The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-08-23

Some persons seem to imagine that willingness
to unite upon one anti-Republican electoral ticket
arranged upon the basis referred to by us n few
weeks since, indicates upon the part of those who
propose such a course, disposition to sacrifice not
merely their individual preferences but their polit-
ical principles. They who view the matter in this
light have certainly given it very little thought,
for it is impossible TO consider the proposition for
moment without recognizing its obvious advanta-
ge3 as the means of defeating Mr.. LINCOLN, and also
its fairness towards the several parties that desire
to bring about such a result The coalitions which
have been already formed or attempted in some of
the States, are of very different character from
that which we have advocated, and those who dis
approve of them give reasons for so doing that are
not applicable to such union as we discussed
The objections which have been urged against such
combinations, if not valid are at least sufficiently
obvious Suppose, for instance, Messrs. BRECKN-
RIDGE, BELL and DOUGLAS were represented by one
electoral ticket, composed of an equal number OF
the friends of each candidate, and the electoral
vote Of the State was, upon the success of
the ticket, to he thus divided between the three
In supporting such an arrangement, it is evident
that men would be compelled, in some measure,
to compromise their principles; for, while dis
senting from the doctrines of two of the nominees
they would be directly promoting the cause Of
the latter by voting for electors who were pledged
to adhere TO them in the electoral college We
can, therefore, easily understand why the really
honest adherents of Messrs. BRECKENRIDGE, BELL
and DOUGLAS respectively, refuse to vote for
any ticket, unless it is made up wholly of men
whose sentiments and opinions are altogether in
accordance with their own. Believing, as many
of them do, that the safety of the country and the
stability ofis government can only be permanently
secured by the Inauguration of one peculiar line of
policy, they do not see how they can, with any
sort of consistency, form an alliance with those
who Numerically opposed to thnro Horro--o-
lust these conclusions might be on ordinary
OCCASIONS they are of little force at this partic-
uar juncture. The very people who maintain
them profess to think the election of Mr.. LINCOLN
the greatest evil that can befall the nation, and
if they honestly entertain this conviction it is
neither practical nor wise, nor even patriotic
to repudiate any combination entered into for the
sole purpose of avertng that catastrophe. But
whatever differences of opinion may exist in re-
gard to the legitimacy of the coalitions which
have been already formed between the several
parties in various States, there ought to be none
about the expediency and propriety of the action
we advocated few days ago. We then expressed
the wish that one ant-Repubcan ticket might be
formed in every Northern State which would besup-
ported by the friends of Messrs. BRECKrNRDGE BELL,
and DOUGLAS in common, and that wherever it
was successful, the full electoral strength of the
State should be given to that one of these candi-
dates who might obtain therein the largest popu-
lar vote Under such an arrangement voters
would sustain the ticket without inquiring or
caring about the individual views or preferences
of the electors. The latter would be regarded
simply as the instruments by which the will of
the people was to be recorded and if they were
pledged to vote as unit for the nominee for
whom majority of the ballots might be cast, the
result would be precisely the same so far as Messrs
BREcK1NR1DeE, BELL and DoUeLAs are concerned,
as if they had been represented by three several
tickets. 1t would, however, affect Mr.. LINCOLN
very differently. By way OF illustration let US
suppose the plan adopted in some State In which
the Republican party is slightly in the mi
nority. If the Republicans concentrate on one
ticket, while their opponents fritter away their
strength upon three, as a matter OF course the
State goes for the Republican nominee. But if
the anti-Republicans support one set OF electors
thew defeat LINCOLN, and at the same time they do
all for their respective candidates that could be
done in any other way. Instead of voting, as
they are evidently unwilling to do, for electors
who are to divide their ballots among the three
candidates, the voter by placing the name Of either