The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-03-12


second thought of the people of the border
States may yet grow salvation for the re-
public.
The Election I'm New Hampshire To-
Dny-The Other New England Elcc-
ttons-Their Vast Importance I'm the
Crisis.
The election for Governor and members of
Congress in New Hampshire takes place this
day, and the contest is regarded with more
than ordinary interest, because it has been
looked forward to as a criterion by which to
Judge of the amount of reaction in the New
England States against the revolutionary re-
publican party in consequence of the dsas-
trous effects it has produced in breaking up
the Union, in destroying all the commercial
and industrial interests of New England, and
in now attempting to inaugurate bloody civil
war, the end Of which no man can foresee
The decision of New Hampshire to-day will be
regarded as test by the border slave States,
which are now celebrating whether they will
continue in the Union or Immediately secede
from it, If the contest should result sin the
defeat of the black republicans, the effect will be
immense on Virginia and the other border slave
States, probably turning the now evenly
balanced scales in favor of the Union and
against secession. If, however, the result in
New Hampshire should turn out different from
what all wise and patriotic men desire, the
border slave States ought not to assume too
hastily that the counter revolution is making
no progress in New England. For our own part
we scarcely expect that the republicans will be
defeated, for there is not yet sufficient time for
the full effect of reaction; but we do expect that
their majority at the election in November will
be greatly reduced and we have every conf
dence that in the other important contests in
New England-the elections Of Connecticut and
| Rhode Island, which are to come off on the LIST
and Sd of April-there will be glorious victo-
ries in favor Of the reconstruction of the Union,
and against the fanaticism which has wrought
Its dissolution, destroyed the trade Of the
North, and reduced to idleness and penury
multitudes of the working population. Let
the border slave States, therefore, pause
and take no precipitate action if New
Hampshire should still go republican. There is
majority Of upwards OF 5000 to be overcome.
The figures at the Presidential election were:-
Opposition OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES .-...... zS,4i0
Republican majority. ................... 9l00
The republican committee, after a canvass of
the State, only calculate now upon 5000 majo-
rity, though through their Vaccinations the
conservative interest is divided between the
candidate of the Union party and the candidate
Of the democracy. Perhaps they may not OBJ
tain even this majority; and if not the fact
would be significant indication that the cur.
rent of the counter revolution has steadily set
in and will in the end carry all before it if the
border slave States will only allow time and pa.
tience to do their work.
If the republicans may not be defeated in
New Hampshire, they can be overthrown in
Connecticut and Rhode Island, ir the moderate
and conservative men of those States who have
recently voted with the republican party will
retrace their steps and redeem their error by
combining in the counter revolution with the
democracy to lay low the anarchists and re
volutionists. Unless they do this the same in
fuences which placed Mr.. Lincoln in the Pre-
disastrous results throughout the country, will
drive public affairs from bad to worse, till re-
vuision becomes chronic, and our fruitful
plains and lovely valleys are desolated by
civil war, our cities and towns are laid in ruins,
and, in the language Of Garrison, "blood flows
like water in every section of this fair land,
lately smiling with plenty and prosperity.
II the radical revolutionary republicans could
but see the end from the beginning, and real
ize the horrors Of the future, they would shrink
back appalled,, like Frankenstein, at the mon
ster which they are about to raise but cannot
quelI. When they prepare TO inaugurate civil
war, they propose to put forces into action
which they cannot control, and let loose pas
sions which turn civilized man into demon.
OF these forces and these passions they will be-
come themselves the victims when ii is too late
to retracc their steps. What has happened in
England and France may happen here again,
and American humanity has no exemption
from the common lot OF the race and those
natural laws which ever work the same results.
The effect Of the constant progress and accu-
mutation of wealth is to make civil war far
more terrible now than in previous ages. In
mense sums have been expended on works
which would perish in few hours. The mass
Of movable wealth in large cities would be ex
posed TO spoliation and destruction, aud the
public credit shattered, on which thousands of
familie directly depend for subsistence, aud
with which the credit Of the whole commercial
world is iusepsrably connected at is no ex'
sggeration," observes Macaulay, ITO say that
civil war of week on English ground would
now produce disasters which would be felt
from the Hoangho TO the Missouri, and Of
which the traces would be discernibe at the
distance oil a century What then would be