Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-10-24


1t is very likely that the known preponder-
ance of republicans in the army will not who'll
ly account for the result of the elections in
Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana, although
that fact has been very influential. There are
undoubted symptoms Of reactionary tenden-
cy more or less prevalent, but seen not so
much in the conversion, or rather peryersion,
ofindiyiduals to that side, as in the greater ac-
tivity Of the opponents of the national admin
istration and the apathy Of its friends, where
by the recent voting is made to give an exag-
gerated view of the public sentiment. The
only question of importance is, whether this
tendency is permanent in its character, or is
only one Of those alterations of political feel
ing which crowd the history of every excited
epoch.
We have no donbt at all on this point This
reactiOnary tendency cannot go on far. 1t
must soon reach the limit of federation, and
then give place to a heartier and more gen
eral support of the government than we have
yet seen. The truth is, the scope and real
design of those who are engineering this ret
rOgrade movement are not suspected by the
honest masses. The people of the loyal states,
as a body, are determined to carry this war
through to an honorable end, and they mean
to support the president in his efforts there
to. The reactionary leaders, on the 9TH
er hand, mean nothing of the kind. They are
bent upon embarrassing the president, him
dering the prosecution Of the war, patching up
a compromise with the traitors, or in some
other way backing out of the great duties
which lie straight before us. Now the diverg-
ence must be made manifest by and by, and
then the people will rise in their might and
brush away these covert and disgracetul enc
mics. Some of the newly elected members of
rriH 81,
patriotic revival comes before they take their
seats) or their affiliated managers and organs
will incautiously betray their real purposes,
so that they will be understood and Stunned
in season. The truth is, the times allow but
two parties-those who unequivocally support
the president in his endeavOrs to overthrow
therebellOn and those who are arrayed against
him. Men chan choose between these two
but the people have already chosen, and they
surely dlscOuntenance all tactiOus resistance
to the government just as fast as they discov-
er it.
We find confirmation Of the position here
taken in the remark of a city contemporary
an organ Of the peoples party-to the effect
that Mr.. Vallandghamis ''only in advance of
the conservative sentiment" which accounts
for his failure to get reelected Here we
have it, The notorious Vallandgham, whose
congressional career has been one unbroken
record of opposition to the war policy OF the
administration, who has done all that lay in
his power to weaken and foil his own govern
ment in this trying eXgency, and whose
speeches have been fifty circulated and com
mended inAthe rebel prints, this man is the
great ileIeader Of the conservative senti-
mentl What an abuse of terms But
never mind that-conservative gentlemen of
the republican party, you who are think
ing of fraternizing for time with the oppo-
nents of president Lincoln, you now see where
you are tending. Yallandgham is your pio-
neer, and you are to humbly tread in mis- foot
steps True he is ahead Of you now, but if
you labor faithfully Gn opposing the president)
and use great vigilance (lest you do anything
to uphold the war;, then-glorous privilege.
you may come to stand where Vallandgham
now is. But where will he be then? Still in
the advance, doubtless, for this tendency to
thwart the government can not pause IN its
present stage. 1t must rest Somewhere not