The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-12-09
MGR l5h- 700

The returns of 1892 for New York, Michi-
gan, Illinois, Iowa, California, and Virginia,
are estimated the rest are official
Not a single vote was gwen for Liberty in
1874, in slave State. This year, Anti-Slavery
electoral tickets were got upin five slave States.
The organizations were imperfect, thsu4otes
small but a beginning has been mal
Ohio is the banner State, il we ar67S6 take
the Presidential vote as the but the Free
Democracy Of Massachusetts is really stronger,
! for few days after the Presidential election it
cast about thirty-six thousand votes for it's gu
bernatorial candidate.
| The Journal Of Commerce, and other papers
Of that stamp, compare the Free Democratic
vote of 1852 with the Free Soil vote of l848,
when MIR. Van Buren, received 29l ,67S The
comparison is unfair. That vote VIGOROUSLY
was not clear Anti.Slavery vote. A very
large proportion of it was composed Of seceders
from the Democratic party-some, on the
ground Of principle, some, from personal mo-
tlves; comparatively few comprehended the
true nature of the Anti-Slavery movement
Two-ffths of alIthe votes were in fact given by
the anti-Cass men of the State of New York
and the majority of these subsequently re.
united with their old associates. The true
comparison, therefore, is between 1852 and
1914 and this shows and increase Of $4,000.
After the contest of 1874, the Anti-Slavery
men relaxed their efforts and their organiza
ton generally was enfeebled. The excitement,
of the campaign OF lS4s aroused them, ant
their organization was merged in the irregular
movement of lS4s That movement though i
increased their political power, and gave
more practical direction to their efforts, embar
raised them in some of the States, by entan
Cling them with one of the old parties. Ii
Wisconsin, Vermont and New York, they wer
merged i'll the Democratic Party, and in thi
way prevented from acting Independently will
the vigor which might otherwise have charac
terized their movements. The retrograde polio
OF the Radical Democrats or Barnburners, s
called, embarrassed in fact the whole organiza
ton, and it was not till the year preceding tn
late election, that the political Ant-Slaver
men, or the Free Democracy, began in earnes
the work of u separate National organization
The result showed their sagacty The oil
parties basely passed under the yoke of Slavery
but the Free Democracy stood, erect and indie
pendent The fact that, in so short time, the
were able to disentangle themselves from al
connection with them, and, after short can
yass, cast over one hundred and fifty thousan
votes for Freedman increase of ninety-tw
thousand over the vote of lS4l-is evidenc
that they embody the elements of power an
progress
They may calculate now ON at least an equa
ratio of increase. The reasons for their OF
ganization certainly have not ceased to exist
and there is every prospect that they will dc
rive additional strength from the policy of tn
new Administration, and the probable event
of the next four years They are no longe
embarrassed by entanglements with men VIII
never fully entered into their feelings or pun
poses. They have not the work of organizs
ton to commence all they have to do is I
extend and complete it, In the great State
of the North generally they hold, beyond a
doubt, the balance of power. Their presse
are active, bold, and resolute, agreeing gene
rally in purpose and policy. One of the oil
parties is PROSTATE its illustrious leaders ar
in the grave; its overthrow has placed the tw
factions which have hitherto composed it, i
apparently irreooncilable hostility with eac
other There is no prospect that it can eve
make head again under the liberal auspice
WHICH have deluded many Anti Slavery me
with the notion that il might be made an efi
cient instrumentality against the Slave Power
il rallied at all, il will be under the lead of
Conservatism, pledged to acquesce in ever