The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-10-23
THE ELECTIONS AND THE LESSON.

shall present himself with his credentials.
THE ELECTIONS AND THE LESSON.
We cannot yet state in detail the results of
the elections in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indi,
ana, but we may sum them up briefly, as fol-
lows:
In Ohio, Republican majority of thirty
thousand, sixteen Republican, five Buchanan
Representatives in Congress: in Indiana, a
Buchanan Governor by five thousand majority,
| five Buchanan and six Republican Represent.
atives in Congress, Republican majority in
the State Senate, Buchanan majority in the
House: in Pennsylvania, small Buchanan
majority on the State ticket, thirteen Repub-
licans in Congress, twelve Buchanan men.
In the present Congress, Ohio is represented
in Washington by nineteen Republicans and
two Know Nothings; the Republicans now
lose three, the Know Nothings two, and the
Democrats gain five. Indiana in the present
House has seven Republicans and Americans
who 60 for Fremont, two Democrats, one Know
Nothing, one Straight Wing. Now it sends,
| six Republicans and FIVE Democrats-Know
Nothingism and Straight Whiggery being with
out representatives. Pennsylvania, which has
| six Democrats in the present House, doubles
| the number. These gains for the so-csllel
Democracy will not be counterbalanced by any
elections yet to be held, 80 that the Republ
cans of the next House will not command SO
many votes as they do now. Nor, owing to th 3
Representatives sent by Know Nothingisl q
from other States, is it probable that the d T.
mocracy will have more than a plurality, e:y-
cept on all questions affecting Slavery, where,
by the aid of the Know Nothings, they will
command a majority.
Possibly, some of the particulars stated, as
more detailed returns shall come in, will need
correction, but the general results will scarcely
be affected.
In Ohio, the Republican element was elm
mated long since from Know Nothingism, and
all the liberal men, who for time had acted
with the Order, rallied openly under the banners
of Repubicanism, along with large portion
of naturalized citizens who, feeling themselves
relieved from prescription, arrayed themselves
against the proscriptive oppression of the Slave
Power. Know Nothingism proper separated
Itself, formed an antagonistic organization, had
last fall separate ticket for Governor, and
since then, under the flag of Fillmore, has
maintained position of open and peculiar hos.
tility to the Republican party. This fact, re-
lieving that party of all faint of prescription,
Anti-Slavery voters, native and foreign born,
gladly supported it, while its liberal and den,o-
cratic position secured the adhesion of many
honest Democrats. The result is seen: Ohio
is Republican by majority of 10000 over the
aggregate forces of Buchananism and Pill-
moreism. The small Democratic gains in ,he
Congressional delegation must be credited to
the Fillmore men, who, in certain localities,
held the balance of power. But the State. is
safe for Fremont, with proper effort.
The less suspicious results in Indiana ind
Pennsylvania, are owing to different state of
things. Republicanism in neither State lad
succeededin eliminating itself from Know Moth.
ingism. Ofsome oftheir Representatives in Con-
gress, it was difficult to say, last winter, whether
they were more Republican or Know Nothing;
even Of those who were decided Republicans,
few were bold enough to act with entire indie.
pendence of the Order. The Republican poli.
ticians in both States temporized with the Or
der, tried coalition" FUSION" "union," in
which, however, the Know Nothings always Sc
cured the ascendency, giving character to the
resulting organization and tickets. 1t is easy
to see how such policy worked mischief to the
cause of Republicsnism. In both States. as
the Presidential election approached, the Know
Nothings proper, while willing as body to sup
port the fusion State tickets organized distinct
ly in favor of Fillmore as their Presidential
candidate, and got up Fillmore electoral tickets.
The open breach thus made between them and
the Republicans, would naturally awaken feel.
iugs unfavorable to perfect union in support
of even the fusion State tickets. Some Fillmore
men, fearful that the success of the tickets
would give prestige to Republcanism, and some
Republicans Disguised at the idea of supporting
men for State offices committed to Fillmore.
would hardly take active measures to insure
success. And, meantime, nearly the entire
body OF naturalized voters, willing to vote for
Fremont, untainted with Know Nothingism,
would be alienated. In view of these causes,
we always regarded the State elections in
Pennsylvania and Indiana as altogether doubt
full, and to these causes chiefly, we think, must
we attribute the results which have Just taken
place.
The great question arises, Will they continue
to operate in November? Not, we think, in
Indiana. The Buchanan candidate for Gov
ernor in that State has only 5000 majority,
but, as the causes we have presented will not
be at work in the Presidential election, that
majority, it is likely, will be more than revers-
ed. Instead of two State tickets, one promi.
nently Know Nothing, the other, Democratic,
there will be three electoral tickets, the FIRE.
mont, Buchanan and Fillmore, and the great
body of nsturalized voters in that State, clear.
ly understanding that Fremont stands alone,
as the representative of Free Kansas and the
Principle of Opposition to the Extension of
Slavery, Buchanan, as the exponent of the Dis
unionists of the South and the Pierce and
Atchison Policy which has enslaved Kansas,
and Fillmore as the candidate of the Order
which wars upon their rights, may be reasona-
bly, expected to give their support to Fremont,
and their votes will in all probability decide
the struggle.
AS to Pennsylvania, to us it is now, as it al
ways has been, land of clouds and darkness.
Fusion has thus far embarrassed Republicahism.
1t has certainly alienated the foreign vote, and,
if persisted in, may continue to work the same
result, unless the great majority of German vo-