The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-03-16
Tho Situation.


hereafter have no reason for hoping 20 ue'
tach General MAHoSg from bis eoIsreu io''
,owers IN virginia. The Petersburg Con-
vsn,;op Of Monday was eniivened and en-.
conraeed by a telegram from washington
.nnopoc,ng that he had voted with the Re-
nublicans. A majority--a large majority,
we suppose--of the negroes In attendance
uooa that Convention openly and exult-
incly ayowed 1t to be their purpose TO act
with the ReSd,ustcrs In The State elections,
and because Of their confidence IN 1encra'
MALONE. But so far as We have read Tue
reports Of their proceedings, there was not
one word said by any member on the SUP
lee, Of the public debt OF Virginia. Inc
pre,ence that the negroes care one straw as
10 how that debt is seitled-whether Dy re-
pudIation or by paying 1t in full--might as
well not be set up hereafter. IL IS not DE-
cause they feel any interest IN that subject
that they propose TO act with the Read
busters. but because they hope TO be recog-
nized az entitled to control all the countie'
in virginia In which they constitute ma
,ori,y OF the voters, and also to have share
ON equal terms with the whites In all the
State Offices, and to have their race largely
represented in the Legislature. These de-
signs will DO doubt be more fully developed
when the campaign opens.
What the Republicans expect from the
R.gdjusters is candidiy avowed in the
Washington Republican Of Monday In the
following words
"Hc General Mahone] Is the leader In
Virginia Of certainly over thirty thousand
independent white voters OF Democratic an
tecedents. Besides these thirty thousand
are many others who voted Tor straight he.
publican electors In November, but who did
so hoping thereby to defeat Barnum's ticket.
He is also the leader Of the great body OF
co.ored voters in State contests. These two
elements can control the election in Viz
GINA this year and choose a United States
senator. They can, In 1882, elect seven out
OF nine representatives in Congress. In
1884 they will have come abreast with each
other on national interests, and the SOLID
South will be broken"
THAT'S the idea. Gradually our Demo-
cratic friends who have strayed of into the
Rtsd]uster party will become Republicans.
That is the expectation. Not all at once.
Not this year. This year they Will separate
from Us on State issues. But sin 1884 they
will have come abreast with each other on
nationa! interests, and The solid South ,ciH
be broken"
The vote in Virginia last year indicated
clearly that the white people OF this State
are not Republicans, and could not be in
duced 10 contribute to the success OF the
Republican party by voting for third
ticket. The same fact will again be made
manifest next November, we believe. The
people OF Virginia will not follow General
MALONE even into a temporary alliance with
the Republican party. His claim that he is
an independent" and will vote as he
pleases. will be understood as a claim that he
has the right to vote with the Republican
party. For he must needs vote with the
one party or the other; and as no one ever
doubted his right to vote with the Demo.
Gratis, it necessarily follows that the claim
IN question is nothing more nor less than
the assertion that he has the right to vote
with the Republican party.
What General MALONE said on Monday as
to his election TO the United States Senate is
literally true, Except as to his being elected
by the people, and this statement was not
very far out Of the way, we suspect0 The
question was asked in the Legislature while
he was before that body as a candidate for
the United States Senate whether he was
Democrat or Republican, and his
supporters refused to answer it. So
that although he was then Democrat.
or Conservative, and although he after
wards supported General HANCOCK for
President, yet he has the right TO claim that
he was not elected asa Democrat. We made
this very point last year in defence of the
conduct Of those Funders who were willing
to vote for General WICKHAM In order to
secure the defeat Of General MALONE We
claimed for them that in preferrinc WICK
HAM to MALONE they did not prefer a man
who was pledged to vote with the Democrats
over one who was pledged to vote with the
Republicans.
Those Debt-Payers amongst the regular
Democrats who were surprised at the action
OF their State Central Committee at its re-
cent meeting will now he able TO understand
the situation better. 1t has not yet been
made perfectly clear what the issues are 10
be in the gubernatorial election of this year
but enough has been done by our opponents
to make il manifest that The debt question is
controlling consideration only with the
white Readiusters. The negroes have
entirely different objects IN view. These
will be developed in due time. Meanwhile,
let Us await these developments with conf
dence in the strength Of the regular Demo.
cratic party.