The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-01-26
q2irI,moud 1ispattl1.
49, i''i'
Tho New Encroachment.


far ms we see is approved by the RcpuhI'-
can journals. which shows that ii is part!
measure, and so understood. The ma''c'
had been prepared, and all the party or
carnations and the press Throughout. VA,
country had been duly warned. 20 al '','
into line, and assume to be very hi''eh
pleased with q very mild and proper INA
ure. The New York Times, 4 very hio"e-
rate Republican sheet-one when See
sometimes a little wrong in ultra-Repunn-
canism, and would mete out little 1us.i..
to the suspect "-says that the u" :"
"nrescribe the manner Of holding eiec'ions
"for President. and Nicc-President, ana
urenrasentatiyes in Congress-, 7ndcdses
"the nature Of the help ,ehich may De an
4" roledu Exactly! To help to continue
the present party in power. That is all.
The Times is quite happy to know that
the new bill authorises the Federal Com
missioners to "act in conjunction with
the local Tor State) boards" This is the
old story of the hedgehog in the rabbits
nest. He begged to sleep in "conjunc-
ton" with the rabbit, and once in the bed,
ne desired 4 little more room, backing his
request with his pointed quilts. which arc
good representatives Of Federal bayonets.
These the poor rabbit was compelled to re-
spect and ere the hour of profound rest
the poor thing found herself without bed
ut the chilliest time Of night. And so will
the State authority give way to the pointed
arguments Of force, and in time find itself
without any power at all.
That this is so even the Times confesses
in what follows the quotation above made
from it. The Times, speaking of the powers
of the Federal commissioners, states that
besides acting in conjunction" with the
State boards, they are authorized to excr-
else supervision over the lists Of regis
tered voters" 1t is all " supervision" and
overruling, and setting aside State authority
just as these commissioners or the Federal
Court may deem proper. 1t is i complete
ignoring Of all State authority. Cunning
phrases cannot cover up the fact. The Al
legged outrages are mere preteNtS, gotten up
to bolster up and defend u foregone deter
mnation to commit the outrage. The pre-
text is no justification. The measure is so
deliberately premeditated and unjustlliablc
that no man who is not crazy who defends
it can fail to be sharply sel(-condcmncd If
he has the slightest spark Of conscientious
ness left in his heart.
This measure may be very pleasing TO
these people. 1t is agreeable to think that
your party have "6Xed things :" that they
have secured the offices; that the good jobs
cnr h.I pN. ~
benefit. But wrong and outrage are not :"
easily gotten rid of. They return after u
time to "plague the inventors" on may
tondle the feline pet, handle lis velvet paws,
and say how graceful and innocent they
are; yet when the paws are opened The
blood will flow.
The South is. perhaps. less Interested III
this new measure of Federal u>urpation-
so hostile TO public libcrty--than any other
portion OF the Union. 1t is hardened to
wrong and outrage. 1t had reason to hope
that day Of peace and harmony was at
hand but it has experienced frequent dis
appointments, and can stand this last one.
We speak especially of this State when we
saw that we are conscious of no act which
should excite national diStrust Of our featy
to law or Constitution; and while familiar
lty with wrong and outrage prepares us for
this fresh measure of injustice, we are none
the less impressed with its unjustitiable and
;ltrocious character. Can any one be so
blind as not to see its real motive?
Yet, il the other States can stand it, so
can Virginia. She has been CALLED by the
harness, and is we'll acquainted with It's
rough and wounding points. The north
ern States have not felt them, and ought.
from what they have Seen, to be wary anu
jealous, aud determined never to submit
But that is their affair, and we look WIN
calmness upon the course they may take.
All this fuss about southern outrages-
all the acts for protecting the tranchlse--are
but the negro over and over again. lhe
Republicans have conceived that the negro
is to save them from expulsion from office,
and they mean to use him with rs much
effect "a possible. They want his vote, and
that only and they pass laws to degrade
and chain the white man ami let loose the
negro. His vote alone they seek. They
care no more for him than they do for 90
riIlas in Borneo. If the vote WAS Il jewel
in his head, they would, in the spirit that
they seek his vote, cut out the jewel,
though 1t were the death of the negro.
That's all.
The progress Of events after all seems
quite natural. A certain amount OF OPP
preston Is Indispensable TO arousing of the
popular will-to 4 revolution of the public
sentiment, and hiring of the public mind
to the grand act of overturning a
tyranny. The crueltes Of PHARoAn
were necessary TO drive the lsraclltcS
to resistance and flight from Egypt. SO IS
the many-headed tyranny OF the country
grown more and more intolerablc. so that
ultimately the people may be driven to hurl
it from power and rSestabliSh peace and
harmony in the land.
Upon the whole then, we rather like the
hypocrisy OF the Republicans, whose ears
are so ready to listen to the stories Of rebel
crueltes, and we are quite fascinated with
the cold and heartlesS measure, based upon
this hollow preteNt, for giving to the Fede-
raj Administration entire control over the
elections, which are understood to he the
verdict of the people upon the Administra-
i tion itself 1T is but IN assurance that the
a reyulsion will all the sooner take place.