The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-06-15
The Act for Eleeting the next
President. "a

President. @
8 The act 70 enforce the fifteenth amend
n,ent seems to be quite favorite law witt
the Republicans Of New York. Amos
every day we see some. allusion to it in thu
papers of that city. These Journals seen
to think that it viii secure to them VIVA
they term fair elections. The Democrats
Of course, are not so yerdant as not TO kno"
that "fair" election, as that aa1eesi.e y
understood by the Radicals, Is an e.ecSiol
which results in the choice OF the isaaiva
candidates: and therefore they are, not dis
messed To look with favor upon the new law
They have heard how Congress carried
snnoe "fair" elections in the reconstructed
States. They see men representing States
which disown them-as, for instance, AhEs'
a State of which he can hardly be said 20 Dc
a citizen; and REvEIs, negro, the same
State: and various carpet-bagsers anc
st,yenturers other southern States. The
Congress which admitted these worth
less vagahonds into its halls, anc
which recognizes them as the re-
representatives. Of States that would, Il
free, send gentlemen to the National Legs
lature. is the Congress which passed the ac'
to enforce the fifteenth amendment rs
means of purifying elections and securinga
fair expression Of the will of the people
That such Congress was moved to the per
Torrance Of this deed by any regard for the
welfare Of the country, or any desire to
learn and obey the will of the people, is
what we suppose no sensible man oil any
marty believes. We have the highest ai-
tbority for advising such rcforncrs to take
the beam out of their own eye before they
undertake to remove the mote out of their
brother's eye. And as Congress could not
pass such an act without usurping powers
which do not belong to it, and to exercise
which 1t has no more right than the 6 re-
heaters" of New York have to vote dozen
times per day, 1t is not to be expected that
the people of the cities which are hereafter
TO ompelled, in violation of the Consti-
tuition, to vote the Radical ticket, will re-
cornize Congress as the proper body to re-
sulate their local affairs or purify" their
elections.
We were about to say that this is one OF
those acts which will return to plague the
Notwithstanding thereby that it would
tend to destroy the union of the States.
But we imagine that the present rulers of
this country would very willingly risk such
q "plague" if they could by risking 1t
perpetuate their own power even for few
years. At any rate, the prospect is that the
law will result in estranging the affections
of many of the northern people from their
now idolized central government, and in
causing them to dread it as an manageable
enemy rather than a protecting friend. 1t
viii have a tendency to open their eyes ana
enable them to see what southern states
men had the power to foresee long years
ago, and will thus not only iberalize their
feelings towards the opponents OF centraI-
cation In this section Of the country, but
will teach them that they have not hitherto
understood the true nature Of our Federal
Government as it was intended to be by
those who established it for in the North
even the Democrats have always been prac-
tically consoidationists.
The act of which we are speaking would
unquestionably be pronounced unconstl-
tutional by any judge not BIASED by parti-
san feeling. There are few sections in it
which are not open to this objection; but
these viii never be enforced. In fact, it
would be next to impossible for a case for
the courts ever to arise under these Sec
tions. The first two or three, the seven
teenth, and several other sections, are con-
I>rf will trIy
people any trouble. AS, however, nearly
all the Federal judges are partisans, the
law will stand. 1t will be found, however,
totally ineffective, as, perhaps, it was expect
ed and intended to be; but it will have ac-
complished the main purpose of those who
framed it-namely, the familiarizing Of the
minds of the people with the idea that the
National Government may rightfuly inter-
fere in State or even municipal elections ;
and then a law will be passed which will
place the entire machinery of elections in
all the States in the hands of the agents OF
Congress. Such law will be no more truly
unconstitutional than is the present one,
and the people who have no more sense or
spirit than to submit to the latter will sub.
NIT to the former.
VIII New York city allow Congress thus
to stifle its voice? Will the people of the
country justify Congress in SO doing? We
know not. We do know, however, that
the southern peoples voice has been thus
stifed for years, and that the people of the
country have seemed to approve Of the in.
famous deed. Perhaps the question will
appear In a new light when the prosecuted
and wronged parties are northern men. We
shall see. It at least requires no prophet to
foreten that If the northern people do sub
init to such acts of usurpation on the part
of Congress, it will not be long until that
body may safely pass, under its appropriate
title, can act to provide for the election OF
Radical President"
The telegram in reference to the reap
portionment of representation in Congress
which appeared in the Dispatch of yester.
day came to hand after our editorial para.
graph on the same subject was written
According to the telegram, the bill before
{yoDprpss nroyides that INV od ra