The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-08-06

trati0n.
The result of the North Carolina election is
still In doubt 90 far as the actual figures are
concerned, and il is not yet known whether
the State government is to be continued In the
hands Of the republicans, where it has re-
manned ever since the rehabilitation Of the
State after the war, or is to be transferred to
the democracy. It is conceded that the demo-
Gratis have elected majority of the Congress-
men and have carried tho Legislature, thus
securing a United States Senator in place of
the republican incumbent, John Pool; but on
the State ticket each side claims to be ahead,
the democrats being less hopeful at last &C
counts than they have heretofore been since
the close of the polls. However this may be,
it Is certain that the republicans have actually
suffered severe reverse in this first battle Of
the campaign, and even if they should succeed
in saving their Governor the effect will be none
the less damaging to their future prospects
The State belongs legitimately to the republi-
can side. The democratic Attorney General
was elected in 1870 by majority of nearly
five thousand through division in the repub-
lican ranks, but every other year since the
cessation of the war the republicans have been
successful by majorities ranging from nine to
twenty-three thousand This year it was con-
fidently anticipated that the republican
triumph would be moro signal than at the last
election for Governor in 1868, when the repub-
lican candidate received over eighteen thou
sand majority, and everything appeared to
Justify this belief The State nominations
had been made by both parties prior to the
union of the liberal republicans and demo-
did not fairly represent that combi-
nation. The whole federal and State
patronage and the machinery Of election were
in the hands of the administration party.
The negro vote was united in support of the re-
publican ticket, and many white citizens were
known to be practically disfranchised through
threats of prosecution on old indictments that
were held hanging over their heads. Itseemed
to be as impossible to wrest North Carolina
from the hands of the administration as it
would have been to snatch this city govern
ment from the grasp Of Tammany three years
ago. No apprehension of reverse was felt
in the republican camp and if gigantic efforts
were put forth by that party in the canvass it
was rather with the object of making their
victory so overwhelming as to dismay the
followers of Greeley than with any idea
that they were needed to keep the
State in the republican line. Under these
circumstances the very closeness Of the con-
test and the uncertainty of the result is, in
effect, republican disaster, and will be so re-
garded all over the United States, North and
South.
The lesson of the reverse is easily read. It
is the natural fruit Of the seed cast broadcast
over the State by Secretary Boutwell, and
others of the administration canvassers and
stump orators. There Is no doubt that
when the campaign first commenced
large proportion Of the white vote
was prepared honestly to support the
republican State ticket. The hope of the
democracy was based upon the expectation
tina. they would be able to divide the negroes
and take good share of them over to the con-
servative side through the weight and influence
of Horace Greeley's name. But when tho
republicans announced their policy of con-
tinued agitation and hostility between the
races when Boutwell, cautioned the
negroes that the accession of the con-
servatives to power would be the
signal for their own reinstatement or
when he denounced the
to close up the wounds Of the
war and restore peace between the sections
and all over the Union, the intelligent white
citizens repudiated such doctrines and gave
their support to the conservative candidates.
The extent of the evil Of the teachings Of
these republican agitators may be gathered
from the action of the negroes after the
election, when it was supposed that the State
had gone largely democratic. They
gathered around the county court house
at Raleigh in blank dismay and in
dulged in the widest speculatons as to the
fate that awaited them. Many of them sup
posed that they would at once be remanded
back to slavery and compelled to work for
their old masters others thought that if they
escaped with their freedom they would ct least
be stripped of all their civil rights and lose
their votes in the future, and others inno-
Gently inquired whether there would be any
more law in the State. One account repre-
sents number Of men and women in panic
prepared to escape from the State, in the
expectation that every negro would be
arrested and killed or logged for voting
for the republicans, and that the
families of the offenders would share
in the punishment. No honest and intelligent
white citizen could support party that would
impose upon the credulity of the ignorant
negroes to such an extent as to impress these
ideas upon their minds, and thus we find that
in all counties free from coercion and corrup-
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