Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-11-14
THE ELECTIONS
OPINIONS of rIIH IsIyEss.

OPINIONS OFTIIE pr ESssa.
From the Washington Intelligencer Dresden
tial Organ). d
In whatever form the duties of Radi-
Gals lie, as the paramount power in po-
sition, with them is the entire RESPONSE
bility as to what shall be done in either
an Affirmative or negative direction. By
their acts the people will continue to adj
| judge them. They must return to reas-
on, conservatism, and duty, inside of the
Constitution, and not "outside of it," If
they would not, by another summer, be
as frantic fugitives, imploring the hills
and mountains to fall upon them, to avert
an unexampled popular doom. Let the
Conservatives and Democrats continue
| to assail them, and bide their own time
to propose measures of policy when they
shall be in the seats Of power. We have
heard, indeed, of another movement of
| figurantes and posturers in politics to
summon Democratic National Conven-
| tion but the sound sense of sagacious
| leaders repels the project as one as much
| in the interest of the Radicals as If they
had bought and paid for its initiation at
this premature moment.
Soon the monstrous profiigacy and cor
ruption of Stanton, as the leader of Rad
icalism in the Cabinet, will be so exposed
as to attract vast element of popular
strength to the conservative party. The
hideous defalcations under Radical rule
must, sooner or later, be laid bare to the
public gaze, and the criminal officials
who as proteges of Radical Congressman
are screened from view, will be punished.
The whole view of the atrocities of the
rapacious robbers of public treasure will
make some of the blacklist pages In
American history.
| From the Anti-Slavery Standard
Never was there a more clear case of
party suicide than the Republicans pre-
sent this autumn. Their defeat is de-
| served punishment for the insincere and
shiftless policy they have chosen to pur-
sue in their dealing with the treacherous
Executive, and in their treatment of the
problem of Reconstruction. Their man
agement with Johnson has been such as
to make him, at each new turn, more
completely master of the situation, until
now he can better afford to be defiant
than at any previous date. He Is not
likely to be slow in following up his ad-
vantage. Refusing to confiscate, Con-
gress has given its sanction to mOnOp-
DIV of rebel land owners. If undisturb-
ed, they will presently become most
J formidablepolitical oligarchy. Entirely
distrustful of johnson, whose impeach-
ment the people desired long ago, and
were fully led to expect when Con-
,
taxation and sore with fresh grief follow
j ing the war, we do not wonder that the
: Congressional party has met stern re-
, bule at the polls at this time. Presden-
J tial intriguing in the interest of rival
candidates, coupled with the old and
! deep rooted prejudice against the negro
D race, has much to do with the elections
just held. Jealous of the popular sym
! pathy with the leading and most earnest
= | DuIi hn mir h
; lican party have sought to divide the
) vote at this time, hoping thereby tOmake
their candidate of next summer inevita-
9 BILE. To that end the Evening Post and
7 the New York Times (both Grant jour
nals) have been edited very effectively in
Z the interest of the Democratic party, un-
Z der thename of Repuhlicanism, through
2 out the campaign just closed. In ordi-
: nary times these party-political manoau-
5 vera are of less consequence, but i'm this
; period they put the public welfare in
9 great jeopardy. The rebellion, as trans.
) ferred to the sphere of politics, Is as
3 threatening to the nation to-day as it has
! been at any date since 1861.
> An important question now ia will
. Congress be wise enough, on re-assem'
q bling, To rise above party considerations
0 tunity to repair the injury occasioned 10y
its past omissions? 4 wise statesman
o ship i'm Congress may still save us from
serious troubles which otherwise will bt
7 inevitable. The limited and conditional
! grant of political rights already extended
4 to the negroes of the South, has awaken
Z T ed among them o consciousness of power
1 which they did not feel year ago. They
8 expected then that the Federal Govern
= = ment would guarantee to them not only
/ political equality, but also homesteads
I We speak advisedly when we say, tina
3 though the negroes are not now, as for
4 merly, looking for land from the genera
u government, they have not given up th'
. expectation of having 1t in another way
y Unless Johnson, following the lead o
2 his initial movement in disarming th'
blacks of the District of Columbia, is al
}. lowed to override the present rocOnstruc
ton, and crush out the Radical poitica
strength now rapidly developing in tn,
: South, the blacks, wherever they will
J, their friends are in the voting majority
will so shape the new State legislation a
$ to make the landed property CT the Soutl
: (theirs by their own past unrequited toll
subserve their immediate wants In IL
# way of education and local improvement
e In subjectng the Southern lands t.
s heavy taxation for educational and othe
legitimate ends, we think they woul'
Il act wisely and we'll If the possession o
Q an administration, should be found
3. burden, its sale ut low rates would pro
d vide cheap homesteads for all, and Civ
an independent agricultural constituen
d cy for the State and National Govern
mentsmuch more stable and Trustworthy
., than the South has hitherto furnished.
n From the N. Y. Evening Post.
y 1t was almostuniversally expected tina
IS the elections in this State would result |
II favor of the Democrats. 1t was scarcel
expected, however that the majoritle
lc would be so large. Is it reaction ?
81 Have the Republicans lost their hold {
OF the affections of the masses have the
:, ceased to be the popular party, and mus
: they go, like the former Wings, into
y. permanent minority? or Is this manifes
!" alton of the peoples will a mere passin
rs chastisement. intended to rebuke the
faults, and bring them back to moderi
er ton, common sense and policy. w
er think the latter Interpretation Is the co
10 rect one. The Republicans have ha
10 entire power and responsibility ev'
iy since the close Of the war; they we
called upon to restore the Union, to p'
nr our finances on stable, consistent al