Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-11-02
eastern Timts,
BATH. NOVEMBER 2, 1854.
State Election Results.

q, that # could bear defeat as well as victory
The reverses in Indiana, Ohio and Pcnnsyl-
vania. seem to afford the enemies Of the de-
the party having been annihilated-as having
been put by the people so low as to be beyond
the reach of recovery. A greater mistake
was never made. The democratic party has
suffered too many overwhelming defeats and
recovered from them too, to allow of discour-
agement now. These reverses have an in
ygerating influence, that will be felt ere long
by the combined opposition in their certain
overthrow Containing within themselves
the seeds of their own dissolution, the party
of odds, ends and isms now endeavoring to
wear the title Of republican" will soon wake
up to the fact Of falling off in their numbers
and the certain triumph of democratic princi-
pies and measures, as often before, over all
opposition.
The Washington Union, in a capital article
on the rationale of the late election results,
remarks as follows =
g In looking to the contests in Indiana, Ohio
and Pennsylvania, it will be readily conceded
that the issue in each was between the regu-
lar democratic organization, single and unald-
ed on one side, and combination of wings,
abolitonists, know-nothings, and democrats,
who refused to abide by the regular nomlna-
tons on the other side.e This combination
constituted a compact body Of opposition which
was strong enough to overpower and defeat
the regular democratic organizations. Wings,
abolitionists, and know-nothings proper, are
the natural antagonists of democracy and al
though the principles of their respective or
CARNATIONS are apparently dissimllar, and in
some respects antagonlstlc, yet they were all
actuated by a common sentiment of hostility
to the democratic party, and all inclined, by
the strong desire for the spoils of victory, to
harmonic and coalesce in opposition 10 their
common enemy 1t is the mission of democ-
racy to maintain an eternal warfare with
these factions, whether they assail the vital
principles on which our institutions rest in
single file or in solid combination. The
creeds on which their respective organizations
stand are mere expedients, adapting them
selves to the popular passions and prejudices
Of the hour. Their strength depends in every
struggle upon the number of recruits they are
able to seduce from the democratic ranks, and
then upon their success in harmonzing and
fusing their respective forces and marshalling
their united opposition for the contest.
The only thing new in the late conflicts is
in the manner of marshalling their forces, and
not in the principles for which they fought
Heretofore the wings were the larger body of
the opposition, and on that account the minor
elements were attracted to them, and under
the banner Of whiggery all the combined fac
tions made battle. The triumphs thus achieved
were wing triumphs, and they were so pro-
claimed, Notwithstanding the effective aid fur
nlshed by their factious allies. In the late
struggle whiggery occupied a background
and subordinate position. There was nothing
IN 1t TO inspire the masses with enthusiasm
Its great leaders, whose potential voices had
often rallied their devoted followers to the
banner Of whiggery, were gathered home to
their fathers 1t was a trunk without head
and without a heart; it was fit only to be used
as an instrument in the hands of other factions
whose creeds appealed, like those of the abo-
hhonlsts and know-nothlngs, to popular pref
udices and passions. These were, beyond
controversy, the active, efficient, and life-giv-
ing elements in the election. Whatever of
honor attaches to the victories won by such a
coalition, belongs of right to them. Whig-
without the enthusiasm and energy of its more
powerful allies, it would have been doomed to
disaster.
But the combination of whggery, abolition
ism and know-nothlngism, without the aid
which is derived from disaffected or deluded
democrats, would have failed to triumph over
the united democracy. The prominent cause
of our defeat is, therefore, traceable to fail
ure of democrats to adhere with fidelity to the
regular organizations of the party. This is
defect in our party which usually manitests
itself after one Of those glorious achievements
which the democracy can always win when
its forces are united and animated with de-
termination to succeed. The defections which
follow such triumphs have marked the entire
history of the past. 1t would be easy TO enum-
crate a long list of wing leaders who were
once active and clamorous democrats, but who
sloughed off from their party because Of their
failure to secure the high positions to which
they aspired. Such renegades seek always to
weaken the bonds of the democratic organiza-
ton by insidiously assailing its system of nom
nations, and inculcate sentiments of infdelity
to the established usages of the party. which
are not discovered and appreciated by true men
until the effects are developed by the results
of the elections. The history of the past as
well as the developments of the recent cleo
tons suggest Enthusiastically the first duty Of
all true democrats. That duty calls for the
prompt and fearless denunciation Of those
traitors who have deliberately sought to I'M
dermine the strength and permanence Of our
party organization. Such elections as we
have just had are sure to expose to detection
those who have been treacherous and when
ever or wherever discovered, they should at
once be consigned to their true position in
the ranks of our common enemy.
But whilst we can readily discern in the
late contests the evidences of the malign infu-
ence of treacherous friends upon the strength
of our party organization, we can also discoy
er that the character of the appeals made to
popular prejudices was well calculated to mis-
lead and seduce many democrats who are now
as much devoted to democratic principles as
formerly. The popular mind is known to be
peculiarly sensitive on the subject of slavery
and of foreign Influence, and especially foreign
Catholic influence, upon our institutions
These are well known TO have been the chief
elements in giving strength and success to the
opposition in the late elections When it is
remembered that the late canvass was marked
BY an infusion into it Of an unprecedented
amount of religious feeling, excited and insti-
gated in too many instances by appeals from
those to whose religious teachings the people
listen with confidence, it is not SO wonderful
that many democrats have been hurried by
their prejudices and passions into an associa-
ton, which, when calmly viewed, they will