Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1863-04-16

Y .
and the verdict of the people the same as in
this city Had the result been different, il
would have been claimed, and rcasonablyI
40, thai the people indorsed the peace lao.
ron. FThe real meaning ofths election,
therefoi e. not in : shape to be disputed.
The lesson nan important one. IL is wor.
thy ofcousidefation, as affecting great na
tionsl intorests, and as people Il is our
duty to see that il Is not thrown away. That
II may bc properly understood and i,nproy.
ed, we will take briet retrospective view
OF the political events Of the last six months
Last tall the Democrats carried Ohio, In
diana, Illinois, New York and PeDnsylva
mia. They p,ofessed to be in favor of a
vigoroW prosecution Of the waf Their
candidates everywhere, made war speeches.
FThey pointed out tho alleged failures Of the
Administration, and UPON these inilures
they made the fight. They did not talk
about an armistice in that campaign; com
spronise with rebels in arms was not hinted
at; our soldiers were to be Sustained; all the
means necessary to vigorous war, were TO
be furnished; the Union was to be preserv.
ed, and the rebels were to be conquered.
This was their platform, aud upon this
they succeeded. The people were dissatis
fled with the conduct of the war, and
change Of parties, that promised an i'm
provement, they were prepared for. Many
Of the Republicans voted the Democratic
ticket, and thousands of them did not vote
at all. Thus the election was carried by
the Democrats. But no sooner did the
leaders ofthe- party secure triumph at the
polls, than they began to show the cloven
foot. The verdict intended by the people
a. in favor of a vigorous prosecution OF the
war, to the suppression OF the rebellion, was
interpreted BY the leaders as in favor of an
armistlce, 2 compromise, and finally il was
construed a, meaning n Northwestern Com
federacy. with New England lrf out in the
cold. The boldness with which the Cincin.
natl. Enquirer came out for peace, and the
venom. with which it advocated the infa
nous doctrine Of Vsllandigham, soon after
the Fall elections, are all matters of record.
MIR. Pendlet0n, too, who made war speech
es in this county during the campaign, all
at once became bold in his advocacy of the
Vallandigham platform. He lost no time
in appearing before the people in bis true
coiors. Instead OF supporting the war he
opposed it. Instead of standing by the
Government he stood by the rebels, voting
against the former, and melting the people
to acts OF violent opposition to the constitu-
ted authorities. He even went SO far in
this direction as to countenance proposi.
ton to repudiate the National debt. Upon
this platform, erected upon the falsely in
terpreted verdict of the people last Fall.
nearly all the leaders of the Democratic par.
ty placed themselves, including Vallandip
ham, Cox. Pendleton, v oorhees, Wood and
others Tho effect Of the teachings ofthese
leaders upon the people is not to be forgot
ten. lt tended directly, not only to the re-
cogniton Of the Southern CJnfederacy, and
the dissolution Of the Union; but also to
civil war, in the North. Thus under the
influence OF Northern traitors. who claimed
that their policy was sustained by the voice
Of the people as proclaimed iu the Fall of
1862, the country was being rapidly hurried
into dissolution and anarchy. As this be.
came apparent, the leaders grew more bold
and their organs unblushing in their adyo
cacy of treason. This lod Democratic lead
ers, who had contributed largely to the
Democratic victories in October and No.
vember, to pause, and finally to repudiatc
and oppose the Peace faction. We know
how Van Baren, aud Brady aud DAILY, and
men OF that stamp, protested against the
false Interpretation put upon the meaning
Of the fall elections 1t is known, too, that
Gov. Seymour of New York refused to go
along with Wood, Vallandigham and Pen,
dletou. We do NOT know whether the lat
ter was governed in this by principle or pol-
10y, but it Is well understood that for some
reason or othershe severed his connection to
the extent of refusing to travel along with
the radicals OF the submission school To
show thst we are presenting correct view
Of this matter, We quote a;leading editorial
of the 81 Louis Rppublican--one of the
ablest Democratic journals Of the West. =
This paper is hitter opponent Of the Ad
ministration. This 10 shown in the extract
given below. We copy the whole article,
IN order that our readers may see what
leading Democratic paper says Of the mean
ing Of the late political revolutions:
The old maxim, an NEnIo rgrsstxus mIs-.'you will go
safest IN hr middle -scems supposed 10 he en-
urrly rnpphcabie 10 wsr times Judging by popular
fLis cou try can evvr be saved by exlrcns policy,
whether mi .islcrcd Nori South It's savuion, we
sincerely believe viii depend upon return, the pat
Of he governing masses to political conservatism We
'hoiRhtwr saw evidences OF snch re,uru in the cleo
tiuns Of last fa when New York Pcnnsy Ohio,
became comaletriy reyoi onixed, cung from the do
uniol OF th. Republicans pqrty, ail swinging round
position marked by patrialic milo ality New Je-
sey too, beuered lis standing, and III other s,tes II the
ravuson was not complete, II was NJ lrast promising.
,hs enssrg s popular reform Of as, Fall nigh! have
opportunity opened to the Democratic party Of the North
II has been lost rather thrown away The parry has
not been able to Keep down certain designing lenders
who, IN their ambition rule have betray ed and Grip
pied IT, The Interpretation by prominent Democr ratio
politicians OF the victories OF lasi Fall dirr from this
meaning the masses had IN mind just ahd righteous
was the verdict Of October and November bun not
the verdict that Fernando Wood aud Clement vallandig
hain und Thomas H. Seymour imagined II did not mean
wha, certain members OF the Legislatures OF Delaware.
New Jersey Indiana and Illinois pretended TO ihiuk il
did. The people voted for Democratic candidates upon
the superstition thai they represented certain aiosved
principes-opposiiion 10 the hateful aa,d mschievous
policy oi our incompetent i,npoteni Washington Admin
istrauon, but nnyeldny fidelity to the Union and The
Govetuuent This was the plnorn Of The masses, aud
we take comfort IN the firm belief that 10 YET But The
course OF toe nuny OF the eaers Of the Democratic par
y hssawskened suapcio, and fanHi this suspicion is
dspeled is useless for thai party 70 look for seccess
The recent elections In Rhode Island Connecticut and
e Union, and they will rather be ruled by Republics
ian do We believe the masses in Connectcu were
solciious for opportunity rehyke the Admislra
uon, u they might without comforting the rcbels. The
resolutions OF the Democratic party Stale were re
fcrred to some weeks ago IN this paper
rep~ conservativs Republicans from the support Of It's
ticket One DemooFauc Cony,essma llas been losi in
Cop eeiiept, - ,is whsnsoHe could be spared, by
the adopuo! Of m utterly ruinous policy II was entirely
within the bounds Of reasonable expectation for the
Democrats to have carried three Of tho Tour districts had
they placed themselves upon proper platform No or
gnnixalion suna ilse N he Norh before the peo-
po uless tho meptananee Of the Government II s par
smouhl principle. The talk Of peace, hostility 10 The
&c at the present sage Of adhiss tneans dis
union, aud nothing else. Those who indulge In II may