The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-06-22

series OF nrpers under the title OF "studie'
In the South" They are the results OF th'
personal investigations OF northern man
who explains that before the war ne wa.
Gan enthusiastic young AbolitIonist," and
during the war served in the Union army
While he was engaged I'm his late tour OF
observation every few men learned" nc
SAYS, "that was writer or correspondent
for the press. The journey was under
taken" he adds, "with the sole purpose
OF seeing as much as possible OF the south
ern people. OF all classes and both races,
and OF reporting with co0rless accuracy
whatever might observe as 1t appeared 10
me- To this end he travelled everywhere,
was well received everywhere, talked ~
little as possible himself, but was an inter-
ested listener to what all classes OF the
population, black and white, said OF their
own political experiences and treatment.
and sought to obtain from them full and
free utterance OF all their ideas, sentiments,
and desires. In the fifth paper OF the
series. Just published, he sums up the re-
suits OF his observations on the political
situation in the southern States and
the position occupied respectively by the
white and the cOlOrod races. While in
Virginia last year the fight OF the Reid
justers for the control OF the State was
going on. He soon became convinced, by
talking with men OF all parties, that the
State was fully able to pay her debts. and
that the claim that she could not do so
- was merely 4 pretence on the part OF
selfish and INSCRIPTIONS politicians to OBJ
tain power in the state. and the control Of
the offices and the spoils." There was no
oppression Of the cOlOrcd people at that
time. nor any Interference with their
exercise OF the right Of suffrage, aud
he holds that, instead Of encouraging
the Malone faction. northern Republicans
should have sympathized with such men a.
General Wickham and given them, rs a
matter Of consistency, all proper aid and
moral support. Outside Of Virginia he
found very little interest taken in politics
except Oh the part OF politicians and office
seekers. Nor was there among members
OF The more intelligent whites who had
been Wings in former days. or brought up
on Whig traditions. any liking for the
Democratic party. These old Wings
were enlisted, nevertheless, in the Demo
cratic ranks, and voted resolutely the
Democratic ticket, and would con-
tinuc TO do so rs the only altcrna-
tive against a return to the enor-
nous systems OF theft. fraud, and corrup-
ton that iOurishcd in the states which
came under the dominion OK the carpet
Dagger and the negro" They assert that
whilst the white Republican leaders OF the
colorcd voters are. with few exceptions, OF
a class but little il any better than the old
carpct-haegcrS, they cannot afford TO make
a break IN the Democratic ranks, and they
Justify the suppression or elimination Of the
c0iorcd vote on the ground that if the ne
grocs, led by unScnlpuIOus white men,
were once more in the ascendant, "cycry-
thing that makes UP civilized lie, socie-
". and government would be again in
danger Of destruction in many paris OF the
South" They have vivid remembrance
OF what happened after the close OF the
war: How the ncgroe, were greatly cX-
cited and ielt uncertain about the reality
and security OF their new freedom; how
many OF them moved about in troops.
"eXpccting some great dramatic or spec
tacular Intervention OF the Yankees or Of
Providence for their benefit" -; how, while
some went quietly 10 work, Others, in the
absence OF all means OF restraint, and
melted thereto by base white men,
committed i'm some cases horrible
and Undesirable outragcs. "The ne
grocs," SAYS the writer, "acEnoW-
ledge that these accounts given him
by The best people OF the South, care true"
IT was period Of complete Disqualification.
There were no laws, no courts, no officers.
To the appeal made to the Union command
crs i'm the South the reply i'm many cases
wa, 80 Organize yourselves into companies,
try criminals. and punish or cXpei them
..,,,,,tt,ffi.l and xyill lao
tanned by the military and civil authori-
tie, OF the nation" II have scen," adds
thc writer, some OF these letters from
Union commanders, authorizing such ac-
ton on the part Of prominent south
crners." OF the kukuX khan he says
that d" the machinery OF disguise, the
masks. and the silly cmblems" were meant
nj first for GOOD and not for evil; for the
suppression OF crime by PLAYING on the
credulity OF the negro but il dcgenerltcd
into acts Of violence and bloodshcd. Never
thcless. saws the writer, " the story OF these
outrages. a. usually told and believed AZ
the North. abotmds i'm enormous cXaggera-
tons. That outr3gcs were pcrpciratcd j.
generally admitted and never defended.
But everybody says alike and intelligent
negroes most cmphaicaly OF all, that
these outrages as published and the gen.
eral northern idea Of them were cX-
aggcrated and distorted. The carpet
bagger. at that time wrote to The northern
newspapers whatever iictiOns were con-
vcnient or seemed necessary 10 their iu,ti-
fication. and did not scruple to create a
whole literature of faschood for the pur-
pose Of inspiring public sentiment in the
north with increasing hatred OF the south
.i.-.rrffrl
dunn OF the leading New England literary
and political magazine. we IRE getting at
last. after the lapse Of sixteen wears. the
truth about matters concerning which the
southern people were 50 long and 50 per-
sistcntly maligncd. Even in respect to out
RACES alleged to have occurred during the
last few years, the writer We have quoted
found on going 10 the places where the
outrages were said 10 have occurred that
most Of them had taken place many Yeas
before. and that "a single disturbance had
been made the basi, Of three or four scpa-
rate ouirage> located in different States
We have already alluded TO the fact. adj
mit;ed by southern people Themselves, that
in "the black districts" a considerable
portion II the cOlOrcd vote is rcutraiiZed
or in some adroit way got rid OF, and their
justification OF the act on the plea OF neces-
sity. The processes in common Use are
described by the writer. Processes quite
q Illegal are adopted In other states and
with much less justification. ON the Qles-
ton whether the negroes in the black dis
tricts OF the South are capable OF voting
with even the comm0nest degree OF intelli-
gcnce, the writer expresses very decided
opinion. lie says: II we mean anything
which is the voluntary and purposed act OF
q man. with the object OF announcinga de-
cision. choice, or judgment which he has
formed or arrived at, then these negroes
are not able TO vote and DO not
vote They have thc sriglt' TO vote