Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1856-10-04
MONDAY, SEPT. 80, 1866.
The sp,ri, Of the Campaign.

| oEu G4. The Spirit Of the Campaign. G' 81 t
Judging from all the information within on
reach, the present campaign is conducted upcl
entirely different motives from any that hal
ever preceded it. When the old Wing and Dem.
ocratic parties battled for supremacy, the line Of
demarkation was rather an imaginary than pos
tive one. Asystem of Internal Improvements car
ried on by the General Government, specific in.
stead of ad valorem duties, the great princi-
pies which lay at the foundation of the Wing Or
ganization. Opposition to these measures was
of course the province Of the Democracy. These
were measures which had a more direct bearing
on the physical than on the mental or social con-
dition of the people consequently, all the inte-
rest that could be enlisted in favor of either was
prompted by the same motives, though not to
so intense o degree that actuate mankind in any
progressive movement which will rebound to their
pecuniary advantage. And as natural result,
in country like ours, where the elective fran
chise is so universally exercised, a very large
class of our people had no very direct advantage
to reap from the effects of either course of policy
which might be adopted. In fact, a very large
portion of the voters Of the nation were not suf-
GENTLY and directly interested, as they supposed,
to devote time to their investigation-and the
seeming interest manifested by the masses on the
eve of Presidential elections was more the result
of the operations of that class of men known as
wire-pullers, than any spontaneous or deep-felt
feeling among the people at large. There were,
however, occasional exceptions to this rule. For
instance, in the Harrison and Taylor campaigns.
There was degree of excitement and interest in
these two in political history that elicit
ed the warmest sympathy and liveliest interest of
the masses; but this was rather the expression of
the warm gratitude of the people towards men
who had exhibited in the darkest hours high
and noble degree of patriotism, than any endorse
nent of any particular tenets of party faith.-
WEBsrER and CLAY, the leading intellectual
spirits of the age, never could have aroused the
same degree of enthusiasm, although standing
upon the same platform of principles. ll2' @A'
This is sufficient evidence, in our opinion, that
something more than mere abstract principles of
policy relating to the physical condition of our
country must be the issue if we desire to arouse
the whole nation to proper sense of the neces-
sty of action, and to the power of their influence
at the ballot-box. Something more sensitive
than abstract articles of party faith-something
that will appeal to and arouse the affections of
the heart. Something akin to the spirit that &C.
tuated the patriots of the American Revolution,
when the power of the British Crown was COM
PEELED to succumb to little band of patriots
fighting for LIBERTY! LIBERTY that is the magic
word to arouse nation of Freemen to action
the beau ideal Of the American heart, for which
the resstless masses are moving to and fro like
the rushing Of mighty waters. Or in other words
it is the heart feelings that cause such terrible
commotion in all sections of the Union, and
arouses the lovers of Constitutional Liberty to ac-
ton. 1t is the true principle that underlies the
foundation of the American Republic, and which
rests on the hearts of the people. The folly of
resisting such popular connections of our coun-
trymen is evinced in the result of every struggle
where love Of Liberty has been the motive power
that has led them on.
The tenderest chords of the human heart have
been touched at the recital of the wrongs done our
oppressed brethren in Kansas, whose struggles
for the re-establishment of their {" nalienable
rights" have had response from every heart
loving freeman in the land-to oppose which is to
oppose the very principles of faith that called
forth that noble Declaration of human rights
which led to the emancipation of our country
from British rule. We want, therefore, no better
evidence of success than the assurance we have
that the cause Of the Republican party has hold
upon the hearts Of our people, and when their
hearts are enlisted, the cause is always just
Every true American is interested in the cause of
human liberty-therefore, every true American,
North, will vote to exclude slavery out of Kansas.
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