Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1858-08-19
From the New York Herald, of the 5th
The Defeat of Blair in Missouri.

The Defeat of Blair in Missouri.
The First Gun for the nert Congress and
The ne-t Presidency-a Reriew Of he
Field. -...--. .-....
There is something very significant in the
news from Missouri oil the deiea, Of Blair
for the next Congress, in the ST. Louis dis
trict. As the first anti-slavery member
from any slave State, the election Of Mr..
Blair to the present Congress was accepted
by the black republicans as the auspiciou,
beginning Of n regular free-soil invasion oi
the South; and hence, on all sides through.
out the Union the question Of his reelection
has been regarded with an uncumnnn de.
gree OF interest. His defeat fure>hadows q
healthy reaction against tie anti slavery ng-
iiators; and not only di.coses fair pros
pecl lor The democracy in 1860, but state
Of thing, which may possibly result in a
democratic majority III the next Congress.
Granted that Blair was defeated by the
Intervention Of another opposition candidate,
and that the combined v6ie oi the oprosi-
ton factions will show heavy maturity III
his district against the democracy, does no,
this division Of This maturity, for all practi-
cal purposes, reduce 1t TO mihorityP That
is the point, and the vital point at issue
We have heretofore shown that at any time
since 1886 the democracy throughout the
Union have been minority party, and that
their successes from 1886 to this day have
been secured, not from their popular ascen-
dancy, but from the divisions of the oppos,
tion forces. 1t was so in 1886, in 1874,
in 1852, and 1856. Throughou. oil this
period Of twenty years. the only Presiden-
tial election in which the opposition ele.
ments Of the country were cordially united
was that Of 1910, when they swept the
country like a whrlxind. True, they
elected Gen, Taylor in lS4S; but it was
less from union amoEg themselves than
from the Van Buren, Buffalo detection on
the other side.
With these repeated lessons Of whole
some punishment of 1886, 1874 and 1852,
and especially after the suicidal Fremont
and Fillmore division Of 1856, we had sup
posed that The opposition managers Of oil
factions would be brought 10 the principles
of common sense, and 10 the imperative ne.
cessities Of hearty coalition against the
Democracy, as in a c,mmon cause. There
are, however, in the opposition camps toe
many captains, and cliques, and platforms
and grudges, and conflicting little schemes
for The .pois, 10 justify any hopes Of practi-
cal general reconciliation. The man who
bites Of hi. own nose TO spite his face, does
not exhibit more ridiculous spirit of re.
venge than was betrayed by the Fillmore
managers of 1856. They now frankly
confess that their object in that campaign
was not the election Of Fillmore, but the
defeat of Fremont; and from all The indica.
tions around US, this same scuryy idea oI
revenge is sew more powerful among the
Know Nothing pipe-layers than the teach
ings Of experience and all the arguments Of
common sense but together. This St
Louis Congressional election affords the
stronges, proof upon this point that could
be desired.
A corresponding spirit Of enmity, bitter
mes. and retaliatiou has been created among