The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-07-24
The Color Line.

To-norrow the Lynchburg Convention
will meet. What It will do. nobody knows;
and vet several Of our respected csntem-
noraries OF the State Democratic press have
assumed that the color line will not be
drawn there, nor recognized as having
been drawn here by CAMERON, FARR, ana
BLAIR. This impression has In some way
been made upon papers outside OF Nir-
cinia. The Wheeling InteHigencer (RepuD-
lican) saws:
..There are evidences OF coming back
down on the color question in virginia
The Democrats OF that State are wohuer-
. ing whether they haven't barked up tne
wrong tree. Even the Richmond DlSpd,0',
rs we understand IFS position, 'wlli ieel az
il n had been relieved OF very unpleaS"n,,
task n the Lynchburg Convention shah
decide 10 call Of the blood-hounds.
The I,,telfiqencer is right as to what IL
means. but very far from iustifiable in
using such language to describe the propo-
sition Of which il was speaking.
We have not changed our opinion either
as to The desirability or the probability oil
the recognition by the Lynchburg Conyen-
ton Of the color line as having been drawn
by Governor CAMERON when he appointed
two negroes upon the School Board OF
Richmond, and thus placed the business OF
clec,ing teachers in the hands OF three
white men and two negroes. as was SHOWN
at the very Grst meeting OF that BOARD a'
which any public-school teachers were
electod- we have had but little reason to
fear the Convention will take different
view Of the question from that taken by
lis. In fact, we have felt, as we have said,
that we should lie relieved OF very dis
agreeable duty il the Convention should
decide to say nothing about the negroes
and the schools.
We would not, however, have the dele
gates 10 the Lynchburg Convention accept
what this or any other journal has said, as
indicating that the course last mentioned
is likely TO be pursued by that body. The
divergent views OF the various papers
which have discussed the proposition in
question prove nothing more than that the
delegates to Lynchburg will go there to
hear the subject thoroughly canyassed, and
will then and there make up their minds
rs TO this important matter. We believe
we can say that the twenty-seyen delegates
from this city, where the outrage was per-
petrated which led to the present discus
sion, are practically unanimous in favor OF
declaring ut least that there shall be with
their consent no negro trustees of white
schools. Their position is we'll stated by
the Franklin county Gazette in the fol-
lowing paragraph:
"Probablv the plank that will evoke
most discussion in the Lynchburg Con-
yention will be the one as to the drawing
OF the color line; and this is question OF
vital importance. Down in the eastern
portion Of the State the negroes are greatly
in the majority, while in other parts the
whites predominate. and the question nat !
urally presents itself, Will not the draw
ing Of the color line prOportionately ln-
crease the white Democratic majority as 1t |
djmtnishcs the colored Democratic vote !
OF course, rs to this we can only surmise,
but experience has shown us that there Is
no stability about the politics OF the col
ored voter, but il is pretty safe to put him
down as voting against the Detter CLASS OF
white citizens; so for us, we say let the
line be drawn-the sooner the better"
We say the Richmond delegates are prac-
tically unanimous in looking as the matter
in that light; yet they will 20 to Lynch
burg prepared to acquiesce in such action
as may be resolved upon there, by the cool,
wise heads of the leaders OF the people.
Weexpect the Convention to voice the sem
timents of the people OF Virginia, and we
hold that If it does so 1t will follow the ad-
vice given through this days issue Of the
Dispatch by our Stanton correspondent.
In order TO prepare our friends for what
we suppose to he coming, and at the risk
Of being "sat down upon by the Lynch
burg Convention, we have said what we
have said in this article.