New-York daily tribune., 1858-12-29


republican governments always has been the en-
ployment of violence and fraud to carry the cleo
tions and thus to substitute in place of the voice
Of the citizens, the basis upon which all despoti.ms
rest. Such was the ease In Rome, and such has
been the case in every republic that ever existed.
The choice of the people thus set aside, all the
quiet and timd, who form in all communities
very numerous body, terrified at these annual
scenes of violence and tumult, soon become ready
to aid in abolisiiDg the whole system Of popular
elections. They regard and not altogether with.
out reason, usuIpatiOa once for all as far better
than usurpation occurring annually, and attended
with scenes of violence and uprosr dangerous to
life, and what they dread still more dangerous to
property. They think it better to be under the
--~','.""A "S . military '~-~~ --Ii~L Ar '-'"---'
of its head requires to be subjected to a certain
degree of discipline, than to be exposed to the
unrestrained violence Of a set Of rOwdies,
like those who are beginning to play
60 conspicuous part in some Of our
American elections, against whom there is
neither protection nor redress; since, even in
the planest cases, partisan Judges, placed on the
bench BY the employment of this same Ii ,chinery,
are certain either to acqut them altogether or to
let them of with merely nominal punishment
The decent citizens, from the moment this system
of violence and intimidation is Introduced rapidly
withdraw themselves from the polls. So far from
rishing their lives ard limbs in the effort to get at
the ballot-boxes, they are unwilling to rsk even
their coats. And why .hould they Even if they
succeed in polling majority Of yotes, it does not
avail them. Cheating Inspectors, fraudulentJudges
of elections INSCRIPTIONS boards of Csnyassers
stand ready, when force has failed to supply the
deficiency by fraud, and thus to render unsvailing
the courage ard perseverance of the decent and
patriotic ority. In this state of things. it is not
TO be wondered at that the great body of the in
dustrous and productive citizens, more intent upon
order and security than on liberty, should hasten
to surrender up the dangerous and now unavailing
privilege of voting, and should look with compls-
cency on the assumption of all political authorityby
some small selfconsttuted association like our
Tammapy Society, to be superseded in due time
by single depot Lac Louis Napoleon.
Our people are possessed of a very arrogant self
confidence in their exclusive capscity to maintain
their own liberties But, however true that
might have been of the original Anglo Saxon stock
by which this country was settled, bringing with
it, as it did, the English habits OF respect for con-
situted authorities and submission 10 toe laws,
must recoect tlat Of late years We have had a
very large influx into this country of populations
who have no Other instrument of freedom except
violence, who, in fact, know nothing of freedom,
confoundipg il with the idea Of having everything
their own way, irrespective of the wishes, inter
ests or rights ofothers. Pride, says high author
ity, goes before fad, aud there are but too eyi-
dent indications that, unless this nation arouses
itself to a desperate exertion to reestabish the
purity Of its Institutions our fall is near at hand
| Violence at the polls, and where that will not
serve palpable fraud in declaring the re-
| .ult Of the elections have become
regular pant of the tactics employed By the pseudo
Democratic party to keep itself in power. These
frauds, barefaced and atrocious not co9fned to
any particular section of the country. We see
them now in Minnesota as means of controlling
the State elections and securing to the party two
United States Senators; now in Kansas, employed
With Exc object in view; now in st. Louis, with
intent to deprive the troublesome Mr. Blair Of his
seat in the House of Representatives; now in
Maine, in hopes of gaining Democratic represent
a.ive; and now in the City of New-York, employed
to exclude Republican Common Councilmen from
their sst', and 20 keep the city little while
longer under the control of thieves and punderers.
Nor does this system Of chesting confne itself
merely to the original elections BY the people, nor
is il limited to the returning officers Of those cleo
tions. 1t hw been adopted BY those very bodies
in which alone lies the power of applying an aie-
quate remedy to these frightful outrsses. Thus
We see the pseudo Democratic members of the
Legislature OF Indiana combining together 10 give
false certificates as Senators Of the United States