The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-03-21
ton of peace and the Union. They found


only in the Democratic party those princi
Lincoln had always maintained, or pro-
fessed to maintain, until he was forced to
abandon them, as some Of them believed,
against his own settled convictions of right
and policy. Thus alone could he be en-.
abled to return or be forced back to his
old conservative policy, which Afforded
the hope of an honorable termination OF
the war. of a restoration Of the Union, and
= vindication of the Constitution.
Seeing all this, they could not hesitate
70 abandon their old political associates,
who had already abandoned the principles
unon which the war had hitherto profess
edly been conducted. If not the President
of their choice, and ally themselves with
the Democrats.
This is the true explanation where the
votes came from, and why they came,
which gave us the victery-which produc-
ed this great political revolution.
1t is undoulte teddy true that but small
portion of the conservative Republicans
who are opposed to this wild and destruc
tive radicalism of their Abolition leaders,
which now reigns supreme in the Cabinet
and i'm Congress, abandoned them and
came to ns during the late canvass In
deed. only the most reflective and saga
cious of them were prepared TO do so. as it
were. ON the spur of the moment Were
the elections to be repeated to morrow,
ten would vote with us now where one
did in November. The persistent and en-
venomed abuse of Democratic loyalty by
thu political papers and orators which
alone they were in the habit of reading
and hearing, induced many to actually
Il. h. /,
once in power, would sustain the Govern
ment in the prosecution of the war to re-
store the Union and vindicate the Consti.
tuition; while others had not sufficiently
anayzed their own feelings, in view of
the altered and peculiar state of things, to
enable them to break away from old
names and old associations, and to over
come old prejudices so far as to allow
them TO vote the Democratic ticket But,
thanks to the enlightenment of the Ame-
rlcan people, enough saw the truth and
acted upon it to overthrow those danger
Gus men whose manifest and declared
object is to overthrow the Constitution of
their country, and who will, IN history,
stand side by side with the leaders of this
rebellion. Posterity will be divided upon
the question as to which are the wickedest
and which the greatest traitors
The true course of the Democratic party
in the future is manifest We must walk
in the light of the past If we would
maintain the ascendancy already attained
and augment our ranks by the accession
of those Republicans who are disguised
and alarmed by the radical policy Of the
Abolition leaders, and who desire to pro-
secute the war by constitutional means
and for constitutionaltends. we must pur,
sue a course alike di ctated by patriotism
and by policy. We must heartily and cor
daily live up to our professions during
the canvass. We must show no luke
warmness, or hesitancy in sustaining and
prosecuting a war which, if abandoned by
the people, must result in a dismember
ment of the Union. the destruction of the
and a disgrace TO this people
which must attach to them and their pos
terIty through ali time. A dissolution of
the MON once admitte1-a destruction
OF the Constitution once effected, then this
OF States will be resolved into
Its original elements, and who can tell
where will be the end? There never was
a clearer light shining before the public
men than that which Eliminates the way
In which we should walk We may pur-
sue course now which will draw to our
party all the reflective, substantial con
servatism of the nation, by the aid and
support of which we shall be enabled to
wrest Abraham Lincoln from the desper-
ate hands of those who are bent on the
destruction of the Constitution and the
government, and to take the lead Of pub
lie affairs, and finally restore the country
to peace. unity and happiness. Or we may
by another course repel from US those
VINO have now come to our help aud given
US the victory, As well as the great mass of
the Democrats themselves, and leave the
party literally annihilated, and with it the
last hope of the country blasted
Yours, truly,
j. D. CAroS.
OTTAWA, ILL.,, Dec. Is, 1862.