The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-11-29
What tho Late election. Dec,s.S.

there are some collateral facts, questions,
and opinions mixed up with these issues,
in such a manner that the whole subject
must be examined, in order to find out
exactly where the government stand, and
the PEOPLE stand in respect to them.
Those issues, unquestionably we're:
LIST. condemnation of the feeble igno-
BILE manner in which the war had been
prosecuted
ID. A condemnation of the PRESIDENT
proclamation of martial law in the loyal
states.
3D. A condemnation of the Presidents
proclamation of the 22d of September, for
confiscating the property OF loyal an unoi-
Tending men. women. and children in the
rebellious states.
These were the main issues. The bung>
ling tax law, and the still moro bungling
contiscatlon law of congress, may haye
contributed to the result, but in minor
and extremely subordinate degree And
the reasons are obvious: First, their inn
portance was oyershadowed by the three
great issues above stated Second, the
people were and are almost unanimously
in favor Of a confscation law that shall
reach the slave property as we'll as other
property of those who may be subjected to
its provisions, and Of tax law that shall
provide a sufficient revenue, i'll just, equal
economical and statesmanlike manner for
all the just necessities of the government.
And they were: generally, too imperfectly
| acquainted with the provisions of both the
confiscation and the tax law, to know with
precision what to approve and what to
condemn in their structure
OF these, therefore, and of many other
minor questions that entered into the
canvass, it may be said, that they were
only reasons, arguments, or a propelling
power, by which the People were brought
directly up to the decision of the three
main issues first stated
And now. justice to the government, and
necessity on the part Of the people requires
careful examination, of the way and
mode in which the voters arrived at their
respective determinations upon each of
these questions. For, it is undeniably
true, that the majorities against the gov
eminent, upon each of these questions,
was not made up of identically the same
persons. A few condemned the couduc.
of the war, without condemning either
proclamation, and some only one of them,
and voted against the government on the
war question alone, or the war QUESTION
coupled with one Of the proclamations.-
i few others Condemned one or both proc
lamation, without condemLing the conduct
of the war, and voted against the govern
ment, solely upon the proclamation ques-
t;on.-By far the greater portion of the
whole, however, voted directly against the
Government upon all three of these
questions.
The majorities which voted against the
government candidates we're made up
probably, lst, Of the entire democratic
vote; and ID, of about one tenth of those
who voted for Mr. Lincoln in 1860
OF tie democratic vote, the whole, I'M
doubtedy, was against the government on
the proclamation question, Including both
of thenn,) and probably three fourths Of
that vote on the condnct Of the war ques-
ton. But upon the latter question, there
was also some division of opinion in the
democratic vote; large proportion, proba
bly, from eight to nine tenths of it, die not
impute the fanlts of tine war to the Gene-
rails commanding the main armies, but to
the government for embarrassing them by
tortuous counsels and conflicting orders
while the other one or two tenths acguit-
ted the government in that regard, and
imputed the fault to the generals.
In regard TO the republican vote that
went to make up the najorities, it may
safely be said, that the whole of 1t was
against the government upon the martial
law question, nearly the whole of it upon
the other proclamation, and nearly the
whole of it again, against the Generals, and
only against the government, upon this
point, because they sustained the generals.
But, upon the main question presented
by the the first issue-that is, vigorous
prosecution of the war to successful ter
nination, as against the policy Of Mr.
Seward, or any one else, in the admins
tration, or out Of it, whose policy may be
t, protract the war by alternate successes
and terminateit by negociation-involving
concessions or seperation-the proportion
ate vote on both sides was probably in the
proportion, $50 to l0-that is to say, sub
stantially unanimous on both sides for
vigorous persecution Of the war until the
constitution and the flag of our country
shall be restored to their normal suprem-
acy over every part of it.
Upon the issue Of the martial law pro
clamatiou, it may be asserted without any
whole vote, without exception, cast against
administration candidates, was cast against
that proclamation; and it is also further
more true that very considerable portion
voters who condemned that proclamation,
but who, from various influences, voted
for the administration candidates not
withstanding
And it is equally true, that the whole
vote cast against administration candidates
was cast against the proclamation of the
ed of September, for confscating the
property Of unoffending loyal men,
women, and children. 1t is true, that not
=. great a proportion of the administration
vote condemned this proclamation as did
the other; and one great reason therefor
is, that it was not so well understood
presses, Speech makers and candidates of
.Ia rattan ronrosa,, Ii, II 4, n o.