The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-11-29
THE RESULT IN WISCONSIN, AND THE
CAUSES

1t is not yet exactly known whether the Ad-
ministration or Republican candidate for the
| Office of Governor has succeeded in Wiscon-
SIN, although the chances appear to be in favor
OF the latter. The Republicans, too, probably
have small ajority in the Legislature. They
ought to have won more decided triumph.
We copy from the Milwaukee Free Democrat
the following article on the election and its re-
suits:
But the greatest misfortune of our cause,
| this fall, was the neglect Of the Republicans to
vote. The editor of the Monroe Sentinel as
sures us that not more than tuothirds of the
| Republican vote Of Green county were polled.
"A similar indifference prevailed in Racine, in
Fond du Luc, In Grant, and, in fact, through.
| out large portion Of the State. And this grew
out OF two facts-the benumbing influence of
Know Nothngisn, aad the lack of man at
the head of our ticket to call out the Free Soil
clement. The Anti-Slavery feeling of the State
was not met, nor satisfied, by the nomination
OF the Republican Convention. The canvass
was fought merely on the issue of dollars and
cents, and the great question, to which alone
the hearts of the people respond, was compare
lively thrown into the shade. Had Holton been
the nominee, the rallying cry would have been
|
Barstow, and Slavery, and the result would
have been an overwhelming victory for the Re
| publican ticket. Gov. Barstow himself admits,
| that had the issue been made on the Nebraska
| bill, instead of on the school land and lunatic
asylum swindle, he would have been beaten out
of sight. Not that Mr.. Bashlord would not act
right on the Slavery question. But he had not
been identified, III the public mind, with the
Anti-Slavery movement, and was not knOacn to
the people as an earnest, out-spoken, stern, and
uncomprcmisng opponent Of Slavery. He had
not, in any way, so signalized himself. by speech
or act, as to make him prominent representa-
tive OF the Anti-Savery cause; and hence it
was impossible to rouse up the enthusiasm of
the people in his behalf. When Cole and Craw-
ford divided the SURFACES of the people, the
contest was distinctly on the Slavery question /;
and the issue was, shall the law of Slavery or
the law of Freedom prevail in Wisconsin? And
upon this issue the people rallied with will
that bore down all opposition. They felt that
| vital principle, on the maintenance Of which
their liberties depended, was at stake, and they
acted as men inspired with devotion TO Free
dom only can. And though all the Democratic
presses, two Republican presses and half the
prominent RepUb' can lawyers of the State,
came out for Crawford, yet Cole was elected by
between 1000 and 5000 majority. And had
the issue been made, this fall, as it should have
been, and the people been reused by thor
ough canvass, as they should have been, we
might have had 10000 majority.
"Theu, again, g part of the opposition to
Barstow was purely personal. 1t was Demo
cratic quarrel, in which the people took little
interest. 1t was fight between two factions
Of old Hunkerism, and, had Barstow been de-
feated in Convention, the Madison Patriot,
Waukesha Democrat, |. p. Walker, and all that
class Of Democrats, would have opposed the Re
publican ticket, and sustained the rascafties of
the Pierce Administration as heartily as they
opposed Barstow. AS it is, if our whole ticket
is not defeated, the head of it is saved only by
the skin of his teeth The Republican party
has had good lesson set them, but whether it
will profit by it, remains to be SEEM"