The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-07-14
CH ARL Es TON.
WEDNESDAY MORNING. JULY "A, 1869,
The Lesson OF the Elections.

Gettysburg or SpottsylVanla, or VINO stood
by their side during weary months in the
winding trenches at Petersburg. But in
| the midst of the revelfy and mirth, while
the air is still heavy with the shouts which
hailed the election Of q Northern Republi-
can as Governor Of the Old Dominion, we
Of the South may we'll ask what is to be the
eff ct of q movement which, in Virginia,
has united Democrat, Wing and moderate
Republican, and brought John B. Baldwin
and Hunnicut, Extra. Billy Smith and cyan.
kee" Allen, R. E. Lee and Gilbert Walker
upon the same party platform?
At the outset we express our conviction
that Virginia acted wisely in choosing q
compromise policy and compromise plat
form. Whatever one man may do, it is Ger
tain that . whole State is not willing to
sacrifice years Of prosperity for the sake Of
socslled barren honor. Virginia was in
the hands Of military satraps' and their
agents, There Was no protection to be had
| in her courts; no man had right which
the Pro Consul need respect. The only
escape was by securing readmission to Con.
gIressional representation. The oonstitu:'
tion prepared by, the ultra Radicals was
filed with infamous provisions, and disfran-
chised and disqualified, from holding Office,
many worthy and able citizens. But our
asmoky Casar" Was induced to decree that
the disfranohising and disqualifying clauses
should be submitted to q separate vote, 90
that the people had an opportunity Of ex-
punging these provisions, Of defeating the
ultra Radicals, and Of resuming the admin
istration of their local affairs. The State
ticket Of the "bolting" Republicans was
finally accepted by the whites Of the State;
the result is the election Of chat ticket and
.hs adoption Of the expurgsted constitu.
tion. Had square fight been made against
the constitution it should have been rejec-
ted, the registered vote (ls67) being 121, ,271
whites and 106, los blacks. But this would
have left the State exposed to q military
rule Of indefinite duration, as well ss to
harsher and more humiisting terms Of
future reconstruction. As il stands, the
State is in the hands Of moderate and, for
the most part, respectable men, whether they
were born north or south Of the Potomac;
while the whites know that their majority,
ever increasing, will always enable them to
rule the oolored minority, ever growing
less. They doInot fear and have NO reason
to. fear that their own conduct in tho late
elections will be binding precedent for the
future. Virginia at this moment is gov
ssrned by white men and will continue to be
SO governed, although in her arst General
Assembly under the new constitution may
Gt several men Of color. tis the very
white majerity in Virginia which has. al
lowed the people to go further in the direc-
tien Of . aomprqmise than any other South
srn State can afford to 60.
II In the North, and perhaps in the South,
the result Of the Virginia elections has been
treated as Republican victory; as an sc-
knowledgment that the colored people have
an equal right to vote and hold Office; and
as q marking out Of line Of action which
will, il followed, enable every Southern
State to compass the downfall Of Radical
ism, without securing the triumph Of Ds-
mocracy. We do not understand it so.
Every Southern State has admitted that as
the law stands the colored man enjoys the
privilege Of voting, and in most Of them b Q
is entitled to hold Office il elected. There
is no disposition to attempt to deprive the
oolored man by force Of any privilege which
the law gives him. Obedience to the exist
ing laws is everywhere inculosted, and in
this State the declaration has been made by
q convention Of white Democrats that the
reforms We need must be obtained by peace
full agencies alone. There is no intention
Of interfering with negro voting; but the
question Of negroes holding Office is
widely different affair. No man is obliged
to vote for colored man; nor do We be-
lieve that in any Southern State the prso-
tice will, for any reason, be adopted of run
ming colored men upon an anti. Radical
platform. In Virginia, negroes have been
elected by white anti Radical votes; but
this may never occur again.
There is no doubt that the anti Radicals
can obtain control Of every Southern State
if they are willing to give the negroes som 9
of the less important public Offices. The
colored people have etill sufi ;ient regard
for their old masters to vote with them in
mass, if they can at the same time vote for
persons OF their own color. Charleston,
for instance, could at any time elect an
anti Radical ticket by rousing majority,
if the whites agreed to put upon it even
three or four respectable colored men. But
could this. be safely done? Would not suc-
cess in Charleston be bought at the price Of
failure in nearly every county in the State ?
Would not the adoption Of negro-compro-
mise policy at once ALLEVIATE the young men
the future hope Of the State-from TIE
party which adopted it &? Would it not drive
from the polls the men Of middle age,