The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-11-01
The Change in Public Opinion.


Before the Convention, which was held in
Philadelphia, for the purpose of organizing
party favorable to the policy of President
johnson, it was conceded that thepublic SEN
timent of the North largely preponderated in
favor of so called republcanism, including
all shades of opinion embraced in this party
name. The object of the Philadelphia Con-
vention was to organize a party made up of
those men who were opposed to the extremists
aud favored permanent peace and full resto-
ration and representation of the States which
bad been subd ued by the armies ofthe General
Government. The New York Herald favor
ed this Convention, and after its adjourn
ment, and during its sess ion, thought the
Southern delegation were disposed to stoop
too low in their eagerness to get back in the
Union. 1t said they We're not expected to
crawl, and Judging from the submissive tone
manifested, it intimated the opinion that per-
haps the South would have done better to
have sent its women to represent her. The
Maine elections, however, caused change of
sentiment in the high tone" assumed by the
Herald, and, in its estimation indicated that
the popular voice of the North, was opposed to
Mr. johnson and the conservative policy, and
in favor of the amendment aud of the policy
of Congress. Now, no one had supposed,
before the session of the Philadelphia Conven-
ton, that the vote of New England would be
given for conservatism, and against the policy
Of the radical Congress. The Herald had not
based its previous advocacy of the conserva-
tive element upon a calculation so preposter-
Gus. Before the elections we were told =" it
is not necessary to be the abject slaves of ex
pediency"-an that if we =" consented to be
lieve that the blood we were so proud of had
all been spilled upon our battle fields" AT
ter the elections, political conventions were
pronounced humbugs-and we We're told that
recent events have also demonstrated that
the loyal people, North. South, East and
West, are moving in favor Of that amend
ment. The recent events We're the cleo
tons in New England-which it needed no
ghost come from the dead to tell us of be-
fore they had TRANSFERRED. The fact is, how
ever, that there has been no new movement
in favor OF that amendment" The demo-
cractic gains in Indiana, are heavy, as COM
pared with the elections in 1864. s..tszs.F
The official returns show that the vote of
1866 exceeds that of 1864 by AZ, 1872, and
that inc Democratic gain is "a, 1870, -end
the Republican 14,619-a difference of almost
10000 in favor of Conservatism There is
decrease in the Republican majority. In
1864 it was 2O,983-in 1866 it is 1859
Such is the summing in the World.
Except in CollaX' district the increase is
said to be on the side of Conservatism. In
the first, second, third, fifth, sixth aud eighth
districts, the gains, we believe, are demo-
cratic, OF rather Conservative. In the fifth
district the majority OF Julian is reported as
greatly cut down Ia the sixth district the
vote two years ago was, Republican 1888 !;
now it does not greatly exceed 1900.
This does not look like one of those recent
events to which the Herald made aluson,
in which the loyal people "West are moving
in favor of that amendment" On the con-
trary, 1t was a movement in an opposite di
recton The decision, therefore, SO far as
reduced majorites Indicate, and it is fair
criterion of the 'change in public opinion, is
in favor of, rather than against the Presi-
dents policy. The recommendation to the
South to adopt the amendment because of the
"reccnt events, is not sustained by the vote in
Indiana and those other States where Con-
servatism has gained by the reduction of
Radical majoritie9. Ia all such cases the
'loyal people were moving against the
amendment"
But the fact is, there was no such change
in public opinion North, as the Herald sta
ted. The minds of the voting mass of the
people there were already made up to sus-
tain-and Radicaism was the same in senti-
ment after as before the Philadelphia Con-
vention. This was determination to sustain
Congress and the proposed amendment as
against the President, and ignore the perfo
nance of its pledges made by Congressional
resolution in 1861, when the disaster of Bull
Run, as Senator Doottle remarked in his
Buffolo speech drought them upon their
knees as before Almighty God"
kilograms.
Our correcti on of an erroneous statement
which appeared in the Old Dominion ON Mon