Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1854-10-18
THE RECENT ELECTION.

| HS f-oCthoSo Hlieo Win long
windy, and labored articles, attempting to ac
count for their recent unparalleled defeat
| They attribute it almost unanimously to the
I+sKnow-N 9th ings," now as eveI attempting tc
disguise and conceal the real issues invofy ed
in the contest. 1t is perhaps true that the
''know-N othings," as they are called, voted
for Judge Pollock, yet it is equally true
as is shown by the vote. of Mr.. BEARD, that
of themselves it would have been impossible
to elect him.
There were many and various considerations
to influence those who cast their votes forJudge
Pollock, prominent among which was the
design to rebuke the National Admin stration
| not only for its wanton and unholy violation OF
a sacred covenant between sister States, by
which the source ofthe bitterest sectional agi-
tatien that ever has or will disturb the harm o.
ny of our republic, was re-opened, but also for
its utter imbecility and corruption, and its
trucking to sectarian bigotry and intolerance,
as manifested by the appointment of McKeon,
Campbell, and consuls and ministers ad fatfnf-
fum. In addition to this, there was the desire
| to decrease the public debt, and diminish the
burthen of taxation by procuring the sale of
the Public Works, and introducing into the
Government a more economical management
of the State finances. ~. .'fhit
The large increase the public debt under
Gov. Bigler's administration and the fact. more
apparant now than ever, that the Public Works
are annually sinking thousands upon thous
ands of dollars, justly alarmed the taxpayers
of the Commonwealth, and reused them to a
sense of their own interests. To these may
also be added the strong determination. mani
tested by all portions of our people to utter a
distinct and positive declaration of hostility to
a division of the Common School Fund for
sectarian purposes. - Al'
But still stronger than all these was the deep
rooted American sentiment that pervades the
hearts of our people, and which will ever speak
IN thunder tones against any party that bids
for sectarian and foreign vote The issue
was most distinctly made by the Democratic
party themselves. They boldly charged the
Wings with being in alliance with a ssseeret,
oath-bound society" whose object was a gross
invasion OF the constitutional privileges of a
certain sect or class. They charged them
with attempting to disfranchise naturalized
-cessity or reason. They raised this hue and cry
for the express purpose of concealing the real
and vital issues involved, and of securing for
their candidates the support TO be derived from
this degrading appeal TO prejudice and bigot-
ry,-to the 'sbaser passions of the heart, to
the superstition &c, engendered in the
minds of the ignorant, the weak, and the tim
i'd" Having thus rested their cause upon
this issue, and this issue alone, it had the eff
feet to array the members of particular sect
and the adopted citizens, against the Ameri-
cans at the polls, and to engender feeling of
resistance which otherwise would never have
existed, or at least would only have existed
to limited extent. -. l,fa sg sl.aE5EB
The defeat of the Lofoco party, then, upon
this issue, clearly demonstrates that any at
tempt to introduce a foreign element, as such,
into the party politics of this country will
ever be met with the stern, unyielding, and
unanimous opposition of native born Ameri.
cans. While we are perfectly willing to give
to foreigners all the civil and religious rights
guaranteed to them by our Constitution and
laws, we are yet Jealous of our American in
stitutions, and can never consent to place
adopted citizens in improper relations to the
government, be their prejudices and opinions
what they may. The result of the late election
demonstrates. the belief of large majority of
our people in the sentiment, that ssAmericans |
born, should rule America a-~i ~ eEHt
But it is oyer--the contest is decided, the |
people have again asserted their sovereignty |
over their servants, through the balIot-box, by |
their American sentiments |
and the great conservative principles of their |
government. There is, indeed, somthing tru-
ly grand and imposing in whole people ex-
ercising the right of suffrage; and the minority |
bowling without murmur to the will of the |
The shadow of our glorious Repub-
lie looms large over the earth. 1t has sprung
from the mighty forests of the New World, as
the warrior goddess of antiquity sprung armed |
from the earth, to throw a gloom over erum-
bling dynasties, and in the evening of their
day, TO point to the sun-rising of a glorious to-
morrow.