The Sun.
London, England, 1868-09-15 00:00:00

PROGRESS OF ELECTIONS.

(From the Anglo-American Times.)

We expect to hear as we write of the result of the
election in California. When the mail left, the Re-
publican victory in Vermont had not taken place,
but as Vermont was an acknowledged Republican
stronghold little interest was excited, except in a
faint way, as to the number of the majority. The
currents of opinion most clearly seen are on the sur-
face, and do not indicate as much as their appear-
ance might lead one to suppose. Since the Tammany
platform and ticket the present is the third phase.
At first the Republicans spoke of the Demo-
cratic chances with pity and contempt. They re-
garded the nominations as a mere empty honour,
and this feeling was at the time pretty general with
the Democrats themselves. The ratification meet-
ing produced an enthusiasm, and the currente-began
to move swiftly (at least on the surface) in Demo-
cratic favour. In a few weeks the party was raised
from its despondency, and became confident of vic-
tory, and the Republicans were driven from con-
tempt into alarm, and from the apathy with which
they had hitherto looked on in the complacence of
overwhelming strength into strenuous exertion to hold
their ground. The news this week makes it more
than ever difficult to predict, for it is clear that the
Republicans have stemmed the Democratic cur-
rent, and even they allow only in the nick of time.
If the Conservatives are to be believed their chief
means of doing this has been by putting speeches
into the mouths of leading Southerners which
they repudiate. The Tribune, the Times, and
the herald are all accused of these forgeries,
published with the intention of creating an
impression in the North that the old leaders of
the rebellion desire to renew the civil war, and in-
sist now as much as ever in ruling their States, and
wallopping their niggers. The Hon. Howell Cobb
denies the truth of the Tribune's report of his speech,
asserting that his words of hope and peace have
been distorted into war and revolution ; and this
complaint has been so general, its effects so striking,
that it, probably led to the gathering of Southerners
at the White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, where
a conference was lately held between Gen. Rosecrans,
the newly-appointed Minister to Mexico, and Secre-
tary of thelnterior Browning as Government officers,
and Generals Lie, Beauregard, Longstreet, Ewell,
and Echols, Hon. Alexander H. Stephens, Hon.
A. H. H. Stuart, Hon. John B. Baldwin, Governor
Stockdale, Governor Pickens, and others on the
part of the South. Rosecrans is known to have
bad long interviews with Mr. Seward, and public
curiosity, which is excited towards the conference
at the White Sulphur Springs, connected these in-
terviews with the meeting, while the fact was that
Rosecrans was merely receiving the elaborate in-
structions the Secretary of State desired to give as to
his conduct in Mexico. Gen. Lee has steadily refused
to take any part in whatever has even the semblance
of a political interview. The meeting was followed
by an address to the people of the United States,
signed by Generals Lee, Beauregard, and Echols,
Lion. A. 11. Stevens, lion. A. H. 11. Stuart, Hon.
L. E. Harris, Governor Letcher, Governor Pickens,
Judge W. J. Robertson, and many other leading
men. This acidmna wao avid fully and freely to
accept on the part of the South their defeat iu
arms, of which the result was recognized in the
abolition of slavery and negro suffrage. In the
name of the Southerners they guaranteed these
privileges to the negroes, adding that they had
a common interest with them, while both their
humanity and selfishness prompted to kind-
ness. At the same time they protested against
concentrating political power exclusively in the
negroes, who were not yet prepared to govern, and
the exercise of such functions would check the
spirit of reconciliation, opening the way to a cala-
mitous hostility likely to end in the extermination
of the Freedmen. They desired only the rights
of the people under the Constitution and the
Union, of which in the whole Republic there
were no more thorough friends. The statement
that they desired to revive the civil war was a
malicious invention, for far more than to the North
was peace necessary to the shattered South. This
address, embodying sentiments generally accept-
able to the citizens throughout the Republic, was
immediately announced to be itself a forgery.
General Rosecrans returned to Washington ou
the 28th August, and while admitting his in-
terviews with the Southern leaders, and that
the address substantially embodied the sentiments
they expressed, he asserted that no such address
was drawn up by them. At the same time he stated
that he might himself publish an account of what
he gathered from these representative Southerners.
The electioneering interest at present centres
strongly in Maine, where the best speakers of both
parties have been on the " stump," including Judge
Kelly of Pennsylvania and Senator Wilson for the
Republicans, and Mr. Pendleton, of Ohio, for the
Democrats. The speech of the latter gentleman at
Bangor was remarkable for a change of tone, which
has been hailed with satisfaction in the United
States. The following is his language about Grant
and Colfax :

"I shall speak with no partisan bitterness. Not accus-
tomed myself to yield anything to harsh words, I seek
not to apply them to others. Confident in the purity of
my motives and the sincerity of my convictions, I am
ready to admit the same integrity of purpose in all my fel-
low-citizens. I shall not disparage the ability or character
of our opponents. I would not if 1 could pluck ono loaf
from the laurels of General Grant. Whatever may be his
ability as a soldier he has stood the test of success, and
so far as I have known he has borne himself with
moderation and magnanimity in his high office. I
have known Mr. Colfax well for many years. I have
seen him iu possession of great power. He is an amiable
and estimable gentleman, and would perform with dignity
the duties of the high office to which ho aspires. I have
had pleasant associations with the members of Congress
from your State, and 'remember with satisfaction that we
passed through ii.any years of service in that body, inter-
changing the courtesies which soften the asperities of
political excitement. Indeed, gentlemen, my observation
of such has led me to expect the most erroneous opinions
coupled with the purest motives and the most destruc-
tive policy, associated with the loftiest aspiration for the
public good."
At the same place Senator Wilson delivered a
speech on the 27th, which lasted for hours. He
dwelt on the fact that the Democrats are directing
their efforts to the re. establishment of the Southern
Confederacy, citing the words which the leading
Southerns declare they never uttered. The address
did not contain an allusion to the finances of the
country. Mr. Pendleton spoke at Hartford
on his way home. General Grant is still at the
West doing nothing to forward his election,
but wisely holding his peace. He is announced
to be more than ever dististed with speech-mak-
ing. Frank Blair is " stumping" the South, and
spoke at Montgomery, AlAbatna, on the 20th ult.
General E. M. Lee, of Connecticut, will stump
Indiana until the October election. The lion. E. M.
Stanton has agreed to speak in Michigan for Grant
and Colfax (luring the present campaign. General
A. Logan is announced to speak in Indiana as fol-
lows : —Fort Wayne, Oct. 5 ; Delphi, Oct. 6 ;
Lebanon, Oct. 7 ; Osgood, Oct. 8 ; Mitchell, Oct.
9 ; Wheatland, Davies county, Oct. 10. The
Democrats and the Republicans are now equally