The north Iowa times. [volume] (M'Gregor [i.e. McGregor], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1856-12-05
From the Cedar Rapids Democrat.
OUR ELECTIONS.

the United States, the people can pas
through so exciting an occasion as tha
attendant upon the Election of Chic
Magistrate for term of years, withou
requiring the presence of armed force!
throughout the land, to prevent tumult
riot, bloodshed-revolution. They can
not understand why. in a Republic, the
prejudices and passions of men, excited
by the desire and prospect of power, Dc
not, as in Monarchies and Despotisms
tend to revolution. Their want of sym
pathy for Republican systems of govern
ment, together with the fact that thei1
freedom Of thought and action is awed
by the power which governs them, pre-
vent full comprehension Of the beauti
full workings of our system, and the har.
mony existing in all its parts. During
our political campaigns, there is perhaps
as much bitterness Of feeling manifested
among the members of the various parties
striving for supremacy, as was ever ap.
parent among those who have deluged
Europe with blood, on occasions less i'm.
portant. But when the day of contest is
ended-the result having been attained
by the fearless expression of opinion
through the ballot box, the country again
settles into state Of quiet scquiescence,
and the hum of busy labor throughout
the Union tells that freemen abide the re.
suit, and yield obedience to the constitu.
ted authorities. A few of the fanatica]
continue to howl on, but their power is
broken, and their attempts to continue
agitation are either frowned down at once,
or treated with contempt by those through
whom the real power of the government
has been created, and will be upheld. No
bayonets glitter around the ballot boxes,
no authority Of ruling power dare attempt
to awe a single vote into support other
than that dictated alone by the preference
of the voter. Whatever foreign influence
may have attempted, in procuring the re-
suit, if a fair and honest expression OF
opinion has been given, "a Union of hearts
and Union Of hands" will resist the con-
tinuation Of that influence. The North,
the South, the East, and the West will
stand shoulder to shoulder. and fight
manfully common foe to the country.
forgetting all past differences in the one
great cause of protecting Union of States.
existing under the most benefcent system
of laws ever instituted by man. The
dissatisfied and querulous may pirate Of
the superiority of one continued and alb
solute power governing a country, and Of
the evils which are likely to result from
the too frequent contests for supremacy
but the history of the world has yet fail
ed to produce parallel to the prosperity
vigor and power Of country. or the hap.
piness, intelligence and patriotism of a
people, like our Republic and its freemen
The force exerted by our progress is al.
ready telling with powful effect upon all
the governments of Europe, and the influ.
ence is steadily working change in the
minds of the people, which must resul,
in revolutionizing that whole continent,
unless by real or apparent concessions
from their rulers to the inhabitants, they
are cheated into the belief that they will
enjoy whatever privileges have placed the
people of our Republic so far ahead of the
rest of the world. Truly. ours is the
"land of the Free" And whatever storms
from without may threaten; whatever Of
combination there may be among the Des.
potisms Of the old world against Ameri.
can Freedom, there will continue to burn
in the hearts of our patfiots-who are the
people-the unfinching determination
that our land shall be 'The Union-one
and inseparable-now and forever"