West-Jersey pioneer., 1866-12-07
THE sENAToRsHIP.


Though We are an Independent journal
we do not often see sufficient cause for
advocating ono Or the other Of the rival
candidates, who may be supported by
their Different parties, and 50 we do not
|interfere further than to watch the pro-
gress of the contest. Probably IN this
case we should have done no more than
express preference, had there been no.
thing but friendly struggle between the
two prominent candidates. But efforts
are strongly made by the "Newark
Clique, "to oyerslaugh the claims of Mr..
Cobb, upon grounds which we cannot
overlook, and as we are to have a repub-
lican senator anyhow, we do not see but
that we have as good right as anybody
else to state the reasons of a preference
for Mr.. Cobb, above Mr.. Frelinghuysen.
The cardinal objection in our minds to
Mr.. F., is that he is not independent
He is a gentleman Of culture, Of talent, of
a distinguished ancestry, but he is not
independent. His past record SO far as
we remember, has been to stand aloof
until success was sure and then identify
himself with the movement. When
Fremont and Dayton ran for President
E -.
and Vice-president, Mr.. F. was entirely
non-committal, refusing to sustain Mr..
Dayton even when the latter was visiting
at his house. When the country was in
peril and q "peace congress" was ap-
pointed, Mr.. F. was appointed by the
Legislature of New Jersey, then Demo-
cratic, and gave his vote and made his
speeches entirely in the interests Of the
South, and justified our state in standing
alone amid all the free states, in favor of
slavery. During the war he was one of
those who believed that our success was
at the least doubtful later he sustained
President johnson in his veto of the
Freedman's bureau bill, and take his
record altogether he does not suit our
ideas of an independent man. Mr.. Cobb
on the contrary does suit our idea of this
character. First of all he is man of
the people; and has grown up among
them, understanding their wants by
practical association. He entered Con-
gress as Democrat, which is the first we
know of his political career, but at the
same time, in connexion with twelve
other democrats stood faithfully by the
country in the days or her trial, and we
do not think the nation has nobler. list
of men for her future records than that
immortal thirteen. He was the loved
and trusted friend of President Lincoln,
and frequently consulted BY him in
national matters of the gravest Importance
and Abraham Lincoln was a keen dis
criminator. His party appreciated his
worth and rendered him denomination
but the position it assumed at that time
was opposed to his ideas Of national
unity, and he frankly told them SO, and
declined the honor when success was
sure. 1t is probably owing to this manly
conduct that he retained the respect of
that party to such an extent as to infu-
ence so decidedly the late elections in his
section of the state. Besides all this we
say frankly that we prefer man with
.rra v1niueur business.
abilities combined with a record of ,un-
swerving loyalty like Mr.. Cattell and Mr..
Cobb to any other Kind of men
whatsoever, at this present jucture of
affairs, for plain common sense and not
musty precedents are Of necessity to settle
our great national questions. Mr.. Cobb
has been democrat, we do not care
anything for that one way or the other.
Mr.. Cobb is now a republican and we
care no more for that than for the former
fact. But Mr.. Cobb is devotedly loyal
man, wise and christian mana man
who is independent and outspoken, and
we do care for these things and shall be
very glad to learn that when the New
Jersey Legislature assemblies, that a man
is appointed by them that both forms
and expresses and votes his opinions
upon the basis of his own ideas of right
and wrong, and not upon the probabilities
of catering to what may possibly be their
present popularity asiwsa.