Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1858-10-27
The Cause Of the Great Defeat.

The Democratic papers are speculating,
as matter Of course, upon The causes Of
their overwhelming defeat on Tuesday last.
As is usual in such cases, almost every
canse is assigned but the right one.
The Administration organs think it per-
fectIy clear thai the course of Judge Doug
las and bis foloWe ers, in opposing the poll
cy of the President in respect 10 Kansas,
Is prime cause Of the disaster. In our
opinion, this is great mistake! On the
contrary. We believe that tho opposition of
Judge Douglas aud those Democrats who
acted with him at the last session, WAS tie
only thing that saved the party from an
ignominious defeat in every Congressional
district, in the States which voted on tbs
18th instant.
OF the thirty Democratic members of
the present Congress from the States of
Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana, fifteen
were original LecomptOn men. All but
two of these Lecompton members were
candidates for reelection, and all but three
Of these we're defeated. The districts Of
the two who wtre not candidates were car
ried by the OpposltiOn-showing that they
would have been defeated also, ii they had
been candidates.
Ten Democratic members from the free
States voted against the Leconptou bill
til the English Conference bill came in,
and then voted for that measure. OF
these ten, six were candidates for re elec-
ton, ard three were reelected.
Four Democratic members from the
same States, opposed both the Lecompton
bill and the Eugfsh Conference bill, to the
end-anI if We include in the number
Montgomery Of Pennsylvania. who was
absent when the English bill was acted
upon, but who would doubtless have voted
against It If lie had been present. OIL
these four. three we're candidates for res
election, and were all elected by increased
majorilies; aud the district Of the one who
was not candidate elected successor
who approved Of bis course on that quest.
From the above It will he seen that the
measure Of rewards and panishments me
ted out to these members by their con
was in proportion TO the degree
in which they resisted or yielded to tie
Presidents policy in regard to Kansas
Those who supported the Presidents pol.
Icy throughout, Jared the worst; those
who opposed his policy, but finally yield
ed their support to the English bill, Jared
a little better; but all those who stood firm
to the end, against both the LecomptOn
bill aud the English compromise, were tri-
umphantly sustained.
Any one who has paid the least atten-
tion to the canvass must be satisfied that
the only thing that saved tue Democratic
party from defeat in every district was the
fact, that the Lecompton bill did not pass
that through the opposition Of Judge
Douglas aud his followers, the Admins.
tratlOn was compelled to accept, in lieu
of it, the comparatively harmless bill sub
mitted by the English Conference com.
mittee. If Lecompton, ''pure and simple"
had been passed, as it would. but for the
opposition Of Douglas and his followers
does any man believe that the Democrats
could have carried a single district in any
free State? We certainly do not believe
it. We are thoroughly convinced that
every member whom the Democracy will |
be enabled to save in the free States, will |
owe bis salvation to the opposition of
Judge Douglas and bis followers, at the
last session, TO the Kansas policy of the
President. Douglas, therefore. instead Of
defeating the Democratic party. has actu-
alll saved it from utter suhihilHtlOn in the
free StAtes.-- VASE. Republic.