The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1863-03-27


thoy do bore. Even Il they we're able to
tear our laws from tho statute book, the on.
orgy Of our legislation will have launched
tho country and It's cause so far on the re-
turnless lido Of events as TO place them be.
yond their roach. II tho gentleman looks
to the numerical vote of the FREQ Staios,
where parties only oxist In quasi normal
condition, he fuds majority Of over eighty
six thousand votes against the Democracy
by tho official count. And yet these olec.
.ions are declared to bO condemnation Of
the President and his policy; of emancipa-
ton, confscation, tho abolition Of slavery in
this Capital. and know not what beside
Sir, all they did or could accomplish was
merely to designate who should fill tho Of
fees, to indicate who of the applicants
should bave tho places.
Sir, before an election can amount to q
solemn judgment of tho people upon the
most grave and momenlous issues, il must
be had after the fullest and most complete
hearing before tho whole people, oil of
whom must havo an opportunity to poss
upon thom, and in period of profound re-.
pose, favorable to reflection and decision.
Not one Of these conditions attended these
elections.
l. There novor was any hearing, full or
otherwise. before tho whole people upon
thcso issues. In many sections, net po-
liticai speech was made, nor q paragraph
published upon them. In my own section
OF Ohio. not a word, not single word, for
or against these leading measures. Every.
body of all parties scquiesced in them.
2. An ontire fifth, al least, of the voters
were absent both from the argument and
the decision of the cause.
Who shall pretend to say that tho absent
arc coincided by this decision thus made In
their absence, or that any issue or principle
could DO settled by this fraction of tri-
bunal 1t could and did elect mon to of.
ace, aud nothing more, no matter how ex-
a haustive may have been the discussion, how
: long the deliberaticn, or how solemn tho
decision.
i, 3. The fact of tho absence Of this i'm.
q mense maAs of tho people, itself proves the
presence of gigantic disturbing cause
which rendered deliberation and judgment
impossible.
We were at war. The absent were in the
4, Held, in camp, on the march. in battle, pur
:, suing and being pursued; in hospitals, nurs
ing or being nursed dead, butying tn
:, dead, or being buried, We were in a hug
), war against treason. for the nations lif
10 The nations map was torn asunder
!, huge,ragged gulf, from tho Atlantic to Mex
10 co. parting the life arteries, was CROWN
!. wider and wider. We wore trying to graz
pie the fragments together with our make
hands. bridging the chasm with the live bod
ies Of our devoted people. or filling it u,
, with their red and mangled remains. Oul
ears we're fIled with the roar and clanpor o.
battle. its shout and shrek and groan.
The States were turned into great re.
cruiting stations. into oxtemporized camps.
Hundreds Of fery-tougued orators were
urging tho strong and brave 20 the field.
Hundreds of thousands were unclasping the
!. staying arms Of love from their necks, and
rushing to battle and death and partings
and sobs and tears wore through all the
land. Not living human heart but was
moved as il never was BEFORE and went out
to contemplate, or stood sill to feel and
agonize, in tho presence of .his fearful ca
lamity. In the midst Of these scenes came
the elections. Save the thinking few and
tho designing many-who cared for them !?
Who OF the masses who questioned every
breeze for the result of the fight, and who
trembled at every rumor for tho safety OF
the loved, or who went in innumerable
mourning professions to take leave of the
departing regiments-who of these would
know of or care for the issues that awaited
their decision by what seemed 10 them, at
that time, the trivial process of the ballot ?
They would not know of them or caro- for
them; and that mcn is wretch beyond re-
demption. ora fool Ave times damned, who
asserts that anything in the way of princi-
pie or policy was or could be settled BY the
people in that election.
Think you that the two hundred thous.
aud who then volunteered, rushed to arms
TO condemn war that they went TO fight,
to condemn policy for which they gave
their blood, or to rebuke President whom
they obeyed from love and profound ro-
speot? Condemn emancipation? Why did
they volunteer Or think you that tho
fathers and brothers who gave these up to
peril, intended by their votes to condemn
themselves, as the murderers of their scns
and kindred, for thus sending them to strife
aud doath in support of this policy What
man has here presented q reuonstrance
against emancipation, or against the sus-
pension Of the writ Of habeas corpus Who
has pstitioned for tho repeal of the confis-
cation act, the tax law, or the re-establish
ment OF slavery in this Capitali
THE ELECTIONS IN OHIO.
The elections cannot in any way be taken
as condemnation of the Republicans as q
party, for.as distinctive party, on their owu
/ platform, they were not in the contest any.
: where. In Ohio they at once abandoned
6 their party organization, aud fraternized
o with everybody and every thing that stood