The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-05-22

to get hold OF the city government, anc
whose success would be fatal to our in
terests. Z - ,.:'Es
The Misgovernment Of the Country
The extracts from the New York Tribune
commented upon by this paper last week
are full Of matter for reflection. In mos
remarK1Die marucr-,sL .s-Ss,s--e~.'c anu pre-
dictions Of southern men are verified in the
confessions Of the Tribune. There could
not be more frank admission that all the
evils we apprebended have come upon US,
and that these evils, in the language OF the
Tribune, are t'the inevitable result Of Tx
pindictive method of reconstruction"
We do not hope, as we have stated, te
see any material change in the situation fol
some time to come. With reference to the
fourteenth and fifteenth amendments, forced
upon the South as they were, and uncon
stitutiopal as we believe them to be, we see
no way of reaching them for SO long time
that we do not think any proposition con
corning their alteration is reasonable sub
ject for discussion ut this time. Neverthe
less, it Is impossible that the people OF this
nation can shut their eyes to facts that
exist, or deny the existence Of evils which
stare them in the face. They will see al
these things, and they cannot resist the
natural process of mental reflection aud
inquiry which leads them to the cause OF
the evils and vexations In the political aud
social affairs of the South, which unaVoid'
ably affect injuriously the whole nation
The truth may be postponed or suppressed
for a while, but it will at last break forth
like the morning sun, and shed its light
everywhere.
So we see the northern press now bring
ing TO the light facts with reference to the
terrible effects OF "the vindctive method
of reconstruction" which the southern
press had promulgated in vain. They
were not believed at all at the North. North
ern editors journeyed southwark and sent
their correspondents to see how much
truth there was in kuklux stories and how
much exagseration there was in the asser.
tions Of the southern newspapers. Partial
and prejudiced as the persons themselves
were, they have been obliged, in fact, to
admit that the southern press was gener
ally truthful in what it said about the con.
dition of the South, and that there was
very little truth in the kukluX stories. In
every instance, taking the reports of the
correspondents Of northern papers for his
guide, the wise and just judge would say
as Mr.. GREELEY says, that the troubles at
the South are the "inevitable result" of
the "vindictive method of RECONSTRUCT
tion."
The first point in the removal of evil is
to find exactly its nature and its cause.
That is half the art Of healing. Cur north
ern fellow-citizens have laid bare the evil
their conclusions are vigorously summed
up by Mr.. GREELEY. True, he charges us
with being little excited under pain, and
with making an effort now and then to get
somewhat out Of the fire which the g DIN.
dictiue" authors Of reconstruction have
built in our midst but the impartial judge
will find no good ground to heap reproof
upon us for that he will look rather to
the vindictives," and say, "See here
,chat you haze done! :" Who has the heart,
for instance, after reading Mr.. GREELEY's
summing-up of the horrors Of negro and
carpet-bag rule in South Carolina, to heap
denunciations upon the heads of the South
Carolinians?
Then the euil and it's cause are the SUBJ
jects of immediate concern. Let them be
investigated !; the South has nothing to fear.
The neSt step is the remedy. That will be
sought for without much agitation on our
part. It affects the peace, and force, and
dignity Of the whole nation.
What do we see? According to the posi-
tive declaration of the Tribune we see that
the Federal authority has made a mockery
of republican government, by which "the
"only restriction upon voting is that the
<svotes shall not be cast for the most intelli-
"gent and virtuous citizens" There could
hardly be greater evil in the body polite.
How came about this evil? By giving
the suffrage to the ignorant blacks and
DISTINGUISHING the Intelligent" whites !;
and also by banding the negroes together
as party to. vote for no man who had
given sympathy or aid to the Southern Con-
federacy, since nearly all responsible, capa-
BILE. and trustworthy people in the South
were thus excluded from office, they hay
ing been nearly unanimously identified
with the southern rebellion. -
Now, had the negroes not been enfran-
chised with the right to vote, this whole
evil would have been avoided, because
there would have been none to vote for the
thieving carpet-baggers. So negro suffrage
Is the confessed evil. Mr.. GREELEY's rem
edy Is " uniyeral amnesty . and ''inspartial
suBrage," which Is clear confession that
some sort Of test is essential to reduce the
number Of ignorant negroes that take part
In the elections, and bring upon US the Sc
sious evils that are now harassing this whole
nation. ..
Had the Federal Government placed the
negroes upon probation for a limited. Pc
Rod, that they might prepare themselves for
the most important right OF the citizen-the
right to choose who shall govern the
stase-ail would have gone well. In time,
the negro could have proved his capacity,
II he had IL at all, and could have informed
himself 50 that he could exercise the right
m.ehisentsy. In the interval before de.
saaas ms ssatus the country would have
passed beyond the tropical heat Of war
ana war issues would have bean snrpoften
Then the Questions concerning the ciothins
Of che negro with all the privileges Of thu