The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-04-26
SATURDAY EvEG, APRIL 90, 1873.
NEGRO Ascemsiemcy.

THE charge that the Republican party has
any such aim as that of negro ascendency in
Virginia is one cut out of whole cloth by the
most stupid and bungling of political tailors.''
So says TINS STATE JOURNAL, and yet it is an
inconTrovertible fact that the negro element not
only preponderates but constitutes seven If
not eight tenths of the Republican or Radical
party of the State, and should that party succeed
in their efforts to obtain the control of the state
government, the negro feing the predominant
element of it, will unquestlonably be in the
"ascnedency" even though their selected agen Is
are white of skin-Whtg,
We would like to ask The Whig whether
the negroes W. nd be in the "ascendency"
in this state if one half of them should
happen to vote the Conservative ticket?
And we would push the inquiry step fur
Their, and ask whether The Wing would OBJ
iect to their thus voting? We happen to
know that very strenuous efforts were
made at one time to get their votes for the
Conservative ticket, and that negroes were
sent from here, lat the expense of The Wings
party, to attend the Cincinnati Convention.
Nor were the efforts of the Conservative
party to get the colored vote confined to
those "white of skin )" but they sought
to elect those "colored Of skin" to the
General Assembly when the walker
ticket" was obviously put in the field.
The "negro element of the state has
shown but little disposition, thus far, to
crowd itself into the aseendency," in
any branch of the state government. They
are willing, we believe, to recognize the
rule that qualification and character
shall be the test of selection to place and
power, and not to urge any man for office
simply on the score Of color. If there
have been any exceptions to this rule, they
have not received the countenance of the
best informed colored men in the party.
Nearly all with whom we have conversed
are disposed entirely to ignore color, or the
want of it, as test of qualification for
Office and in this they have shown far
more good sense than those white men, of
both political parties, who would press col
or, by constantly harping on it, as a test of
merit or demerit in candidate. In Geor-
gia and Texas very large proportion of
the colorcd population go with the domi-
nant white party in their state elections,
without any regard to ascendency" one
way or the other. They are disposed to
vote for the best men without reference to
local politics, aud in this respect their wis.,
dom and good sense are warmly commend
ed by the dominant white politicians.
1t is not question Of the ascen dency of
race at all, but simply one of party ascen-
dency and we can assure The Wing that
the Republican party of this state will be
good deal more than two .tenths white in
the next gubernatorial election, if our po-
ltical friends display one-half the sagacity
and good sense in the selection Of candi
dates that we give them credit for. IF
they shall adopt the policy suggested
by US, and open the door widely for
the ten thousand who voted for
General Grant and the thirty thousand
who spewed the Conservative ticket out OF
their mouths in the presidential election,
The Wing will seeIsuch stampede from
its odlous coalition of four years ago
as will give it chronic ague-shake, or
enlargement of the spleen, that will take
all the political cholagogue in the country
to purge off in surplus bile.