The New York herald., 1864-08-26

the Loyal states since Is6O-The Pros
pcct.
The near approach OF the Chicago Demo
cratic National Convention admonishes US that
we are upon the verge of an exciting and mo-
mentous Presidential canvass. High hopes are
entertained among the democracy of a perfect
fusion at Chicago, aud Of ticket and platform
which, considering the disaHsctions and demor-
alizations of the republican camp, will achieve
a great political revolution. In short, the
democrats are beginning to believe that in the
coming November election an emphatic and
authoritative notice will be given to Abraham
Lincoln to prepare to turn over the White
House to democratic successor on the 4th Of
March next.
What is the prospect! What are the facts
upon which these great democratic expecta-
tons are founded! They rest mainly upon the
nea that the people Of the loyal States. wea-
ried Of the heavy and still increasing burdens
OF the war, in drafts and taxes and deprsci-
ated paper currency, are ready to accept almost
anything In the way of a change. But, turning
from this democratic opinion to the fixed facts
of the popular votes Of the last Presidential
election, and of the elections in the loyal States
of 1861, 1862 and 1868, which we publish in
another part Of this paper, it is difficult to avoid
the conclusion that the administration still has
the game in its hands. Let us briefly examine
| the results Of these elections
| In the Presidential contest Of 1860 the cleo
toral vote excepting the division in New Jer-
sey) Of every free State was cast for Abraham
Lincoln. aud, with few exceptions, by heavy
absolute popular majorities, while the vote of
every slave State was against him, and in most
cases unanimously. The great issue made by
the republicans was the exclusion of slavery
| from the Territories, and hence the strongly
| marked sectional character Of that momentous
contest. As soon as the general result was
| clearly ascertaned the hot heads of South
Carolina, having had everything cut and dried
| for the occasion, assembled in State conven
| zion, and in an ordinance Of secession declared
| the State withdrawn from the United States
and the Union dissolved This was on the
! goth December, 1860; and so actively was her
example followed up that when Abraham
Lincoln was inaugurated as President OF the
United States be was confronted by South
ern confederscy in full blast, embracing the
States of South Carolina, Georgia, Florida,
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas,
with provisional rebel government at
Montgomery, Ala, under JEFF Davis, as pro-
visional President. Next followed, in April,
the bombardment of Fort Sumter, under the
mad excitement of which, without much cere-
mony, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and
Arkansas were rushed into the abyss OF open
rebellion, and formidable conspiracies broke
out also in Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri.
But, on the other hand, the attack upon Sumter
reused the people Of the loyal States as one
man on the side OF the Union, the 6rst result Of
which was the fusion of oil parties in support
OF the new administration. There was, at all
events, no active opposition party in the field
in the elections Of the loyal States of 1861.
But in 1862 there was great reaction. Such
we're the blunders and shortcomings anddeplo-
rable failures aud disasters of the administra-
ton in the conduct Of the war that year that
the democracy, upon the platform OF more
vigorous prosecution of the war, carried, and
by marked and decisive majorittes. all the
great Central States. from the Hudson to the /
Mississippi river But, blinded by their unex-
pected successes of 1862, the democratic lead
ers in 1863 took tho party off their war plat
form to the bold and suicidal policy Of peace
at any price. What were the results. They
are furnished in the elections throughout toe
loyal States OF 1863 Let our democratic read
ers look at the tables elsewhere in these col
umns and they will see. Against this dcgrad- |
iag and destructive democratic idea OF peace
at any price there was an overwhelming popm-
lar reaction from Maine to California. This
reaction, however, received much OF its strength
from the victorious issue of General Grants
great aud glorious vichsburg campaign. the
Union successes, indicating the speedy extinc
tion of JEFF. Davis. And so it was that the
people. abandoned by the democratic party
returned to the administration, rs the last re-
Sort for vigorous prosecution OF the war and
as the shortest way to peace. Thas the loyal
States in 1868 rolled up an aggregate popular
mai ority exceeding three hundred thousand ON
the side Of the administration, Including the
State majorities Of fifteen thousand in Pennsyl-
vania, nearly thirty thousand in New York, ard
10 Ohio, including the soldiers vote, round
majority of one hundred thousand against Val
landigham, the chief apostle of the peace-at-
any-price democratic faction.
Against the fixed facts Of these figures what
are the chances of the Chicago Convention in
the contest with the administration! They are
very slim indeed under the best condition Of
things for the democracy which this important
contest is likely to assume. 1t is probable,
too, that the refractory peace discrganizcrs Of
the party will bring the convention to an in
glorious collapse, or to dcbasing compromise
shocking to the public Union sentiment of the
North. A perfect fusion of the war aud peace