Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1864-11-10
THE POLITICAL SITUATION.


passing through the fiery furnace which has
tried the virtue, the patriotism, the endurance
and patience of the American people. The
trials, the temptations. and dangers CT this
p people are not yet over. Bear IN mind the
. maxim {" the price of libety is eternal Wig
ilauce." Short as the sentence Is, it is full OF
1 ,ci,iop, and Importance. The dangers and
d;fscultics which have surrounded aud been
impending over ns for the past four years.
have been inflicted Oh US us nation perhaps
mainly because our people have not under
r,ooa the length and breadth, the hcighth and
,,lepth Of that sentence, " the price Of Liberty
ia pyytS,L VIGILANCE" The rebellion which
has FRUSTRATED the great interests OF this
country has been growing up 70 maturity, and
developed By the events Of tle last quarter OF
a century; aud which attained their full mag
niiudc by n process so gradual as to have been
seen BY few, and their magnitude fully un-
,lcrstood BY none at the breaking out of this
war. The people had forgotten or overlooked
The fact that :" cte,nM eiGHmcc' on their part
is the price Of Lijestg' to them and their
posterity. Designing politicians Of the first
class and political trickstcrs Qfthc lowest class
had been allowed to manage in their own and
tor their own base purposes, the Affairs of q
growing and mighty nation. whose people as q
mass were too honest to suspect kaayery in
others, which formed no part Of their nature,
and WAS not understood by them a people
who themselves rs individuals were bent by
honest industry and enterprise in developing
tho resources, the wealth and the power Of
th, lsnd, supposed all their ncighbors were
intent on the same great purposes, though in
a different channel A people whose honesty
Of individual purpose was so foreign to, that
it could not suspect that under the saise Of
great professions Of patriotism and love Of
1.-The dear people" political smiling and
clseer 'lnavcs. were filing their own pockets
out of the peoples treasury, and bai'ering
away the dearest rights and Interests Of a
conGding people. A people who had neither
the time nor the will to believe that those who
made such loud professions Of anxious care
for the good and the interest of the people,
and manifested so great q desire to relieve
them of the cares and burucns of political du-
ties were "kaarcs who bend the plant hinges
:. Of the knee that thrift may follow fawning."
A people whose own honest nature, prompted
by their inhci en-, feelings Of virtue. could not
be persuaded that "a man may smile and
..s,nilc. and be villain still" With such
feelings and such views ofhuman nature, and
human action, insprited by the pure and c!e-
waiting atmosphere of liberty and equality, cur
people suffered political dcnagogUes, tricksiers
and kuayes to 20 on from one step of corrnp-
ton to another, until suddenly the rude shock
Of rebellion showed them they were drifting
among the breakers Of ruin, and lowering
over the gulf Of destruction.
The Sth Of November has passed-the con-
les, is over, and the Tclcgraphic dispatches
Indicate that decided majority Of the people
uor;b of rebeldom are true to the Country,
The Constitution, the Government and Mrmi-
selrcs, by the almost unanimous electoral vote
for Lincoln and johnson. This result they
have achieved despite the deception, the fraud,
Tho threatened violence, and in somo localities
tie perjury of copparhcuds. This they have
done despite their disapprovai of the policy Of
the Administration and many Of its agents !;
in fayorng domestic rebels and coppcrheads
OF all hues and grades. Some in our midst
even at the risk of c,''owisg the possible cleo
tiou Of Mcclellan and Pcndl,ton, would not
vote for Lincoln and johnson because, when
notorious rebels Gin the scope Of their vision
and knowledge have been arrested and con-
fined, or been sent South of the Federal lines .
for furnishing their sons to the rebel army,
for furnishing money, clothing, medicine, in
formation, &c, &C., to armed rebels coming
clearly within the definition of treason as given
in tie constitution of the S. Mr.. Lincoln
in some instances, and in others tue Secretary
of War. have as soon as info- med turned these
narties loose or brought them back by govern-
ment conveyances. into our midst more violent
and INSCRIPTIONS traitors than they were be-
fore. BECAUSE very large majority of per-
sons employed in their midst by government
officials are men VIGOROUSLY known as seces-
zion syinpahizers from the outbreak OF the
rebellion to the present writing and that to
the exclusion oforigipsl and pcrsistcntly loyal
mcn.fo BEcArsE contracts of all kinds coming
within their observation invariably fall into the
hands Of secessionists and rebel sympathizers
t, the exclusion of loyal men. BECAUSE they
have scen their sons, their brothers, and other
relatives and friends fall victims not only to
s.arpasios, fifth and reimin in rebel prisons.
but after having surrendered as prisoners Of
war .hay have seen them most bruially and
;u'.amai .,y murdered. aad ;hqir remains pian-
.dsrel tir.t and thea ,sarasssly aseeeratcd. and
they have read the prcsi,lea:'s pm SO that Il
th~o things were proven. there ID 'nd b.
s.-.,-rr,o~. but this promise Is 1.fp.s3sf