Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1860-11-09
The Great Decision.


Of freemen who decided it. Every decis-
ion of the human mind, according to the
motive which governs it, Involves either
the highest kind of good or the worst kind
Of evil, and hence all human decisions are
essentially alike but the relations, cir
cumstances, and outward effects of con-
duct almost endlcssly vary Other nations
often decide grave questions, but only a
comparatively small portion of the people
composing them have voice upon public
policy, while the reverse is the case in our
country. These national decisions are ex-
tremely interesting, as showing the char
meter Of the whole Notion, and also Of the
various localities, according to their votes
upon the great question at issue In our
own country it is only once in four years
that the whole people vote upon the same
question, and never before did the great
popular vote 80 directly and almost exclu-
slye relate to so great moral and political
questionable most essential principle of
human rights as whether man ought to,
or shall, selfshly usurp to himself the sum
total of his fellow man as is done by slave
ry; in other words, whether Gods law
shall be ahrogated, and The most rampant
and hateful and most INSCRIPTIONS type of
ambition, lust, cruelty and cupidity, such
as the shareholders, slall be universallyir-
augurated in It's stead, and so earch, which
love would make a paradise, shall be con-
verted into the ittest type Of hell-a south
ern plantation.
We have often tried to avoid the unwel-
come conclusion that vote for one of the
candidates of the democratic party was
responsible aud virtual endorsement and
positive approval Of that greatest of all
possible crimes against humanity-the for
chile deprivation of fellow man of him
self; but we confess utter inability to find
single valid excuse for the proslaverv-vo-
ter, which might not be urged with equal
force in behalf of any other class Of great
sinners. The man who pleads that cotton
is king, who wishes to secure the trade of
the South, OF is afraid that commercial in
terests of the country will suffer, if Lincoln
Is made President, is governed by pecunia-
ry considerations. and tullows in the very
footsteps of him who robs, steals. murders
or defrauds, for peeuniary interest. The
man whose education and associates have
been such as tend to pro-slavery, is in the
same category with the criminal who has
been aided forward to the prison or galows
by evil associates, the force of bad exam
pie and bad education. No man commits
crime by the mere love Of it !; it is adopted
rather. at least usually, us means to a de-
sirablc end, So of prosavery-voters.-
They do not exactly love oppression, GER
tainly some Of them do not, but then thew
are prompted by some seeming advantage,
In total or comparative disregard of the i'll
terest, happiness, and rights of the fellow
being who is enslaved If these pro-slayo.
ry voters would examine their motives, I'M
doubtedly they would find in themselves a
striking family resemblance to criminals, in
this respect, as well as many others.
1t is on such grouhds-and we have pre-
scented the subject only in part-that think
ing men regard voting as an indication of
moral character, ard the Presidential CON
test as an index to the moral condition of
the national pulse The moral health cf
the nation is of more value than its polti
cal healthier rather the former is the
very soul and substance of the latter, mas
much as righteousness exalteth nation.
Therefore the exhibition of the moral char
acter through the ballot box will be view
ed with the liveliest interest, not only by
every Christian, but by every true Politi-
cal Economist. If the nation should So
far depart from moral rectitude and be-
come so far lost to a sense of the import
ant trust committed to its keeping, as to
approve Of Slavery, when the direct issue
has been presented as in this campaign
by the laws of accelerated force in crime and
of consistency, all true liberty must soon
be sacrificed, and the most absolute on
preston, based upon might, would reign
supreme. 1t is nonsense to suppose that
civil or religious liberty would be tolerated
by the spirit of slavery, or that any right
or interest of any class could be safe un-
der a rule which wantonly sacrificed any
right of any class of men These views
are sustained by all history. 1t is there
fore highly important to understand our re-
al national character, in order to form ra-
tioaal hopes relating to our nation, and
the late election has not only exhibited the
character of the people, but also abundant
grounds for the most lively hopes for the
future, as well as encouragement for future
labor
Jefferson County IN the legislature.