The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-11-28
VIRGINIA.
THE REV. MIR. BROADDUS'S EXPLANATION
CARRIED Ey NEGRO VOTE.
Gtroln the New York SUM-

THE REV. MIR. BROADDUSS EAfI'ANALloH-
CARRIED EY NEGRO VOTE.
from the New York SUM-
TO the Editor of the San:
Sir,-Justice to the reputation OF this
State seems to me to demand that the facts
connected with the late election here should
be made public. and especially that the
people OF the North should be correctly in
formed ms to the influences and agencies by
which the result of that election was Sc
cured. This communication is intended rs
a contribution in the direction Just iudl-
Gated.
For years suffrage has been as free here
as IL Is possible for II 10 be anywhere. Dul
while the whites have not sought or desired
to intimidate the negro at elections, they
have not been, nor are they now, favorable
to negro suffrage. Not that they would de-
prive the negroes Of any right secured 10
them by the Constitution or the laws. or that
they would resist or eyade that Constitution
or those laws; but they believe that con-
ferring on the negroes the right OF suffrage
imperiled the vital interests OF the country
and the well-beng Of society by placing a
dangerous weapon in the hands OF those
utterly ignorant Of its use, and by giving
the power to influence, and, in some cases,
to control elections and legislation to class
not only unacqualnted with the principles
of good government, but ignorant even OF
the forms OF government.
Tn the political contests between the
Wings and the Democrats in this State, be-
fore the war, it was difficult to forecast the
issue of an election, not only because the
two parties were nearly equally divided in
numbers, but also because there was SINH
lar division in talents, patriotism, property,
ard character. But in the recent political
contest these were overwhelmingly, might
perhaps be justified in saying exclusively,
on one side-the side OF the Debt-Payers.
On that side were to be found every proml-
nent man and almost every respectable man,
and in all the discussions OF the canvass
fand thew were very numerou>) the argyll
meut, the facts, and the eloquence were
nh on the same side. And yet the election
went for the Regulators. This result was
due to the fact that the negroes, with few
trif,ue local exceptions, led by corrupt
white men. went "solid" for reputation
White men who knew they could never Sc
cure office at the hands OF respectable peo-
ple OF their own race determined to seek il
at the hands of the negroes by appeals to
their prejudiceS, passions, and seihshness,
and they succeeded. That is the whole
story.
In view of these facts it is uniust-it is
cruel-to say, as does the New York Times
that the result of the late election "shoWs
the sense as we'll as the morality OF the
State to be at a low ebb." The sensible,
moral people of the State, who constitute
the great majority OF the whites, abhor re-
quotation. They fought il in the late con-
test with all their strength, and to the bit
ter end. They bore aloft the banner OIL
honor and honesty on every field, and il
went down at last under the dusky host
and their INSCRIPTIONS, office-seeking lead
ers, without single stain on its fold. The
people OF Virginia-the great body OF the
whites, at least-instead OF taunts and
sneers, merit sympathy, praise, and honor.
DeDiorable as is the result OF the recent
election here, it does not furnish occasion
for so much concern as the threat It makes
for the future. During the late canvass
several Regulators gave utterauce to COM
munistic and agrarian sentiments IN ten
tatiYe way. Having found these doctrines,
so far as they were expressed, acceptable
to their colored auditors, they Will not scru'
ple hereafter, when it suits their purposes,
to declare these doctrines boldly, and the
time NAV not be distant when communism
and ag-ariauism sbail sweep away every
yestice OF Justice, law, and liberty. Should
this calamity befall US the guilt will not at
tach to the great body of the white people
OF the State; nor will it rest alone on those
who NAV be the immediate instruments In
infiicting the evil, but, like the shame of the
late election, no small portion Of 1t will be-
long to the party OF which the New York
Times Is an accredited representative, and
which forced upon US the adoption OF negro
suffrage. A. BRoADpUs.
caroline county,. Va, November 10, 1873