The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-10-23
PENNSYLVANIA ELECTION.
Causes operating in the late Contest Prospects
in November-Fornsy on his knees, praying to
the Old Line Wings for assistance, &C.


Now that the smoke and turmoil of the po-
litical battle fought in Pennsylvania is passing
away, and we can see things in their proper
light, and judge of the future, it behooves us to
show to the country the correct position of affairs
as they really are. In this political fight in
Pennsylvania the contest necessarily raged more
fercely than it would in other States in the
Union. 1t was here that the enemy were ex-
pected to make their heaviest effort in fact
it was their iSebastopol- their only and last
resort from utter humiliation. The battle has
been fought, and if they can make anything
out of it, we wish them JOY on that result. For
our part, we can see nothing in this contest to
discourage the most timid or weak of the Anti
Buchanan men in the country. Far from it. But
we see everything to encourage, strengthen,
and buoy up the opponents of the Cincinnati
Platform. Let us for a moment take a view of
the whole ground, and that in a calm and dis
passionate manner. 1t must be recollected-
and that is what l wish to impress upon the
minds of those who will read this article-in
the first place, it has always been claimed, and
is generally conceded, that Pennsylvania is
and has been Democratic State giving Dem
ocratic majorities from as high as fifty to twenty
thousand for that party. True, in some few
instances the Opposition have carried the State
against the Democracy; but that has always
been done when the Democrats were divided
among themselves. In the late election, this
was not the case-they were perfectly united in
the contest. For the first time since the organ
ization of the Federal Government, the old
Keystone State has been honored with NOM
ination for the Presidency, and the nominee is
one whom they have for the last twenty years
been holding up as the .fao0rite son of the De-
mocraoy of Pennsylvania. Mr. Buchanan was
their candidate. State pride, Democracy, and
all other appliances, were put into requisition,
and evoked in behalf of their candidate; and
if the first election was lost to the Democracy
in Pennsylvania, then the contest in November
would result either in the election of Fremont
or Fillmore to the Presidency. This had a
powerful effect on that election But this is
not all: The whole patronage of the General
Government was brought to bear in the con.
test. Postmaster General Campbell and his
horde of deputy postmasters were enlisted in
their cause-their bread and butter were at
stake. Again, there was at least five hundred
thousand dollars raised in the way of black mail,
and wrung from the pockets of the clerks and
other employees at the seat of Government,
and other officers and ofice-seekers, and sent
into Pennsylvania in order to buy votes for the
occasion. Besides these powers used, there
were at least t,oelUe thousand hireling MERGE
nary voters colonized from New York, New
Jersey, Maryland, and other States, (where no
elections were being held,) sent to Philadel-
phia, and voted in that city for the Buchanan
ticket. Notwithstanding all these things, and
the most gigantic frauds committed in Penn
sylvania on the l4th of October, and in poll
c. l,,1 Al.
shsnanites have been only able to succeed in
carrying the State by the meager majority of
some two or three thousand. Instead, there
fore, of this being Buchanan victory, it is a
plain and palpable defeat of his pretensions of
carrying the State at the Presidential election.
This their most shrewd and cunning politicians
admit, and are trembling at their knees, like
Belshazzar, when he saw the handwriting on
the wall. Forney, the Buchanan manager, him
self, confesses to this soft impeachment, in the
trembling and fearful address WHICH he has
since issued from the State Committee, where
he is down on his knees, begging and praying
to the Old Line Wings to come to the rescue
in November next, and help old Buck from the
Slough of Dependency which the late election
has placed him in. Alas, alas When the con-
fdent "Johnny" gives up, unless helped by
the Old Line Wings, then indeed are Buchan-
In fact, the Buchananites feel that they are
beaten in Pennsylvania at the coming election
they all know that the State is lost to them
that the city of Philadelphia alone will more
than twice over sweep away their present nom
inal majority, without counting the gains which
will be made over them in the counties of Lam
caster, Chester, Delaware, Allegheny, Bradford,
and other western and northern counties, which
will swell the majority over 10000 against the
Cincinnati Platform. candidate.
The author of this communication is Penn
sylvanian, we'll conversant with the People,
knows every foot and inch of its territory, and
is willing to pledge his knowledge and iudg.
ment as politician and man of integrity,
that the vote of the State is secure against Mr..
Buchanan, in November next, if unity of action
prevails among his opponents and that the
State then-like Mr.. Buchanan's own county
of Lancaster, alb like his own township-will
boldly repudiate him and his platform.
Let union and harmony, then, guide the OPP
position, and all will 60 well. Buchanan and
his friends expended their whole strength in the
late contest their black-mail money has been
ell expended; the foreign vote from other
States have all been driven from Philadelphia,
to take care of their own States, which are in
much jeopardy; their party have been shorn
of their locks, and, like Samson of old, they
are destined to fall an easy prey to their
strengthened and encouraged opponents Up,
then, friends, buckle on your armor, and be
ready for the fight! You have no side issues
now to contend with. One concentrated point
is now before you-Sebastopol is before you
its walls are battered and broken-its towers
are topping and falling--its cannon are ell dis
mounted, and its breastworks and strongkolds
are all ready to surrender at the next attack