The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-02-02

Negro Suffrage-The New Movement.
Those Of our people who have been dis
posed to censure the originators Of the new
movement for expressing willingness to
cease their opposition to negro suffrage
would perhaps be more charitable towards
them if they knew that in doing SO they
only followed the example Of leading Dem
oorats in the other southern States, includ-
ing, as we learn from the National IntslK-
qencer, three gentlemen who were most dis
tinguished Confederate officers-General
WADE HAMPTON, Of South Carolina; General
FORREST, of Tennessee; and General COR
DON, of Georgia. We ask the candid con-
sideration Of the Virginia people for the
facts stated in the following, from the NQ-
tional InteAgencer, as taken in connection
with the vote in the House Of Representa-
tives on Saturday last clinching the nail
of negro suffrage: re-. ' sa'
"Our Virginia friends will do well to re-
member that in the late political campaign the
Conservative State ecommittees.of South Ca
rolina, Tennessee, and Georgia, with such
leaders as Hampton, Gordon, ana Forrest, at
their head, came out In addresses accepting
negro suffrage, and assured the negroes that
they did not propose to take from them the
electoral franchise. In Florida this issue has
long been abandoned, and the same may be
said as to Louisiana, and we believe also OF
Alabama. = In mississippi the proscrptive
State constitution was defeated by the dis
tinct assurance to the negroes that they should
have suffrage. South Of Virginia this issue,
therefore, is virtually abandoned. aH z - ~ s-
tc" Virginia, by her large preponderance OF
whites and their energetic character, is much
better able 10 face negro suffrage than South
Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, or even
Georgia. But this is not the only question.
The reason why these shrewd party leaders in
Tennessee and the cotton States have yielded
this point is that they sec negro suffrage is a
fixed fact, and that the only way to secure q
large portion OF the negro vote for respectable
men is to abandon opposition to their voting.
Like sensible people, they make the best Of
the situation as they find II, and they prefer
themselves to vote the negro instead OF fore
Ing him into the arms of the carpet bag
gers. For awhile the latter voted the entire;
class OF blacks, but he lost his empire the day
the whites. stopped their war on negro suf-
frage. This lessonlis very suggestive. - :
"Our information lie, to the effect that in the
vote of mississippi upon the proscriptive con:
not in issue. Had 1t been, the egro maiority
OF twenty Thousand votes ia that State would
have ratified the constitution. But the whites
waived that ssue.4with Congress entirely
They electioaeered actively with tho blacks
and, as we are assured, told them that they
should have suffrage in some satisfactory form
Hence their success IN, Overcoming negro mn.
Jority OF twenty thousand votes, and casting
Q majority Of 1923 against the proposed copsti-
tuition. They made their issue against the
DISTINGUISHING clauses OF: the Instrument, and
they beat It. !. "7-Tet
T" How stands the matter to; day, wehave
the best au thority for the statement that the
people OF Mississippi are ready TO acuuesce
to-day in negro suffrage provided they are al
lowed tolerable constitution and the choice
OF theirown rulers, Such is the position of
their trusted politica! leaders. They are aim
Ing at the best attainable result They ask
Congress not to force on them the yoke Of the