, 1869-08-05
TEE VIRGINIA ELECTION.

: date Tor Reelection, is representing 10 hi,
followers that the general sentiment
of tho people Of the North il
: adverse to the Walker party, and
" that ho hopes That General Cauby, unde.
these circumstances, will treat the election
c rs nullity, until such time Us Congress can
: meet, and the friends Of Tho Wells marty
can lnro such Legislation as they need This
: Will continue Wells and his followers in Of
: flcc. This kind Of proceeding is II perfect
keeping with the whole conduct OF those,
: North md South, who do not wish
tho Union reconstructed, md who
wish to use tho powcra Of
: government for their oHn selfish ends,
Wells entered the recent political campaign
with many advantages. ue was nlrendy
Governor 10 was the regularly nominated
candidate Of the Republican purity that
party uat in minority Of thirty thousand
votes in the State. Tho election took place
md Wolls WIS dcfcated l,y twenty tllormnd.
lie fnlled IL secnio MI t1,u white Republican
vote; be faled To Hrcure nll the coluscl Iiu-
publican tc,-and ,sby the DETECTION from
both these claBscs, ho WIS dcfca!od There
is no 1'retcncc thnl tho election waH not
fairly md 1"ga1'y con1neted Tho only pro-
tt'1t for setting It nsitlo ~ that Wells wns
tlcftnied. doscrnur Goary IL tho lsupubli-
c"n chuliduto for recollection in pennsyl-
sfu'i"; Governor Hny.s iH tho Republican
csnditlnse fur rc-rluetiun in Uhu. TltrYc |
nIril cnii "niy lsu drfntctl by thr refusal If |
ABORTION of tho Republican rarty IL H,.s-
t*in thesn. Should either nf thru 10 dr.
fc"scsl, In will l,nyo juu nv tnuci, right nv
Mr.. Wells hn~ u, tlo1sln.,A tl,nt III" rlrcttou
bo NOT dsw'nrcl until C"ugrcHa r4u ,nrt
and not It hhfr ul,il cnn.nnu hin, In oi!lcn.
|" tisin l'1.h!noaa Of IcgIaAtinK ,nuu int"
ost|ru by net u Congrrna nnves tD nL,,Y
Arr thu 'l"sua''da nf n gang of ir1opsnsaibln
| "ts1cr.H"ckerh to DO rntnincl In uillca to
"'srr'1" "ll principles II right, jnsl!cu aul
1"'pul"r Will Arc the ptoplu of Virginia
newer 10 hnSo "A civil gorurn,ncut nnlesa
they elect W1llH u,i Lia friends
to reign over them? Are tho
l'wers Of government to bo ahnsed
alld p,ostituted to tho extent Of making all
elections depend for their validity upon the
politics Of the men elcctel3
We bare Ind already ono shameless e1-
Libition Of this sort Of policy in the case Of
tic Georgia Senators; that csse ought to
sAt'hfy the ambition Of the most reckless,
without adding to it tho Outrage Of setting {
aside the Virginia election because Wells Z
has been rengdiated. d.dtlRs dtlRs hfrof nit pafiics. /
a1!d OF both white and colored voters, +
General Candy has already declared that q
he election in yirginia Was on free from 3
everything like unfairness, fraud or intiul-
ldat1on as any election ever held IN the A
United States. It was not mere struggle
between Republicans and Deuoc1asa, nor =
between whites md blacks, nor betxoen y, ~
oynlists and rebels; but, ns the result has N
'LoWn, struggle between that portion of hs
he people who want peace and union, civil = :.
liberty and equality, and that which pro- tt
'oses to 1eorgnnize tho South upon tho line Ut
II black md wLito blood, with the black in be
he ascendant IN that contest the .naiori- - -
J. nade up, ns we have said, of voters
rom all parties, rejected Wells If any- o.
hing were needed to show the propziety OF us p
lie popular decision, Governor WelLs SUD- ~ ~
'!ies the evidence By his nttem pt 10 have the ha
lection SGT aside by the arbitrary action Of '.
congress- The appeal to Congress, under i. ~
ny circumstances, oaght to be resented F.
S m attempt to uso national authority for Of
Zero partisan purposes. But an appeal Of sit
lat kind coming from Wells, in behalf Of y. u
'ells, after the election IN Virginia, ought W. W.
ut to be listened to for ono moment. tn
Governor Wells Is entirely mistaken whom so
Q represents public sentiment at the North
s opposed to the reconstruction Of Virginia ~, M
ndor the constitution ns adopted and the or
tate ofdcera elected. The people Of the hts
"rth want pence. The restoration Of Wiz an az,
inia bus been delayed for nearly two years rct
J Inc paftlsans OF Wells, who are striving fol
, perpetuato themselves in oflecs to LII
'hich they wero never elected, md IN IN
Or which they arc unft- The people es ss
I the North think that Virginia, nov In 1al
Le fifth year Of her probation, Laring =
doptcd constitution recognizing tho po- np4 np,
tical and civil cquality Of al clnsscs OF her bu
opu1atiun, having accepted MI the terms dls
I'd conditions imposed by Congress, and tue
nving ratified all the amendments to tho oa' e'a,
ational Constitution proposed by Con. at,t
ress, is entitled to have civil government, {
I'd 10 have tho officers chosen by tho poo sen s',
10 Of tho State. For two yoara Mr. Wells 1ur H..
nd bis faction demanded that Virginia
,ould be kept excluded until she adoptol
,nstitution including the most sweeping -,
Tho President, by tho Co.
'hsent and authority Of Congress, required !
Inst TINT these disfrauchiHlng clauses hc'
l1uld be submitted 10 separate nn Ias
otca, and upon this poiut i
utn white unn colored vutcsa aud tn,
,en If both parties united in MI over he
'hcluling rejection of Wel!ss pet clnt.scs !,
The timo for Acknowledgement hna pnased. :.
hc Republican party Inns put its cun,emn- T., na
tim npon tho whole sehcmo. Ennlity Of "a!
'nlitical right being securcJ,-it must bo +.
"curod 10 nll clnskea Tho tlisfranclise- w w
'4tnt Of Whites ia no part Of tho cnfrau- II, rn
lRe1nrnt of the culurel race, hut both be- .s ~,
NJ ,nnde c1nnlly free, they .nust work out ,sn,'
heir own destiny. Grnerni Chlhy will I'm. #,
perform his dnty under tho
W, nnd " i'll mi, by lliA innctiotl, nntirpnte (
Unjust and oppressive legislation 1y CON- '!ft
rcss. II We nre to fAso such legislation, ~ :,
II the responsibility rest whesc Il belongs. ln,l