Year: 1867

Thc VIRGINIA EIcctiou-Pregrcss and Pros.
~ pscss 81 sesthern Recssstracsion.


The additional returns which we publish this
morning Of the Virginia reconstruction cleo
ton will be found very interesting to tho poll
tcians. The election involved, first, the ques-
ton OF convention or no convention for .
reorganization Of the State in pursuance Of the
terms Of Congress secondly. the election Of
delegates to the convention. II the convention
is voted down the delegates elected will re-
main at home, and the convention issue will
have to be tried again in another election. On
the registration books tho whites have ma
jority in the State OF some thirteen thousand
against the blacks ; and as the whites appear
to be, except . very small fraction, gathered
into the conservative party. while the blacks
are almost en- masss radicals, and with q few
scattering.whites make up the radical party,
the conservatives were encouraged to make
square fight for the possession OF the State.
Encouraged further by the late Northern cleo
tions, they have evidently undertaken to vote
down convention, under the impression that,
with little longer delay, Northern reaction
will upset the whole radical Congressional
programme Of reconstruction and bring about
easier conditions to the unreconstructed States.
If the Virginia conservatives, then, have de-
feated the convention, they have gained this
delay.


Assuming, however, that convention has
been ordered, we may further assume that it
will be composed Of such materials as will
make State constitution acceptable to the
present radical Congress, and that the same
order Of things will prevail from Virginia to
Texas. What thenf We shall have then, no
doubt some negro Representa- and Sena-
tors sent up to Congress, and universal negro
suffrage established in every State from the
Potomac to the Mexican frontier. But will
this settle this negro suffrage question
We think not Mr.. Chase proposes
to enforce the universal negro suffrage test
upon the South, but to let the subject drop for
the present in the North, considering the warn
ing voice OF the late Ohio election. But this
will never do. In the very creation Of .
Southern negro balance of political power in
our national affairs Northern white reaction
"AAA OS A"10ON " 0AuOs ~ SAu, OACO ASsOCup sAiO
reactionary agitation will be kept up until this
Southern negro balance Of power is abolished
in some restrictions upon negro suffrage. If
the North could not stand the ipsolence and
presumption of Southern white balance Of
power, it is not likely that q Southern negr
balance of power will be tolerated. If New
York at last became Disguised with the arro-
gance of the white masters of South Carolina,
the ignorant Carolina negro slaves will hardly
be allowed to take the places of their late
masters. Negro civil and political equality is
one thing. but negro political supremacy in
this country is quite another hing. and thing
which can never be safely attempted North or
South.


From present appearances, under the exist
ing Congressional terms OF reconstruction, not
one Of the outside States will get through the
various processes required in season TO be
admitted to voice in the coming Presidential
election-not one. We may. then, predict that
this question OF universal negro suffrage as a
test Of reconstruction will exercise powerful
influence on the Northern States in the coming
Presidential contest-powerlul enough, per-
haps, against any candidate but General Grant,
to upset the republican party. So that, in any
event. Mr. Chase's grand idea Of universal
Southern negro suffrage will operate to un-
horse him.