The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-09-18
Maine E1.etion-rn. verdict A..ep..s

From the New York Herald Of WEDNESDAY
The general results of the Maine election
are very decisive and very significant They
are startling and incompsehenshle TO the
Conservatives, and indicate popular ground
swell wholly unexpected by the Radicals
themselves. Ii is manifest 10 US that this
remarkable election turned more upon the
exciting political events of the day, North
and South. than upon the exact political is
sues presented between the Southern restora>
tion policy Of President johnson and the re-
construction policy of Congress. Extraordi-
nary results are generally due TO extraordin-
airy causes. Had the Republicans held some
thing like their standing majority in Maine,
the result could have been explained by the
simple statement that the battle was fought
between the Union party of the war and the
old Copperhead Peace Democracy. But the
enormous gains to the republican vote
throughout the State, require larger expla>
nation.
We conclude that to the exciting political
events Of the day, ard especially to the de-
plorable tragedy lately enacted ia New Or
leans, we must look for the exciting causes
which have resulted in this unprecedented
defeat of the Democrats and Conservatives
in Maine. However guilty Northern Adolf
tion Radicals may have been in fomenting
the New Orleans riots, the ugly fact stands
forth IN gloomy relief that Southern whites
and negroes sympathizing with the Northern
Radical party were deliberately murdered by
Southern desperadoes and municipal officers
who had been VIGOROUSLY active as Southern
rebels in the late rebellion. Gen. Sheridan's
dispatches upon this bloody business ave
evidently left an impression upon the North
eru mind prejudeal 10 the cause of the
reconciliation of the two sections. Those
ruffanly elements of the South who had so
much to do in preeipitating the Southern
States into the abyss of the late rebellion,
against the movements and wishes OF the
great body Of the Southern people, have
been again at their diabolical work. And so
we find the generous and acceptable resto,a.
ton policy of the President turned into con
tempt by squads of Southern vagabonds here
and there. playing into the hauds of North>
ern Radicals and fanatics in such scenes Of
lawlessness and bloody Violence az those of
Memphis and New Orleans.
Such CHASTITY scenes of disorder are, We are
satisfied, as revolving TO the masses Of the
Southern people as to the people of the
North but IN the stubborn fact that such
scenes are enacted in Southern cities with the
connivance Of the local authorities. and that
the guilty parties escape witheut punishment,
the Northern mind is naturally drawn to the
conclusion that President Jonnson's magnan-
unity is thrown away and that the intracta-
Bile spirit of the rebellion still prevails
throughout the South. We have heard il
said that the New Orleans massacre was q
godsend to the Northern Radicals, and 20, in
casting about for the solution Of this Maine
election we are compelled to recognize it. |,
the moral effects, therefore, shall prove to be
the triumph of the stringent Radical policy
of exclusion against the Presidents gener
Gus and concihatory policy Of Southern res
toration, the Southern people may charge il
to those pricious and rebellious elements
among themselves which Southern polticA
leaders have permitted to be used by North.
ern Radical agisaiors for their party pur
poses.
Whatever may have Teen the real causes
however, operating to bring about the extra
ordinary results of this Maine eiectfon, it i
too decisive against the Democracy and Con
servatives TO be limited to Maine. We ap
prehend that in all our political contents o
the past of a national character, the resul
in Maine indicates the general drift OF the
elections coming after It throughout thu
Northern States The prospect now Of .
Conservative majority in the next Congress il
very doubtful I; the prospect of another Rad,
ical Congress is better than it has appeared q
any time since December last. In short
this Maire election Of 1865 win probably
mark another new chapter in oar politics
history and perhaps another Reconstruction
OF party platforms for the Presidential cleo
ton, beginning With the coming closiag else
eons OF October and November.