The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-11-25


ssr,o our vision the canvass through
which we have tiss passed presents oresoi
the prsndest specsacles eyer ~ tnesse1 @un :
9sie;. n Democratic government, ana desnon-
strates completely the ability Of the people
far sels-voyernrnent. The whole power OF
Ithe Government, Attorney General, Au-
ditDr. Treasurer, congressman, senator's
and the press, were on the one side. Their
spexkers were everywhere, money flowed
llike water, and no effort was spared to fas-
ten this ubiquitous brokers bill upon the
people; and yet the people rose 70 cue
height or the argument, and reenKed ~ Tue
polls these self.cons,ituted leaders, ana as
serted their Independence aud their deter.
mination to cut loose from party tnat
sought only to rule or ruin"
We don't believe, in the first place, that
| ANY considerable portion OF the white peo-
| Pile Of Virginia have at the ballot-oox
or elsewhere expressed "their. determine
ton to cut loose" from the conservative
party.
In the second place, white majority OF
not less than twenty thousand voters pre-
sent "the grand spectacle OF having voted
exactly as ssthc Attorney. General, Audi
tor, Treasurer, congressman. senators, ana
the press - did. It is needless to say augbt
rs to the kind OF men who thus voted. Inc
organs Of the eadjusters being themselves
the Judges, the very best OF the people OF
Virginia united with the clergy, the press
the iawyens, the State officers, the congress
men, &C., in striving to maintain the honor
and reputation of this good old Common
wealth.
What a "grand spectacle" it was, to be
snre. TO see twenty thousand ignorant ne
yroes voting down twenty thousand OF the
voters who hearkcned to the appeals OF the
clergy. the lawyers, the State officers, the
press. and the Virginia congressman
Wasn't it a 'sgrand spectacle to witness
twenty thousand negroes. animated by ha-
tired OF the Conservative party, marching 60
the ballot-box and supporting the candi-
dates OF the Mozsrters-not because they
were In favor of reputation, nor because
they were opposed TO the MCCuLLoCH BILL
but purely and simply to deliver what they
hoped would prove fatal blow to the Con-
seryatiye party OF Virginia.?
We think that 's the people" OF Virginia
stand to-day where they have stood ever
since the campaign of 1S69-on the OLD
WAYS OF the Conservative party. We can
not admit that twenty thousand negroes
combined with forty thousand whites have
any sort OF claim to be called or considered
the real people Of Virginia, as against the
sixty-two thousand pure white Caucasians
who voted for the McCULLoCH settlement.
There are scarcely dozen counties in the
State q majority OF whose white men are not
in favor OF that settlement. .
But, above all, we don't believe that the
90. 600 white men who voted with the 30
600 negroes are going to try to stand up
this winter either for any measure OF State
policy which savors OF reputation or for
any proposition that may look to the de-
strucsiun of the Conservative party OF Viz
,ginia. The presidential election will take
place next year, and we are strongly in
clned to the belief that the Conservative par
ty will rally to its standard all OF the 10000,
except the ofice-seekers and maliguants. In
fact, we see no alternative for them but to
return to the Conservative party or to 60
over to The Republican. party. They must
see Frcm the official returns that when the
Republican party calls of their negro allies
they will be no longer able to poll vote in
most Of the counties OF the Common wealth
chat will be large enough to save them from
the charge OF being mere factionists. Is it
to be presumed that so-called Readjusters,
who know that they owe their election to
negroes-we mean, of course, not to i'm
ply that all OF their votes were negro votes,
but WHO could not have been elected with
out negro votes-mcn who know perfectly
well that they did not receive majority OF
the white votes in their counties and dis
trcts-we say, is it to be presumed that said
men, knowing that the Republicans Will
call of the negro votes next year, will be
found this winter engaged in the unholy
work of trying to destroy the Conservative
marty or to prove that their supporters con-
stitute "the people" of Virginia? We
shall see.