The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-08-24
Aolitieal Matte,r.
Earnestness--Noise-
ny HORACE GREELEY.

Many Hippantly talk of the Presidential
canvass Of 1860 as apathetic because 1t Is
not noisy. Very few desert their fields and
workshops to swell the thousands who gath
er at mass conventions q hundred miles from
their homes few (yet still too many) neglect
their families to spend night after night in
heated, crowded grog-shops where politicians
most do congregate, saving the country
constitution by running their own; lew are
prompted toquarrel with their neighbors and
aefamc their best friends on account OF po-
litical differences. The change from such
contests Us that Of 1910, or even that OF
1856, is manifest and signal, butt Is not
deplorablo. The People shout less, It may
be, than they have done; but they do not
read less nor think less. They are not the
less likely to render just and salutary judge
ment because they have not decided first and
investigated aiterward. There may be moro
light than usual,-eyen though there be less
heat and he who attends but one convention
or even none-may have informed himself
quite as fully and accurately as to the issues
and candidates presented, us one who has
been marching and singing and shouting Tor
the last six months. There will be more
legal votes pollcd this year throughout the
country than there ever were before; and, IL
fewer illegal ones with them, 50 much the
better.
As matter of fact, though the People
have been moro excited in some former con-
tests, VIC doubt that Uhcy were ever more
widely and generally interested than now:
In close States, like Indiana, Illinois, and
Missouri, they are holding many and largely
attended mcetings-not of one party only
but all; in localities like Vermont and South
Carolina, there is little movement, because
effort Is known to be unayailing; but, on the
whole, there never were 10 many states
sharply contested, nor contest which more
clearly pervaded the whole Union' than IN
1860.
And never was there better or wider op.
portunity for sowing broadcast the seeds OF
POLITICAL and moral truth, Never could men
of principle, of integrity, and Of profound,
enlightened conviction, do more good by ju-
dciously. directed effort than now. The
fountains of the great political deep are bro
ken up. Men who for thirty years have been
impcryious to conviction, are now hesitating
and inauiring. Where formerly the votes OF
nine-tenths of the electors were fixed and
Interchangeable from the outset, now we are
within three months OF The election, and
hundreds of thousands are yet undecided
Men who have never inquired further than
"whcre Tor which) is the Democratic tick
ct?" are now compelled to determine which
Of the parties claiming to be Democratic is
best entitled to that appelation; and having
begun 70 enquire, they are not likely to stop
at the threshold. They may proceed to en-
auire what claim either OF the competitors
has to the name thus struggled for, and what
claim is given by that name to the favor and
support Of men who love their Country and
the Right. And thus many voter may be
led ON to review the whole field Of political
controversy, and to revise opinions which he
never till now permitted himself to doubt.
In such time, sword fitly spoEcn"-a
gently and friendly rcmonstrance or adnoni-
tion-thc reading of an able and forcible
speech or essay-may change the current OF
individual thought and action fora Lifetime.
Seldom have opportunities been presented Tor
doing so much good at so moderate cost OF
effort or Of time.
Above all should attention be given to the
case of Young Men. Some hundreds OF
thousands Of these are now to cast their first
vote for President. In every county, almost
every township, some Of these will be found
in the humber walks OF life who
have enjoyed slender opportunities for ac-
curing political knowledge, and who have
either not as yet received party bias,
or are loosely attached to some party through
n very crude and imperfect acquaintance
with its principles the issues Of the day
There are One Hundred Thousand OF these
who might be won by kind and friendly
assiduity to appreciate the cause OF Justice,
Humanity, Liberty, and who, once attached
10 il, would cling to 1t through life. May
we not hope that each reader will consider
and determine whether there is not one such
within the sphere of his own activity, in the
possibility OF being won through his efforts?
It's q just and singing reproach to the
good that they are not US class, so generally
Jealous an effective in politics as tho bad.
The keeper of grog shop is worth more MS
general rule, to the party he lavors, than two
average deacons, This need not and should
not be. A man truly religious must there
fore be better patriot-morc devoted to his
country's well being and willing to make
sacrifices to promote or rcsure it than u loose
liver and scofcr. If his religion leads or in
clincs him to look with indifference on po-
litical struggles and stay away from the polls
there must be n hole in it. lie forgets or
disrcgards the Divine injunction, "Render
unto Caesar the things that are Caesars. v
If there be anywhere q man so pious that he
docs not care to vote, he certainly stands in
need Of enlightenment ifnot of sterncr disci.
pline. A religion that docs not manifest
itself in the market, the field, the street, and
ut the polls, belongs to dar kcr and more
superstitious age than that into which we
have been born.
1t is very true that bad men sometimes
connect themselves with the best political
cause, acting so as to render it odious to the
superficial and unthinking. But here is just
where the interposition Of the good bccomes
indispensable. 1t is their imperative duty to
separate the good from the bad-the righte-
GUS cause from its unworthy champions,