National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1866-11-16
THE TEMPER OF THE Pro.
PIE

SHOWS the temper OF the DpODle ot
the North, and their purposes in re.
gard to the political future of fine
country. Every effort possible has
peen made to induce the Northern
people to turn their backs upon the
position they took during tie war.
ana SO repudlatc the costly sacrifices
ihey then so freely made. That
theSe efforts succeeded so poorly in
drawing away the people from their
allegiance to the Republic and the
cardihal principles of government
established in the interest of LibcI-
~, gives new hope and encourage
meht Tor the future. The fact that
the policy Of Congress. as opposed
10 that OF the President. in regard
to the lately rebelliOus States, has
been 50 strongly sustained in the
/ Congressional elections shows that
the people of the United States are
Republican citizens. and are not con
trolied by the will of one man, even
/ when that man holds the foremost
/ place OF power and trust in the Re
/ public. There never was a time
when the official patronage of the
government was more freely used to
promote party success than during
/ tlle past few months. and the result
/ SHOWS that party that takes broad
ana liberal ground and places itself
/ right upon the issues that are vital
10 the country can safely defy all
opposition. even when the will and
power OF the Executive is enlisted
against it.
a demonstrating the strength of
principles in opposition to the power
OF professional politicians. the result
OF these elections has a powerful
significance. President johnson.
when he broke with the Republican
party, felt confident of sweeping the
country. Up and down the Middle
anu Western States he paraded his
personal conduct during the war.
ana sought by recalling his loyalty
,heh, to persuade the people to fol
low him blindly now. He was aided
and supported veteran politicians.
men who had hardly known such a
Wora as fail III their political career.
and vino understood all the arts of
working upon the popular sympathy
ana controlling votes. William II.
Seward and Thurlow Weed were
never more Sanguinc Of victory than
wien they took SIDES with'thc Pres
idcnt against their party, and the
defeat that they have experienced
VIII give them a new appreciation of
the American voter. And the fact
that the voters of the Northern
States have been strongly enough
devoted 10 principles to ovcrbalancc
al the influences and power that
have been brought to bear against
them shows that the American voter
has learned to recognize himself MS
a power in the country. and 10 feel
that he yields an influence that is
important and responsible. The
character of the political meetings
held before the elcction.and the Quie
"ancStnc>S with which the Re
publican voters of the several States
went 10 the polls. independent of
TIE croWning political victory won.
must be taken as an indication OF
increased political responsibility
We have often felt that one of the /
greatest dangers of our Republic .
WdS the apathy of the men Who east /.
the votes and 80 govern the deStinics
OF the country. We want mon to /.
vote intciligentiy, to be able to give
31ca>on for their political faith, and f.
to feel it duty to vote. With such
voters a country is land the con
tending political parties may he
safely left to the arhitranent of the
ballot box.
The lesson, then, of these elections
to the politicians must be that the
American voter has learned some
thing during the last five years.
The war was Il great political eduta-
tor, and the men who lost arms and
legs and health in indicating the
honor of the Government can Nv
longer y" led paSSjvcly about by pol
itlcians. The war was Il conflict OF
principle against passion. and the
victory for the principles at stake
was too dearly and hardly won to
allow its defenders then to desert it
now. llenceforth the people are to
rule. and not the politicians. The
Southern people, too, will do well to
veSnect This uonular verdict unou
the rival policies Of reconstruction.
1t shows that thepcoplc of the North
are in earnest i'll what they have I'M
dertaken, in making the United
States a Republic in fact as well as
in name. The Constitutional amend
mcnt proposed by Congress has been
Endorsed so decidedly by the people
of the North that ii will certainly he
foolish for the South to longer il.
more their real disposition and TEN.
per. We must have reasonable guar
antics for our political future. and
the quicker the South realizes that
to I've our deliberate purpose al Il acts
upon it he better. We will b, gen.
crous as we'll as just, but we cannot
stultiiy ourselves and dishonor the
memory of half a million Loyal dead
by throwing away the power it is
our duty to USE Boston J1HIpdi.
- -
l'HAUHEGARD on NEEDLE GUNS.
II is said that when recently in
Europe, Bcaurerard had I'm inter.