National Republican., 1883-11-10
Election by Terrorism.

htCfWONu WWU, 4utuiOHt . OT0uH.
Can any honest and intelligent man in
Virginia regard the result of Tuesdays cleo
tion in the state as the expression Of the free
will and froo suffrage of the people? 1t
seems to US utterly impossible that any man
acquainted with the facts, no matter how par
tisan and bigoted he may be, can regard
those results as other than the results of ter
rorism, backed by actual violence at Danville,
South Boston, and elsewhere. Both whites
and blacks, to "a large extent, demoralized
and bulldozed by the "Danvillo Circular"
and more especially by tho Danville
massacre and the widespread spirit
of lawlessness which that enOrmi-
ty developed among bourbons and
funders There was no free ballot. The re-
moval of the poll tax qualification of suffrage
only freed tho ballot nomnally, to have it
subjected to armed force, menaccs, and overt
| acts of bloody intimidation. In fact, to Il
great degree, the ballot only got from under
the poll tax restriction to fall under the con-
dition (backed by the pistol) that it be cast
| for funderism, or not cast at ALL Everybody
| knows this. 1t Is true, indeed, that there
| were men not to be lntmidated and demor-
allied TALL honor to them); but the plain fact
| remains that enough men Of both cOlors were
sufficiently terrified to change the tide, which
set so Enthusiastically toward another grand
victory for liberal readjustment, in favor of Il
| funder victory.
Previous to the Danville massacre tho re-
adjusters were rs confident of victory through
free ballot Us their opponents were despond-
ont in the presence of that ballot. All indi-
cations pointed to bourbon funder defeat
| Tho Danville campaign documents, convicted
of fraud, were either laughed at or indg-
nantly trampled under foot. That trick
was flash in the pan. But desperation had
| in reserve all that violence of which tho Dan
kyille slaughter was ouly u comparatively
slight outburst. If tho Danville affair had
not been enough it would have been re-en-
forced by other and greater deeds of blood. 1t
| was enough and all over this state funders
and bourbons were chucklng previous to the
| legal election of Tuesday that they had al
ready carried the state at Danville on Satur-
day Such seoms to have been the fact. The
fclOnious bullets Mt Danville, and not the free
ballots of all the citizens Of Virginia, decided
tho contest.
Yet temporary and local advantages won
by such means must bring permanent and
widespread retrbution upon tho faction re-
sorting to them and upon tho party which
sustains that faction. Already tho northern
and western elections are responding to the
bourbon fundcr dare. Already the spirit of
discord and sedition Is abroad. Already mems
tcmpers are inHamcd to tho point which
leads to war. A northern gentleman who
passed through this city yesterday, OH his
way from Now York to South Carolina, de-
clarea that the result in New York was
largely attributable to the Danville affair,
and that, upon the publication of the details,
democrats all over that state left the demo-
cratic party like rats deserting sinking ship
and voted with the republicans, So it was
elsewhere, no doubt.
Will our people, on the second sober thought,
indorse the methods of Barbour and of bour-
bon funderism in the late campaign2 There
must come u speedy revulsion against these
methods aud the men who employed them.
The liberal readjustment movement may be
stayed for u season, but IL is a necessity of
our situation, and will succeed. Beaten in
1S60, we rose with renewed strength to accom-
plsh the victories of 1881 and 1852. The
bullet must yield 10 the ballot; the mob
must surrender to the people; violence must
obey the laws or suffer the consequences;
and Virginia, with the whole south as we'll
, must recognize, protect, aud enforce the
equal civil and political rights Of all men.
-
French-AmerIcam Claims Commission.
In tho French and American Claims com
mission tho following awards against til,
, United States were made yesterday, with in
. tercst from July, l, 1864; A. G. De LIse
+ New Orleans, La, 50, 5O0i heirs of P. Bataille
= New Orleans, La, $0l; Joseph Dutant Pla
= quemine, La, $3.50, with interest The fol
l. lowing claims against the United States wer
disallowed A. &, Derivas, Aroyelles, La
g Joseph Levy, Ascension, La; Il, u, Jacol
l. New Orleans La; +. DePhaste, Concordii
La; Arthur Levy Morganza, La,; Josep
" Levy, Napoleanville, La, and Victor Merle
i ChacOala La.