The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1862-11-10
The Recent Elections $50 Their Significance.


The Recent Elections 10. Their Significance.
We have freely confessed to our own hon.
est convictions, that the organization of the
Democratic party Is tainted with treason
treason to the Union,-with spirit which
prefers dshonorable concessions and COM
promises, or even disunion, to painful, ex-
pensive and exhaustive war--which reverses
the old watch-words of patriotism, and pre-
fers Dishonor to Death. We believe that dis
honest men, rebel sympathisers, men devoid of
principle, who care not straw tcho or tchdt
governs If they can only ride on the top of the
wave, take advantage of the democratic or
observation-disclosures it is the opposition or
ganization-and if they do not control it for
evil and for mischief, it will not be for lack of
disposition, but simply from lack OF ability.
But while we say and believe this, we have
never said, we would not--for we do not be-
lieve-that the masses of the democratic party,
the crank and file"-or majority of the nfu-
entail members, are dishonest or tratoriously
disposed, or that they are not true lovers of
their country. The masses of all parties are
honest They may be prejudced, may be mis-
and may act in way that embarrasses the pa
riot aud strengthens the arm of the common
enemy, but it is not from evil designs that
they thus act, or from unpatriotic motives, but
rather through ignorance, and mistaken views
of duty.
We believe the result Of the recent election
in New York will be bad; that the rebels will
foEo md faol hot tl,at bava IN,
hope from a coming than from the present Con-
gress, and that the work of conquerng the re-
beon has actually been increased by the turn
which the elections have taken. But that the
bulk of the democratic party, or even a large
proportion of the newly elected democratic
members of the next Congress, are prepared
to disgrace the nation by accepting terms of
dishonorable peace, we do not want to believe;
we will not believe.
We have no purpose in this article to inves-
tigate the causes of the revolution that has
taken place in the politics of several of the
large States We have our own opinions
They may be erroneous; we think they are
not. That the change of fronts 10 New York
and other States is the result of any one cause
plcity of causes. The only one we will here
refer to is this: the people in large numbers
have been made to believe In the inefcieacg
of the administration, in carrying on the war.
Granted it is the work of Demagogues that
has produced this belief; granted that it is
wholly mistaken view, still that belief has
been produced to a greater or less extent, and
the people have been appealed to to vote the
Democratic ticket, in order to give increased
vigor to the war, and to hasten it to an hon
orable conclusion. The following, cut from
paper from an inland city in the State of New
York, just before the election, shews how the
appeal has been put:
vote for Seymour is vote for the vigor
Gus prosecution of the War-a vote for Wads-
worth is vote against the War.
a vote for Seymour is vote to sustain the
President-a vote for Wadsworth is a vote
against the government.
A vote for Seymour is vote to punish trea-
son-a vote for Wadsworth is vote to counte-
nance treason.
A vote for Seymour is vote to restore the
Union vote for Wadsworth is to destroy it.
A vote for Seymour is vote to crush the
Rebellion vote for Wadsworth Is to give the
rebels a victory.
A vote for Seymour is vote for freedom
a vote for Wadsworth is vote for perpetual
slavery.
Now such an appeal would never have been
madebu for the expectation that it would take
effect in the soil oil excessive ignorance, and
produce an abundant crop of cotes. The OBJ
ject of the Democratic leaders in that State
was to regain lost power. Having done that,
they will take the course which, to their minds,
promises to secure the retention of that pow
er; aud If to sustain the war, will give them
stability in place, they will sustain, and out
Herod Herod himself in their support, though
every slave become free man, and every
STAKEHOLDER be driven into the Gulf And we
can have no doubt in relation to what the peo-
pie will demand. They will demand either
that the war should be prosecuted with vigor.
or that it shall be brought to close; and in
this way they will do right. 1t should not be
allowed to"drag its slow length along" ac-
comprising no results except the exhaus-
ton of the best blood of the country, and the
waste that ever attends upon gigantic armies.
Say what we will Of it, the people are thor
oughly sick of the inactirity Of the army.-
Whether the fault is with cabinets or with
commanders in the field, we pretend not here
to say, but sure it is, ii Is not NTH the people
They have bed, and they have paid their mon-
ey freely; and long since Richmond, and Mo-
bile, Savannah and Charleston, and the entire
Mississippi should have been exhibited to the
people as trophies of our arms, and of our
gallant deeds. The blood poured out and the
treasure expended have been enough, it would
seem, to purchase results as grand as these
The people demand an advance or retreat
the taking of Richmond, or the abandonment
of the field, and they will insist upon this with
still louder and more emphatic voice, If the
army is not brought into vigorous, active duty
And it Is our firm conviction that, even if
the administration has lost by inactivity, and
by deterring too much to a false sentiment
sometimes called the opinions of the border
States, aad sometimes the fear of divided
North-it yet has the power to recover all lost
ground, and to take advantage of the express
sion just been given In New York, and zee
hare no doubt ttwiH do It, The new Con-
gress does not become active till one year from
December. Till then the administration has
the cards in its own hands. If in that time
the rebellion cannot be subdued, or at least.
brought within suat limits as 70 sl,o,,, harora