American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1856-11-22
From the Wsiisourg (Vd.) Herald.
PHILOSOPHY OF THE CAn1-
PAIoN.

yet we may safely set down JAMES
BUCHANAN, as the President elect for
the coming term. That the election is
over, is fair subject for congratula-
ton, whatever may be the prevailing
feeling for or against the successful
candidate; for never perhaps in the
history of the country has there been
a canvass attended with issues SO dan
gerous to the perpetuity of the Union.
We can have nopolitical ends to accom-
plish now, and may be pardoned phi
losophical survey of the ground travel
ed over. From the very outset the
contest was sectional one, and nothing
clse,. as between the two prominent.
parties in the field. There is no use
Disgusting the fact that there was
fair issue made between the North and
the South-bctwcen the Slavery and
tho anti-Slaycry sentiment of the coun-
try, and it is as purilc to shrink the
conclusion that the pro-slavery feeling
has triumphed in the triumph of the
Democratic party. The leaders of the
Democratic party sincerely enough
wished that party to be considered as
"the national party" but the way in
which parties were ranged put it out of
the question for it to be anything else
than what it actually was in this cam
paign: the representative of Southern
sentiment. Any other position was
impracticable, and the attempt to take
any other would only have insured de-
feat. It's leaders saw this, and while
they studiously kept up their claim to
nationality quietly drifted with the
great Southern current. Many good
men supported it for no other reason
than that they believed it the national
party of the country. It's leaders had
everything to gain and nothing to lose
by keeping up such an impression, and
they were successful beyond pcradven-
ture. This idea gained it much sup
port outside of its own proper ranks.
Again, the issues between the old
Wing party and it having been obliter-
ated, it was only natural that in the
Southern states those members of the
Wing party whose opinions inclined to
Southern construction of the contro-
Vcrted questions of the day, naturally
ranged themselves with the Democra-
cy. They had no other resort but to
the American party, and as the idea
was carefully inculcatcd that Mr.. Fill
more's chance was hopeless, they cast
their votes where they thought they
could do most damage to the common
enemy at the north. Mr.. FILLMORE
was universally conceded to be a states
man and apatriot; even his American
ism, Objectionable as it may have been,
was winked at, and he was spoken of
with all due though hypocritical res
pect, but they. would not vote for him.
The consequence has been victory, u
unanimous in the South so far as the
real opposition was concerned; and
next to universal 50 far as the Ameri-
can party was concerned. Mr.. Fill
more ran respectfully, that is all that
can be said of him, and out of the Is,
gained the electoral vote Of but one
Southern state-Maryland.
In the North about the same process
of reasoning, except that the other side
was the most popular, was followed and
with similar but Numerically oppo-
site result. There tho issue was as
distinctly understood and as decidedly
acted upon as it was in the South
The New England States without an
exception, and a majority of the Middle
and Western States cast their votes for
Freedom and Fremont, just as did the
Southern states for Slavery and Bu-
chanan. 1t was in these Middle States
that the real battle was fought. At
both extremes of the confederacy the
result was foregonc conclusion but
among the Middle States, not SO ultra
welded in their character as the other
stases, to the view of either it was early
foresecn would be the contest. The
event justified the prediction. In all
these states it was contested with un-
preccdcnted zeal and stubbornncss, and
for long time tho scale stood on even
balance. The October elections we're
hotly contested, and SO hotly in the
Keystone State, that the friends of
neither party were discouraged, but
went into the fight with a zeal rather
quickencd by the danger that was ap.
parent. When the result in Philadel-
Phia was announced, it seemed to dis
hearten the Republicans, for they we'll
knew that it was decisive of the fate Of
Pcnnsylyania, and ultimately of the
election. Then came Indiana to add to
their discontinue, then crumb of
comfort was found in the reported ma
Jority in Illinois, but this crumbled
away, and now nothing but the hard
fought field is left to testify Of the zeal
OF the combatants.
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