was the military
rule established by Congress, the chivalry of
the first families presented bold front against
the negro element, declaring their preference
for the inconvenience of military rule, when
the humiliation of subjection to the sway of
their former slaves was the only alternative
presented. The rancor and vindictiveness
with which they assailed the proposed consti-
tuition from the outset induced the fear, on
the part of the reconstruction party, that the
document would be rejected by large ma
iority. For this reason both the military
commanders and Congress have hestated for
a full year to order an appeal to the people
upon the question. The lapse of time, how
ever, witnessed the triumph of negro suf-
frage in all the lately rebellious States
which have been restored to their normal
position in the Union, the overwhelming cleo
ton of General Grant to the Presidency, and
the preservation of such radical preponder-
ance in both branches of Congress, that it
was made evident to all that only by accept
ing negro suffrage could the State resume her
former relations to the General Government
and again secure the control of her own in
ternal affairs. An utter decentralization of
the conservative forces was the result. Their
candidates for State officers were withdrawn,
and their support rendered to ticket nomi-
mated by small and insignificant clique of
Republicans, who were both disappointed
and soured by the success of Wells in securing
the nomination for Governor. Their opposi-
ton to the negro suffrage clause of the pro-
posed Constitution gave place to a vigorous
assault upon the disability, test-oath, and
county organization provisions, in which they
were eagerly joined by the renegade Repubh-
cans to the support of whose candidates they
had so opportunely come. This change of
base reacted upon the radical element, and
Governor Wells himself was forced to make
some concessions, chief among which was his
willingness to abide by the decision of the
majority in case the President, by the autho-
rity of Congress, should submit the more
obnoxious provisions of the Constitution to a
separate vote, and they should sustain defeat
at the polls, while the remaining portions
should be affirmed. This action placed the
| opposing candidates practically on the same
platform, with the exception that the Wells
party advocated the election of negroes to
office, while the Walker party opposed it.
In the last hours of the recent session Con.
gress passed an act authorizing the President
to submit such portions of the Constitution
to separate vote as he might deem proper.
and on the 14th day of May an executive
proclamation was accordingly issued, fixing
the election for the current day. But the
President failed to comply with all the de.
nands of the white mans party. The disa,
bility and test-oath clauses, as viii be seen by
the proclamation published elsewhere, were
submitted to a separate vote, but the other
Objectionable features must stand OF fall Will
the provisions which meet the approval o.
acquiescence of all parties.
To the support of the Walker ticket the
great bulk of the old Rebel element ha
rallied, and as the recent revision of the re-
gistration list has largely increased the mum
Der of white voters, the result of to-day's
contest is involved in some doubt. Thousands
of those who will vote for the Walker candi-
dates will vote also against the Constitution
casting their ballots for the conservative Re-
publican ticket Us a choice between two evils