Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1856-11-14

n6g@ Eighteen fines have The people of the United
States gone 10 the polls TO cast their votes for Presi
dent, or, speaking more accurately, for Presidential
electors, for although these expressions have now
grown to be synonymous, such was not always the
case-the electoral colleges of states frequently
in the earlier days of the country. divided, some
voting for one. and some for another For over
thirty years past no election has gone to the House,
showing that, in all really important crises, people
range themselves on the other side OF some gfea'
ssna neolectnp or postr onng minor considerations,
and passing by or brushing out of their way all those
little cloues, who stuffed up with some eccentric
notions of local importance individual set-esteefn,
or cross eyed prejudice, remain blind to the true
nature of the contest or having their eyes open are
wanting in the power or the magnanimity 10 elevate
themselves to the level of the great moving, living
lworld in which they exist, and upon whose Stage
the great events of history are being entached
The 18th contest, just closed, differed little in these
resnects from those which preceded it. To all who
rao.rded !, cooly with visions unobscured by prelu
dice or through mediums undistorted by the manou-
vers of weak or selfish leaders, it apparent from
the first that there could be but two parties really
lin the field. The old Wing organization had fallen
to pieces from the want of nationality, and cohesion
had become, it had gradually become impossible 10
bring up TO its support any respectable number OF
the Southern States, whose people felt compelled to
fight under that flag which alone foated alike over
both sections and alone rallied Northern force to
.onera1e with Southern men in defence of their
constitutional rights The party order, which
arose upon its ruins contained in itself the elements
. of speedy decay, and dissolution. Avowing certain
b;cb ed 0irpctIV
preiudces and antagonsms against particular clas-
e SEES OF citizens it easily became the centre-poln1
fer another class OF prejudces against another class
of citizens and their interests and institutions. wv
ing nearly all ITS early successes to the abolition
1T element which it concentrated at the North. lis sec
tiunal character there became fixed and the attempt
10 bring it into the field national party, dis
nlaved its inherent weakness From time, even the
y show of nationality became lost, and at section
g. became virtually merged in the abolition organiZa
te ton, while in the other it fell into dIstrlst ant
weakness, retaining but sort of spasmodic vitality
in one state, hyhRd in its character, and in which
its reign has hardly been that of law and order
or it's triumph marked by any distinctive characters
" tic save that of riot and bloodshed. The
which Baltimore has been the theatre, under Know
H. Nothing rule are not such to commend that rul
ey to other places elevate the reputation of the coun
"o try at home or abroad.
y The course pursued by the leaders and presses
the Fillmore party has been marked with strange ia
=. tuty and Uncomfortable contradictions. At on
time attacking the friends of Mr.. Buchanan as tn
MT foreign pary-a another stouty asserting that M
ho Buchanan totally unavailable owing 10 the ger
~ era detection of the foreign vote, which, they
.1o serted, had gOne and continued to CO. IN body II
80 Fremont. Now, paradng the charge OF foreignism-
49,. anon recaptulating the immense number of GeTma
"A papers opposed to Democracy. One moment presen
ing Mr. Buchanan as a Southern, sectional candida
- the next vehementy asserting his unsoundness
M the slavery question: and his general infdety TO
1870 South Without chart compass, veering arou
to every pont in the political horizon, what wond
is it that thew ian aground and that their followe
on shared their fate
yret SO much OF loud pFoih'0e-o' 0o0N'i0 0"P'
has ton-ot llIuslVe hope-cettaihly never "eioie
the followed by such total failure Of performance 1t
tho almost like drean 10 turn back but few br
,ved weeks and look over or listen to the appeals t
of were made to Southern men to abandon Mr.. Buch
and an and concentrate upon Mr. Fillmore, as the ava
mis- bic candoate 10 oeleaU Noi' r'ein0n'' - '0o A
,tos to impossible to believe that gentlemen like Mr.
in. ham and Mr. Morehead should have INDUCED in 81
M. wild and reckless assertions are contained IN
re- reports of their speeches published in the organs
M their OWN party yet the fact of their having
he so stares us in the face The States they elaine
nd the majorities they footed up, look more like the
cries of diseased imagination than the actual
ings out of serious possessing any standing
81 for reputation !or common sagacity
nited The permanence of original character, how
on varied the mode of its development,
our strikngly displayed than in the events of the re
'nest contest The fanaticsm, characteristic of
VIC purtans of the Cromwellian and subsequent
jolce rations SO ably portrayed by Scott in his denea
hat OF of the characte Of Baour of Burey, bro'
either over by the earlier settlers Of New England,
Is OF a subsequent generations, attained in lis h
r and even darker shade than had distinguished il
lalsm land of its birth. Those who came osten
D mat to secure freedom to worship God," became
70 our most relentless OF persecutors-those who had
be at fered most from the union of Church and State
slight tablished in their homes far closer union
onal- they ever had suffered from in those they had
es in the only difference consisting in the fact that il
nerous their church that formed the union instead of
other persons-that they were the prosecutors in
proper of the prosecuted. Time worked reaction.
might bonds of sect were dissolved and all manner OF
xchan- arose. but all marked by the original taintth
All this herted tendency to mingle religion with politi
y few Even the infdel Garrison, who believes in NJ
God nor revelation must assert himself better