The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-20
THE PETERSBURG INDROGLIO.
How the Conservatives Carried
the Municipal Election.
Failure of an Effort to Accomplish
Federal Interference.

RICHMOND, Va, June IT, 1874
The event OF the municipal elections In thE
State was the triumph OF the conservatives owe
therepubcans in Petersburg, and about ten day
ago the victory was celebrated with the most ex-
travagant and heartfelt rejoicing that any corpo.
rate populace ever before INDUCED in. PROFESSIONS
triumpnal arches, houses hung with garlands,
streets estooned with evergreens bands OF music,
military displays, salyos OF artillery and free whis
key during the day myriads OF rockets shot into
the starry empyrean, pyrotechnIc scenes the most
brilliant In erect, torchlighr professions inter-
spersed with comic caricatnres OF the defeated
radical candidates. the streets and holsAs exerAv-
agantly Illuminated, the city in food OF artificial
light,the incessant rattle OF popcrackers and tor
pedoes and tue deaienng roar OF artillery. was the
scene that presented itself throughout The city the
entire night. Nor was Petersburg alone in this
wild demonstration OF delight, for del
egations from Norfolk, from Portsmouth
and from Richmond came by special
trains, with their contributions Of banners, IRE
works, gunpowder, thunder and lungs to join IN
the grand jubatIon. Long after the wearied PEG.
pie mad retired to rest the tar barrels Lazed cheer
.iuly. and, in the language OF local journalist,
''the voice OF the popcracker was still abroad in
the land" But the cause OF this unprecedented
trumpha 'outburst requires some explanation
and the recital OF
POLITICAL. HISTORY IN BRIEF.
Petersburg, like the cities In South Carolina, waA
mt the wars close overwhelmed with negro
population. The blacks nearly outnumbered the
whites two to one. but while Virginia continued to
be the First Military district during the era OF re-
construction the baneiui effects Of negroruie were
not elt by the conservative Vrglnians. 1t was not
until the adoption of the Underwood con-
stitution that the '.CocKade City," al
1t is called, began to groan under
miserably inefficient and disastrously administered
radical city government. A. carpet-bag Mayor pre-.
sided over the municipal destinies. Council,
composed largely or negroes, enacted the city
ordinances. Carpet-baggers assessed and COL
lected the city taxes and plunged the Corporation
in an nextricabe debt. And last but not least,
negroes attlred in the city livery, wearing tno
municipal badge carrying the municipal baton,
and with the municipal revolver bucxed round
their waists, kept watch and ward over the lives,
property, homes and ireside3 Of unhappy Peters,
burg. This continued to be the state OF affairs
from 1867, eacn year becoming more aggravating,
until the present, when an effort was made by the
Legislature TO relieve the people by the passage
city, which would have placed the government
IN the hands OF conservative Board Of commits.
siOners. That act as the readers or the HERALD
will readily remember was promptly vetoed by
Governor Kemper ana the hopes OF the Peters
burgers were Tor time ruLnessly blasted. 1t was
then, when the conservative minority had almost
| abandoned themselves to despair, that famous
Y Es which Gis means 0y not one Rn R%
Khan, but Kemper Kampaign KuD, came to tne
rescue OF the woebesone conservatives Of theii
sister city. This Klub controls the elections In
Richmond. Experts were sent to Petersburg, and
soon the leading conservative ward politicians In
that city were Initiated IN all the arts and myste-
H. HOW TO CARRY ELECTIONS,
and for the tirst time the conservatives united In
grand effort to overthrow the radical city govern
ment. In the election previous to the last the
| negro majority was about 900; but it was q well
| oct
motives OF thorough disgust or stagnant apathy,
had re used to either register or vote since the
were now Tor the first time brought out and made
TO vote. Then an Individual canvass OF all the
white republicans resulted IN bringing over to the
conservatives nearly every one OF this class, with
the exception OF the radical candidates Tor once.
Next, IN one ward over l60 negroes voted the con-
servative ticket. Again, neary every negro prop
erty holder in the city did the same. Nearly all the
BARRIERS escapnded to the conservative ranks and
last hundreds OF negroes who were members VI
/ colored societies, and consequently did not dare
/ to openly ION the conservative party, secretly
voted That ticket at the elections. The result was
! that the conservatives carried the city by ma
LOFTY % ABOUT 4 ar hence En- Te ne
election SO lar as investigation goes to show, was
as larly and as legltmately conducted as ever an
election was In the state; but, notwithstanding
this. trio OF United States officials have gotten
up charges of intimidation against nine Of the
judges OF election. These charges are so trivial.
| insignificant and unlounded that no one OF them
can possibly be established; snd, though tnat may
have been an Interior object on the part OF the
United states Official trio and their Congressional
patron, the MAN and principal one was . cen.
| spiracy to '
INcITE RIOT AND BLoODsHED,
| by which federal interpostion might be invoked
| ana the results OF the election subsequently an.
nuled. Accordingly as the radical conspfrat0fs
had loreseen the arrest oil tne nine judges produced
great excitement in Petersburg. Large crowds
assembled IN the streets, business became totally
suspended telegrams were sent to Washington
aud otner places, but contrary to the wishes and
hopes OF the conspirators attempt at rescue was
maze nor was there any riOtous demonStrarlOns
| and consequently the whole plot proved failure.
+ In washington Tor the bloody news, ready TO fusn
| to the President ana appeal for troops, procla-
( NATION OF martial law, military government J0r
Petersburg and, In short, all the paraphernalla OF
/ reconstruction III 1866 aud 1857. But no news OF
riot, rescue or rebellion came. At last, driven 20
their Wits end they appealed to the PRESIDENT 20
send troops to protect the lives OF the United
States officials ct Petersburg, and though this was
counterDaanced BY another written Request,
signed by two republican congressman from VII.
not to send troops, vet orders were u.
sued TO the United states Marshal to eau
Tor troops rom Fortress Monroe II ne SHOULD
require them to protect the lives OF the custom
House and other United States officials. AS tue
United states Marshal himself, who was IN PotefH-
burg, admitted, the officials needed no pr0tec-
ton from troops, as they were in no danger; and
this attempted interference IN state AFFAIRS by the
United states Government, when there was no
earthly cause Tor Is, Is regarded as most tyran-
meal and illegal exercise OF federal authority
/ and an outrage upon the dignity Oh the state.
THE RESULT OF 1T
will be the defeat OF both Piatt and Stowe Ia their
respective districts In the next congressional loc.
publican that opposes either OF them.
THE JUDGMENT OF SOLOMON.