The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-05-05
THE PRESIDENTIAL QUESTION.
The People Have Already Spoken.


WATERBURY,, CoNx., april 10, 1859.
To the Editor Of the National Era:
The question of Presidential candidate. for
the support of the Republican party in the next
canvass, would seem to be a very simple one.
The people of the free States have spoken their
minds upon the issues upon which that canvass
must be based, in a language not to be misun.
derstOod. The Strengthening policy of the
Administration, and the party that supports it,
with the mischiefs growing out of it, and Incl
dent to it, have aroused the masses of the Free
North to sense of the shame imposed upon
the nation; and policy which will put check
upon the extravagant demands of the slave
power, and close the doodgste of official corrup-
ton and prodigRlity, is what the people now call
for. The masses are pretty well posted upon
the real source of the corruption which has
marked the course of the Government for the
past few years. They know well enough that
Slavery is at the bottom of it all. They know
that that power has done its very worst to fasten
Slavery upon all the Territories of the nation,
and has only been prevented by the superior
expansive force and energy of the free labor.
ing people of the North. The people are fully
prepared to accept the issues arising from this
question and its incidents, and will not tolerate
any attempt to disguise or smother them by
the dust of forgotten or exploded questions Of
past party conflicts.
The recent election here in Connecticut
seems to furnish an index Of the attitude of the
parties at the present time, and what it will be
IN the next Presidential election. II was il is
believed, the most warmlv-contested election
ever held in the State. The Republicans went
into 1t upon the issue, distinctly made, of oppo-
sltion to the Slavery extension policy of the
Administration; and every attempt on the part
of their opponents to divert attention from this
issue was met by pressing it more prominently
INTO view. The result was most decided Re
publican triumph, notwithstanding everything
that labor or money IN the hands Of their op-
ponents could do was done 10 prevent it.
1t is clear, then, where the mass of the free
people Of the North stand upon the great cues
tom The principles which should guide us in
the selection Of Presidential candidate are
equally clear. He must be man who can be
relied upon to carry out the distinctive princi.
pies OF the Republican party, and place the af-
fairs OF the General Government upon a basis
OF Just and wise economy, such as shall sub
serve ali the proper and legitimate ends of gov
eminent, without imposing excessive or UNEQUAL
burdens upon the people. To command the
confidence of the people, he must be man of
known and tried fidelity to the principles for
WHICH the Republicans have cOutended IN their
recent State elections No other will answer
at all. 1t would be perfectly childish to 90
begging for Southern votes by putting forward
a milk-and-waterish sort Of man, whose position
nobody can be certain of. We should lose
thousands of Northern votes, and shouldn't get
the Southern ones. We should fail to secure
even the nominal triumph which our success
would imply, and sink into the contempt We
should deserve. Success would very likely
prove in the END equally disastrous with defeat.
Let US have candidate in regard to whose
principles and position there can be no shadow
of doubt, and in whose executive and admins
tratiye abilities the most implicit confidence
may be placed. We have plenty of such men
in our ranks. Indeed, their number seems like
ly to cause some little embarrassment in making
a selection, 1t may not be wise, at this early
day, to institute comparisons between the re-
spective merits of different possible candidates,
and | shall name none at this time yet l think
a candid consideration of the principles which
should guide US in the selection of candidate
would promote the result which the great mass
of the Republican party have in view, and
which they expect to strive for in the next
Presidential canvass.