The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1864-02-10
What Course Do We Steer ?


| should suddenly return and come in social
contact with his fellow countrymen, HE
principal theme for wonder would be the
| appaTant resignation OF carelessness with
which many members OF the Democratic
parry sllude to anticipated fraud on the part
of the administration in the next Presiden
| tial election. 1t is commonIto hear people
who in better days would have repelled The
idea with indignation, nov express their
conviction that the re election Of Lincoln
| by fraudul ent means, in opposition 10 the
popular will is a foregone conclusion aad
many 90 so far as to admit that Mr.. Sew
ards theory will be praciicsd, and that the
| present incumbent will retain his Office by
suspension OF the exercise OF the elective
franchise making necessity plea for dis
pensing with the election. Several journals
| claiming 10 be Democratic have OF late ac
knowedged that he popular sentiment will
be denied The privilege Of expression, and
they already take il for granted that The in
irgues and arbitrary action of Mr.. Lincoln
and his adherents will enabls him 10 hold
! Tor another term the absolute scepter he has
assumed.
There is no denying that a great peril
threatens the elective franchise, aud the
! most careless observer of the recent acts OF
! the sdu inisualion will be impressed with
! the conviction that sysemauzsd plan is
! 10 the operation to remove from the peo-
pie the choice of their next Federal Execu-
/ tive The late proclamation OF Gen Banks,
which il carried into effect, will give the
civil COVE rrment of Louisiana into the con-
troll OF a few Federal retainers, has set the
machinery in motion. That proclamation
furnishes The first modern instance OF the
abroga,on OF state constitution by mill
tary commander. The first Napoleon,
welding at once an imperial scepier and
/ conquefor's sword, never, in the hight OF
/ his power, presumed with stroke o! his
I pen 10 overlurn the fundamentals Of States
/ political system. he dethroned kings,
changed dynaslies, and transferred the exc
/ cu,iye authority 10 the creatures OF his will,
but he respected the essence OF the Poliii-
: cal fabrics beneath which the people dwelt
Nations, it is true, have been robbed Of
whose oppressors have so warmly greeted
by the debtors OF Pulaski aud Kosciusko
but those upheavals OF political foundations
were consumma,ed by the co-joned action
Of poieutaIes, not by the single will Of mill
tary captain. II has been left for a soldier
OF this Republic to exercise, toward his
own countrymen, the most absolute oil des-
pohc civil functions.
But the approach of the period designa-
ted for Presidential election rendered it
Necessary for the schemers to develop their
bold plot The creation Of this impromlu
civil government of Louisiana will give so
many Abolition electors from that State Tor
the Presidential electoral college. Arkan-
sas and Tennessee will be made to furnish
their quotas by the same process. In other
States OF the Coniederacy where saffi-
ciept number OF Federal soldiers and ne
groes to constitute one-tenth of the voting
population can be brought TO the polls un-
der the Abolition oath, the raummery will
De hurried through and the subservient
electors will be duly qualified. Idaho, Ne
vada and Nebraska, possibly Utah, will be
lesislaed into the Union in time to pay
their forced tribute 10 the Abolition candi-
date, their sparse population, of course,
controlled by Federal authority or bought
by Federal patronage. What will be done
in Deleware and Maryland is evident by
the record OF wha: haS been done. And if
all this should not suffice TO stem the tor
rent Of popular opposition, the means that
carried Ohio against the greatest vote that
was ever before polled there for 4 guberua-
torial candidate, will be employed in The
northern States. Contemplating the vast
net that is thus being woven, well may the
people of this Republic be appalled, at the
imminence OF the danger that threatens the
very existence Of their political system.
But shall i, be said that the people ac-
cepi the destiny thus traced out for them by
an nnscrupulous and reckless faction Are
the Democracy so fainl-hear,ed and sub
missise as TO akrowledge that they see the
meshes, and nc; put forth their strength TO
! rend them asunder Shall Democratic
journals camly comment upon the probable
/ result, and, confessing that they understand
the peril, suggest no measures to avert it?
Must we shru9 our shoulders, and like the
| Mussulman laialist, say it is within the
book OF Dooms, and bend our necks 10 the
bowsIing It is this apathy, this appa-
rent indifference, .his careles', sometimes
iocular allusion 10 the purposes of tyrarny,
thai gives strength and audacity TO the con-
spirators. Let the people seriously survey
the treacherous ground before them; let
them look at the pitfalls and traps that en-
| viron ihem-let them consider how feasi-
bic the project OF the men IN power, unless
an organized and determined effort be made
10 preserve the elective franchise in its Pu-
riiy. DO not let Us drifl into a confirmed
absoluiism, without bending an oar or un-