The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-11-12
rho Negsoea Carrier Ko6alss.rstds

our correspondent Is liberal towards Inc
Ar,tators. but he nevertheless dlstincl'y
aavs that awith few exceptions = the
: eproes voted for the Agitasors' candidates;
a 81 he adds: 9 Everybody who has sense
enough to read the figures can see, OF .
a,ance; that without their votes the result
would have been far different" .
Now, Rockbridse Is Valley county. II
such be the state Of the case In that county.
the reader can easily see that In Eastern
virginia the negro vote carried everything
before 1t. Every so-called Readtuster re-
turned in East Virginia owes bis election %
negro votes. We don't think there eau DC
anS doubt about the fact; and we trust tnae
the friends OF good government 10 tue ss'-
rious districts will have 1t established ny
proofs: g 'tio' rso, ,he pIsna,c,,.l
RocskbridEc.
uh;,s Tho Debt-Payes of :Rockbridge ac-
,,nnwiadpe with deep humiliation defeat,
thsv claim o great victory. Here, vs. every
n here throughout the Slate, the settlement
- thp debt has received an endorsement
which ought to satisfy its creditors. Inc
majority by which our present representa-
lives were elected two years ago IS Sreatiy
reduced-say from eight hundred, my
n,ernory is correct, to about two hanored;
Tho coiored people have been persuaded
that they should vote against the whites,
and they. with few exceptions, did so IN
This election. Every body who has sense
enourh TO read the figures can see aC u
Glance that without their votes tue rcsui1
wo,,Id have been far. different. What IS
sncb victory worth as;to its moral Faiue
~ the ReS6iusterss Whom does their ma
iority in the Legislature, IL they nave 10
represent? Does it represent YlrS,niat
Let. them look to their laurels.r. ooutnein
men accept with JOY victory given tnen
by the infusion OF Radical pre1ualces Into
the minds OF their former saves iney
acknowledge the superiority OF this CLASS 10
,,sn.t ~ the inteilieence Of the Stated They
congratulate themselves, the country, ana
the world. that Virginia Is committed 10
the rule ofsthe colored man, inspired oy
his Radical advisers. This fact cannot pc
disguised. -.
It il useless to deny that many estin1able
citizens voted for readiustment. But II the
weight of such testimony is worth any
thing, then truth and right are on the other
side. And we can confidently declare 10
orr creditors. and to all men. that. Virginia
is not q renudiatfDg State. We claim that
Yhe great majority OF those who constitute
the State. its wealth, It's good name, its pa
triotism, its intelligence, have voted LOT the
settlement. II ~ - - :.,-H -:,t -.
THE honorable character of many Who
voted for reimbursement has already Deen
conceded. But that even this more inteiIl-
gent class OF that party was mlsleo may oe
truly asserted. There were Important
changes of sentiment on the eve OF electlon.
Fair.minded men, who had advocated read
iustment; acknowledged the force OF facts
and arguments presented by the opposite
aide, and gave their votes to those whom
they had opposed. There was another class
of white men who would not hear. Ihey
were influenced by prejudice ana passion,
and in one CT more instances overcame tue
Conservative speakers by their Vocllera-
tions. ..'r:...-,r
It is said that when MI. Tucker endea-
vored to speak at Marion, in Smyth county,
the crowd refused TO hear him until MI.
Blair told them that If they did not bear
MIR. Tucker he would not speak to them
himself. There was at least one similar
scene in Rockbiidse, without the redeem
ing feature of Mr.. Blair's magnanImiiy.
i
other side were present. 1t is to be hoped
they were not, and that if they had been
they would have been as generous. But
this is not the question. The question IS
az TO the representative character Of polltl-
cal power obtained in this way, and placed
at the helm to guide the State. The third
class on the side Of the ReadjuSters were
the coiored people. No overtures from men
of their own color, nor from white men
known to be their friends. could
persuade them to vote generally WITH
the whites. This is the fruit of north
ern teaching ever since the war; and when
their northern friends suffer by reputation
they ought to remember this fact: that the
white men of the South wanted to DO them
iustlce. but the colored man was IN the
way, and the northern man put him there:
But even the colored man showed unusual
docility. Impressions, were made towards
the last OF the canvass, which resulted I'D
some changes, and here and there colored
men. convinced By what they had heard,
voted with indomtable firmness for the
Conservative ticket. These impressions
and changes, however. had given the alarm
to the leaders; and their desperate enorts
lust before the election to keep the ranks
of the colored men unbroken succeeded but
too we'll.
Among the laborers on the side of the
settlement, Rockbridge numbered some OF
her best men. Doubtless men as good were
as active: on the other side. But no citizen
can deny tibet the former represented the
larger class, and their patriotic efforts for
the county, without hope OF offce or re-
ward, save their share OF the public good,
deserve honorable and lasting memorial.
They believe the decision at the polls was
wrong, and receive it with almost funereal
grief and sorrow; but they are conscious OF
having worked hard for the side which they
believed 80 be that on which the patriot
ought to stand. Without any unklnd re-
Elections; they are bound to say that if the
mass OF thepeople bad been better informed
,tbe issue would have been different.
To these general statements it may be
added that there were local causes which
Snfiuenced the election in this county, and
mistakes made by the Conservatives which
contributed to their defeat; but as these
cannot enter aRto the Judgment OF the pub
lie at large, it is useless, il it were proper,
to mention them.
Tae Dispatch will, I hope, continue to
show as it has already done, the true sig
nifeance OF the vote. MARSHALL.
# .a..t.
PITRyLvANIA. Henry, PATRICK, AND
FRANK11N.-We are pleased to give room