The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-11-21
SPIRIT OF THE NEW YORK PRESS.
WHAT MAREs THE TRIUMPH
COMPLETES

Prom 's' Times.
Men cal the reelection Of President Lincoln
o triumph Of the Union cause. This dDn't tell
the story. The reelection might have occurred
and have exposed the Union cause 10 greater
danger than ever. A bare electoral majority
would have surely had that effect. Il would
have encouraged the opposition to the Govern
ment TO make it Orgauiza ion yctmorc complete
and keep Itself ready for IT,, Hst new opportn-
pity 20 SeFe power The second term OF Mr.
Lincoln would have seen all the faction and So A.
ton OF the first with ton-fuld greater activity
In all earthly probability we should have had
lagJani insubordinatiOn here In the North .oug
before that second term bGd expired
But II the mere reelection Of President Lincoln
Gees not express the triumph, neither does the
TACT that il was effected by the immense majority
81 at lesst four hundred thousand. Tha, Is
grand. such prcpOnderance of intelliGent iudg-
ments ara strong wills In favor of the war vastly
confirms its strength both materially and morally,
1et u oOCs not OF itself constitute full triumph
II ialls short Of establishing an absolute security
Ii tins four hundred thousand majority had
been given by one or two only of the geograpli-
cal divisions Of the North, it might have proved
ncW source of jealousy, discord, aud weakness
tut al parts Of the North (using the term in its
widest set se) contribute to this maj1rty-New
England, some 100000 towards it the Middle
rate, ,inCludrg Maryland), 10000; the West
i6OOuOi and the Pacific slope, 10000. What is
peculiarly grafy lug is that the West the section
Ar
mas counted most Tor sympathy and cooperation,
is the cry portion of The North which has sus
tancd the Union cause with the greatest number
OF votes
Suppose the maiOrites given by the West for
President Lincoln had been given the other v,ay
would not every loyal man have felt it 80 be por-
tentou5 Would any majOrities In the other
portions, however great, have saved the Govern.
lnent from the danger Of a new Rebellion Pos
Sibly before this year were out We should see the
ueaSonaple associations Of the Northwest lighting
up the whole section with the flames of revolt
ana IN open connection with the Southern Con-
teoefacy. The spirit of the Western Opposition
leaders for the last twelve months in open speech
and secret conspiracy, fully warrants the assump-
ton that they would have carried their section to
any extremity OF treason, had any considerable
the polls.
But the loyal will of the Western people has
Deen declared With an emphasis that forever
sIlences faction. Nobody will be mad enough
hereafter to dream Of alternating the West from
the Government. Even that district of the West
which was formerly accounted the least attached
10 the Union cause.-the so called Egypt of Illi-
nois-has given President Lincoln large popular
majority, and sent ne less than three Congress
men TO sustain him in Congress. Loyalty is shown
10 be the predominant spirit everywhere from
ONO TO the base Of the Rocky Mountains and
thus the last hope Of those who looked for sec
tonal diversions in the North disappear The
triumph of the Union cluse is as satisfactory in
its geographical aspects in its numerical results
But one thing more was necessary to give this
triumph completeness. Whatever the numerical
majority among the people in favor Of Mr.. Lin
coin, however we'll distributed that majority vas
from The Atlantic to the Pacific, yet had our gal
liant soloiers in the field shown themselve at
variance with ii, there would have been room for
serious misgiYng OF course, it cannot be ina
gned that our heroic armies would have aban-
doned thcir flag, however much they might have
disagreed with the popular will in this elections
yet they would have been more than men had
not such fact chilled their ardOr, and generated
a certain estrangement between them and the
people. What gives this election the crOWnng
security and glory is, that it meets the will of our
soldiers i'll the field Just as decidedly as our people
at !. .esNe.
The voters who are under orders pass the same
judgment upon President Lincoln as those who
still remain in civil life. There is a unsnmty of
conviction aud Of feeling between the military and
civil elements engaged in the cause, that supplies
the last consummate pledge OF success. No
popular declaration for the Baltimore Platform
would have given perfect confidence, If the
military declaration had been adverse to It. The
drilled and trained veterans in the field are the
most necessary OF all instrumentalities TO the
overthrow of the Rebellion.
Had they SIDE with the Chicago Platform and
announced by their votes that in their estima alton
the war was "lailure, and that the time had
come for cessation Of hostilties," what q
hollow mockery would have been all these rejoic.
ngs over tie decision OF the people that the wa
must ar shall 60 on! We're such the manifested
morale or this army, we might well turn dea
ear 10 all these shouts of civic victory, and SC
the cause down as doomed. But nothing Of tina
kind appears.
Al In spie of all their hsrdships and al
Aeir blood spilled, the soldiers are even more
staunCb for the war than when they went fresh
from their homes. All their suffering for the flag
has but strengthened their resolution to stand by
it 10 the last. They Wed with the people in
pledgng themselves 20 this at the recent election.
1t is this which gives the late election result It's
full triumphant rounding-its last finishing qua.
rantee.