Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-11-23
The Era Of Good Feeling.


The Era OF Good Feeling.
2 THE unanimous reelection Of President
MonroerfoF second term was denomi-
mated by politicians the Ezra of Good
Feeling" and is always spoken of in like
manner TO the present day. Many have
supposed that another President could
never be elected in this country with SO
little chow of opposition. Il has been
thought that the aspirants for office are
so numerous, and the interests of
avafiods sections and peoples so diverse,
: that1hefe always must be a contest in
the selection of President, as no one
man would be able Ito so reconcile
opposing factions IS to induce them to
accord. him a. united support for the
highest Office in the gift of the people
Since President Monroe's second cleo
.tion the POLITICAL history Of our country
has. had tendency to confirm this
opinion. Parties have conducted their
campaignswith such bitterness, personal
snimosities have been engineered. of so
spiteful q nature, thatait would seem an
impossible undertaking to attempt to
.hatmonize these differences, and bring
them alto unite in the support Of any
one mani especially where that indivi-l
dual has himself been an active, pro-
minent,a and incorporating political
leader for many years. q FT9TG
q But some things have occurred, recent
ly, to indicate that a Eeturn of the,'ers
Of good feeling is not an impes-
sibihiy. The influences that seem
to combine to produce such a result are
singular and. opposite in their, nature,
yetnone the less potent. In the Southern
States the people are impressed with the
idea that the people of the North are
bent upon accomplishing their utter
destruction. They appear to believe, ifthe
tone of their papers aRd speakers may be
regarded as an indication of their belief,
that conffscation Of property and the trial
and punishment for treason, Of all who
engaged in the rebellion and the enfran-
chisement of the freedmen, are the only
conditions which will satisfy the people
of the North in the final settlement of
the great controversy Against these
"mad waves of faaaticism," as they are
pleased to term and regard them, they
look to, President johnson as the only
barrier. Should he give way they look
upon all as lost Hence they rally to
his support However odious he may
be to them personally, and however OBJ
jectionable many Of the measures of his
administration may be to them in their
operation, SO long as President John
son occupies his present position in the
estimation of the Southern people, he
will have little difficulty in securing their
support ALREADY his word with them
is law lie has but to telegraph to the
varions State Legislatures and Conyen-
lions what be desires, and 10 it is
done. Witness the action Of the Caro-
lima and Georgia Constitutional Con,
ventions, as also that of Mississippi.
While such Is the feeling in the South
erns States,s wa find in the Northern
States, willingness on the part of the
great Union party to trust the Presi-
dent CORRECTLY compromising ethe
difficulties surrounding his position; re-
alizing the absolute necessity, IN the
present anomalous condition of affairs,
of experimenting TO q greater or less
extent in governmental rsOrganization,
and believing, that the President, when
he finds his, particular theories working
badly in practice, will abandon them for
the views of others; conscious, also, that
whoever might be President, the. same
system of experiments would have to
guide him in his efforts to harmo nIze
warning factions and opposing interests,
and to s0lidify The UntOr,-if We may
use such an expression without convey
ing the idea of a centralized govern
meue the Union party will stand by
President johnson with the 6rmness
withawhieh it worked for his election
in 1864, and has since supported hin. in
the elections of the present year. Thus
operating, from different standpoints,
the Union party Of the North, and the
subjugated rebelssof the South, manifest
a disposition 70 stand by the President
and support him in his plans for the
final paciGcation of the country. r4aA go
But one other orgsnia -tion is now
necessary to complete the work Of
harmony. and inaugurate the return |
of the terra of good feeling" That is
the Democratic party of the North. IF
it givesin adhesion to the Presidentand
endorses bis policy, the work of harmony
is completed. The signs Of the times
point very. decidedly to- such . result.
In. the recent elections, that party in
several of the States claimed to be the
particular friends of the Presidents; and
endeavored to win support to its candi-.
dates on the ground at..they, and not |
the Union party, were endorsers of his
policy. There was strife between the
organisations as TO which admired the
President the most and supported him
che best. In New York, Democratic
orators actually exceiied those Of the
Union party in their manifestation of ad-
miration of the President, some Of them
going so far as to designate him IS their
next candidate for the Presidency. The
result of the election was not fsttsring
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