The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-10-30
POLITICAL.
HOW IT WAS DONE IN INDIANA.
COLUMBUS, ND, Oct. 20, 1856

COLUMBUS, md, Oct. 20, 1856.
To the Editor Of the National Era:
The election for State officers is over, and We
are beaten at least 5000. Living, as do, in
Geo. G. Dunn's district, it may not be uncalled
for to give some explanation concerning it.
The Coalition State ticket was defeated for three
reasons. The two first have not room to prove
in detail, though l might if it were necessary.
The first cause for the defeat is the systematic I'M
portation from other States. The Black Democ-
racy, instead of spending their money in bar
bacues," &C., boarded it for importation pur-
poses. The second cause land the most dis.
couraging of ally lie, that many individuals
were bought over by bribery. l know Of eight
individuals within this little town who turned
within day or two before the election, and the
same system was pursued throughout our coun-
ty, with similar success. You must understand
that in this part of Indiana we are cursed with
the low white trash that the slave States vom-
tied into the free-things with human forms,
but not the first spark of manhood, intellect, or
conscience, or anything that makes a man.
The third cause of the defeat of the Coalition
State ticket is the faithlessness of the Fillmore
men. two-thirds of whom voted for Willard.
| When this Coalition ticket was formed in May
last, entered my public protest against it at
the Convention. But so anxious were the poll
ticians to secure a majority, and so faithess
were they to the Anti-Slavery cause, that they
sacrificed the whole AntiSlavery creed for a
! few Fillmore votes. The Hon. Geo. W. Julian
and few other Anti-Slavery men, whose future
is not bounded by the next Presidential term, op-
posed this Infamous coalition, and said that the
best thing the true Anti-Slavery men could do
was to defeat it. For this, every true Auti-Sla-
very man was hunted down with malgnity, and
no epithet was too severe for these disorgan-
/ f i Il
| Philadelphia Platform, the candidates for State
offers abandoned the May Platform, and preach
ed the doctrines of the National Republican
party, except aohere 1t ,cas most needed in the
southern part of the State. The Anti-Slavery
men then supported the ticket, not because they
liked it, but as means of electing Fremont.
All this accounts for the different result in this
State from that of Maine, Iowa, and Ohio.
Now for the mOdus operdndi: In the first
place, both the Buchanan and the Fillmore par
ties strained every nerve to manufacture Pro-
Slavery sentiment, while the Republicans re-
fused to send Cassius M. Clay, or Buringame,
or Julian, to the southern part of the State,
for fear of offending their enemies, the Fillmore
men. The result was, that the Pro5Slayery sen,
of the people into the support of Willard.
In this county, bartholomew the Republi-
|
myself, we fought the Fillmore sentiment from
the beginning; and the result is, that he will not
get fifty votes, while in every adjoining county,
| he will receive four times that number, unless
| it should be given to Buchanan direct. 1t is
true, that owing to sudden increase of over
| three hundred voters, we were beaten four hun.
dred and fifty. but we cast as many votes for
O. p. Morton U,4l0) as we cast for the State
ticket in 1854, when we were only beaten one
hundred and twenty. In 1854, Know N othingism
was in full blast, but in 1856 the battle in this
county was fought, in my paper and on the
stump, square upon the Republican Platform.
We have not yielded an inch, We have not lost
a vote; and had the same warfare been pursued
throughout the State, we would have gained
more largely in the north, and lost nothing in
the SOUTH and gained triumph over both Pro
Slavery factions. Owing to the praiseworthy
endeavor of the Cincinnati Commercial, this
course was pursued in Ohio. and resulted in sue
cess. This is my explanation Of our defeat in
Indiana.
One word to the Anti-Slavery men! You
must take charge of your own principles in fu
ture. You must not allow mere politicians by
trade to lead you in our holy warfare against
Slavery. Unless you are active at once, you
will be beaten again and again. Let Us learr
by experience. / have still hopes of carrying
this State for Fremont but / scorn to appea
to Anti-Slavery men upon that ground. 1t is
our duty to labor and to vote, and that duty we
will conscentiously discharge. A vote cast in g
minority is not lost. IF we cast a strong minor
ity vote, it will keep the Pro-Siavery party il
check, even if it should prolong its power. Anti
Slavery men we know not defeat, for if Goo
be Just, final victory awaits us.
Yours, in the faith,
JOHN T. MYERS,
| Editor of the Columbus TafIeDendenf