Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-03-19
s1TEoE0F HoN. 3. 9. RTDpIE.
rcontinnsd from First Pare.l

TIE ELECTIONS, AND WHAT THY DEetDAD'
But we are told that the scepter is al
ready passing from us, and the country IS
again drifting upon the Wreeking rocks OF
Democracy. Were this so, it would eeem
but the ordinary result Of the labors Of the
two parties. The Republicans, as party,
have done no act spoken no word, to re-
tain mower in their hands. Their whole
energy has been given to the cause Of the
country only, regardless Of all possible
political consequences to themselves
Never in The worlds history did party
80 apply the knife to its own members,
and 50 unsparingly lay bare the doings Of
its weak or wicked. And no party ever
so boldly and defantly thrust the weapons
of assault into the hands Of its enemies,
and pointed out its own vulnerable places.
And certainly no party ever so selfshly
and wickedly traded in the ealamities Of q
Wretched country, for the sole purpose Of
stealing back the power it had lost, as
these leaders of Democracy. And they
every day, on this floor, tsunt rs with
their already achieved success; that we
are already blasted with popular mildew
and we are earicatured under the ghostly
forms Of corpses walking about the Cap
itol.
My colleague from the capital district
(AIr. Cox early denounced US as contu-
macious, because we did not vacate our
seats and abandon everything to the
hands Of the recently resurrected Demo-
crscv. who came with the smell Of the
cbsrnel- house and the odor Of old corrup-
ton upon them 50 strong that we may well
doubt their return to full life. Sir, the
Democracy have not secured the next Con-
rress: they have not even elected ma
iority of the next House. They will be
stronger, but they will be powerless save
to mock and make mouths at fate, as they
do here. Even if they we're able to teal
our laws from the statute-bOok, the energy
Of our legislation will have launched the
country and its cause so far on the return
less tide Of events as to place them beyond
their reach If the gentleman looks tc
the numerical vote Of the free States
where parties only exist in aquasi normal
condition, he finds majority Of over
eiehtv-six thousand votes against the De
mocracv BY the official count. And ye
these elections are declared to be 8 con
demnation Of the President and his policy
of emancipation, confscation, the aboli
ton Of slavery in this capital, and know
not what beside. Sir, all they did Of
could accomplish was merely to designate
who should fill the Offices, to indicate WHIT
Of the applicants should have the places
Sir, before an election can amount TO 8
solemn judgment of the people upon thu
most grave and momentous issues, it mus
a FL. II .n1,v,1aF,
hearing before the whole people, all o.
whom must have an opportunity to pasI
upon them, and in period Of profound
repose, favorable to reflection and decis
ion. Not one of these conditions attended
these elections.
l. There never was any hearing, full OF
otherwise, before the whole people upor
these issues. In many sections not a po
litical speech was made, nor paragraph
published upon them. In my own section
Of Ohio, not a word, not a single word, 70,
or against these leading measures. Every
body Of all parties acquiesced in them.
2. An entire fifth, at least, Of the voter
were absent both from the argument an'
the decision Of the cause.
Who shall pretend TO say that the absen
are concluded by this decision thus mad
in their absence, or that any issue o,
principle could be settled by this Fraction
of & tribunal It could and did elect mel
to Office, and nothing more, no matter hov
exhaustive may have been the discussion
how long the deliberation, or how solemn
the decision.
8. The fact Of the absence Of this i'm
mense mass of the people, itself proves tn
presence Of q gigantic disturbing cause
which rendered dshberation and judgmen
impossible.
We were at war. The absent were il
the field, in camp, on the march, in battle
pursuing and being pursued; in hospital
nursing, or being nursed dead, buryinl
the dead, or being buried. We were in /
huge war against treason for the nation
life The nations map was torn asunder
huge ragged gulf, from the Atlantic t
Mexico, parting the life arteries, wal
growing wider and wider. We we're try
ing to grapple the fragments together viii
our naked hands, bridging the ohasm witt
the live bodies Of our devoted people, o.
filling it up with their red and mangleC
remains. Our ears were filed with tht
roar and clangor of battle, its shout anC
shrek and groan.
The States were turned into great re
cruiting stations, into eXtempOrized camps
Hundreds Of fiery-tongued orators werI
urging the strong and brave to the field
Hundreds Of thousands we're unclsspin(
the staying arms Of love from their neck
and rushing to battle and death anC
partings and sobs and tears were through
all the land. Not a living human hear
but was moved as it never was before, anC
went out to contemplate, or stood still tt
feel and agonize in the presence Of thiI
fearful calamity. In the midst Of thesl
scenes came the elections. Save the think
ing few, and the designing msny-WhC
cared for them2 Who Of the masses who
questioned every breeze for the result o.
the fight, and who troubled st every rumol
for the safety Of the loved, or who went il
innumerable mourning professions to taks
leave of the departing regiments-who Of
these would know of or care for the issues
that awaited their decision by what seem.
ed to them at that time the trivial process
of the ballot2 They would not know Of
them or care for them; and that man is
wretch beyond redemption, or a fool five
times damned, who asserts that anything
in the way Of principle or policy was OF
could be settled by the people in that elee-
ton.
Think you that the two hundred thous-
and who then volunteered, rushed to arms
to condemn a war that they went to fight,
to condemn 8 policy for which they gave
their blood, or to rebuke President whom
they obeyed from love and profound res
pect2 Condemn emancipation Why did
they volunteer? Or think you that the ia
theirs and brothers who gave these up to
peril, intended by their votes to condemn
themselves, as the murderers Of their sons
and kindred, for thus sending them to
strife and death in support of this policy {?
What man has here presented q remon-
STRANGE against emancipation, or against
the suspension of the writ of ha6eas corpus !?
Who has petitioned for the repeal Of the
cOnhscation act the tax law, or the re-es-