Litchfield enquirer., 1840-11-26
From the ": r. American. .
OUR POLITICAL MACHINERY.

OOR FOLlItCAL MACdtNEht.
 The peaceful workingof our political ma chinery has never been more strikingly and cFeditably illustrated, than in the quiet and ready acquiescence with which the result of the heated and protracted contest for the Presidency is received. But few short days ago, all the passions interests and pre- judces of millions of freemen were in full and opposing play-and fierce, indeed, was the struggle-yet now, when through the eff cient inStrumentality of little bits of printed paper, placed, with due formality, in some little wooden boXes-the decision of the ma ] jurity of these millions is Rscertained, the storm subsidies at once, the hoarSe voice of controversy ceases-and all men bow to the supremacy of the law, which themselves have made and agreed to abide by.
 We confess our pride in pointing to this spectacle, which has in it sornGch moral sublmity-and which goes so far to prove to all doubters, the capacity of man for self ! government.
 | There is another characteristic of the re- cent contest, not less consolatary. ;:s we read 1 it, 10 the friends of republican liberty and 1 republican institutions; we mean the great ] increase of votes. A great deal we know has been said, without being believed, about the influence of British gold, of "layiug pipe," and os!ier mere partisan SolaceS under defeat l but tho real truth we hold to be, that the intense interest excited by this election ! reached every class, and brought to tho polls, m every State, thousands who too commonly neglect the high and sacred obligation of voting; and thus have the aggregate num- bers been every where swelled.
 It will be perceived, on examining most of the returns, that the defeated party have lost the battle, not so much by any dR1inution of their former vote, as by a large accession to ours; and this accession comes, as we be- lieve, for the most part from a class of reti- ring, quiet, orderly citizens, who under or- dlnary circumstances content themselves with minding their own business, and inter- fere not at all with that of the state, or with politics, so long as the state and politics do not interfere with them. We do not justify this neglect-for so we must call it-of a high trust committed to every freeman, not for himself alone, but for the community of which he forms part. On the contrary we condemn it utterly; but it is nevertheless q fact that such class does exist, and the con- solation we draw from it is, that although indifferent generally to political contests, there arc occasions and abuses which will draw them from their neutrality, and enlist them warmly in the defence of the institu- tions, liberty, or prosperity of their country, when these are seriously nenaced.
 It is on this hypothesis we account for the greatly increased vote every where; and since all cannot be prevailed upon at all times to exercise their political franchise, it is, we repeat, not without consolation to re- fleet, that this reserve corps may ut least be always relied upon to make stand, at an emergency, for Right and Liberty.
 u Words Fuly Spoken-There is Q high souled love of country gushing out in the fol- lowing beautiful and eloquent article, which we copy from the Louisville Journal.
 The ConRict and the 1riumph.-The great battle has been fought; the victory is won.- The Constitution, so long desc crated by the traltorous partisan, is resuming it's early glo- ry the true-souled patriot will again be- hold the fire of Liberty blazing on her rein- stated altars; the torch of freedom, re.kin. died by the Wings of eighteen hundred and forty, will again flash over our great and glorious Union; morality will agnin behold her shattered temple rearing its pillars in all their pristine splcndor; and the country, at the trumpet blast of her deliverers, will arise from the tomb of commercial, agricultural, and financial desolation. '7'
 The, struggle has been desperate one, fof it was between the betrayer and the be,ray. ed. We struggled for political existence; the God of justice, the same Providence thai gave victory to our fathers on the hallowed battle-ields of the Revolution, has vouch. safed his protection to us and crowned our exertions with triumph; and never was vic. tory more decisive, heart. cheering and bril- liant Gained without the pomp of arms, unheralded by the stormy voice of war. 1t is full! If moral grandeur and deathlcss subiim. ity. Two gred: parties, one led on by the giant of corruption--the demon of agrarian- ism, the other the sworn enemy of all mis- rule, have met; how the battle has gone, let the sons of New England, the West and South, answer. We hear their thrilling reply; we hear it's mighty tones sweeping. like thun. derblasts, from the rock ofPlymouth; the palm groves of the South; we look at our beloved country, and, no longer whispering in deep unmitigated sorrow-
 "Shrne of the mighty, can it bo
 That this is all remains of thee 2''
 we can exultingly exclaim--
 "Clme fthe unforgo,ten brave! .. ..s Thou art from plain 10 mountain cave,
 Stall, Freedoms home or Gory's grave 7"
 We expected victory, it is true we knew that the iron chain was trembling on the country's limbs, but we were unprepured for triumph so complete, so glorious. We knew that the people were aroused; but we dared not suffer ourselves to believe that the storm breath of their indignation would be so tremendous in its effects. We saw tho the ominous rattling of the newborn hurri- cane; but who expected that the bolt would so completely shiver the mountain oak of power! No one The people were uncon- scious of their might, yet is effect has not been the less tremendous. They have spo- ken, and the spoilers are crushed. The for cigner, aware of the vast funds at the dispo.