The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1867-10-17
ThoA11eghan1an.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER II, 1867.
Our Defeat.

The returns from the entire State lndi-
cate the defeat of Judge Williams by a
majority so small that any one of nearly
half dozen counties could have changed
the result. Either Chester, Lancaster,
Erie, or Allegheny, by putting forth pro-
per exertion, could have secured the elec-
ton of our standard bearer. We are
simply defeated, not routed, nor our col
umns broken. Our opponents, while they
may be naturally and justly jovial over
the election of their nominee, will hardly
assume to claim a political revolution
While they have no reason to herald the
result as political Waterloo or Gettys-
burg, the defeat is all the greater shame
to US. Democracy won because Republi-
cans did lot fight. Had we been defeat
&c as our friends in Ohio were, over
plainly drawn issue in which all the popu-
lar prejudices were against us, the result
might have been more disastrous, yet we
would have had qualification in knowing
that defeat came because victory was i'm
possible.
AS to the many causes that led to the
event, it is worth while to speak only so
far as they teach lessons for the future.
There is a well known fable Of father
aud son who alternately rode a patient
ass, but the father being reprCached wheu
he rode for cruelty to the son, and the son
IL II g. I'll 20 . h.
father when he rode, they both mounted
TIE back Of the patient beast, which soon
sank under the double burden In Just
such way have some persons been treat
iug the Republican party. No other
party of our country has borne so many
burdens as the Republican party of to-
day, but, as the result seems to show,
there must be some limit to the weight
heaped upon its back. 1t vas not yet in
power until it found that an imbecile ad-
ministgation had left it divided country
and gigantic war as heirlooms. 1t closed
the war and preserved tie unity of the
country, but had on its shoulders an i'm
lnense National debt, and necessarily high
taxes, in spite Of which it maintained its
popularity among the people. Having
called the negro to the aid of the country,
in dark and trying period, it determined
TO stand by him in all the requirements
of justice.
But in all these burdens, any one of
them enough to tax the energies Of
party, some men did not see enough. So
they put on the temperance issue, the
Sunday question, and in certain localities,
they threw notoriously bad nominations
into the bargain. The wonder is that,
faddled as the Republican party was: and
with the half hearted or really no hearted
campaigning that was done, we were not
routed instead of barely defeated iG re-
gard to the Supreme Judge, while victori-
Gus in the Legislature.
We have not word to say in palliation
of the evil of inteuperance or of the
causes that lead to it, nor any encourage
mcnt to give to Sunday desecration. What
We do say is that these questions should
not be allowed to take party aspect. We
cannot afford to drive men away from our
ranks by taking as party either side Of
these questions, either by resolutions of
our conventions, or by the actions of can
didates, or by legislative enactment. We
have one great, vital issue that ought to
absorb all the energies of our party until
Its complete and final accomplishment, to
wit the hearty and cffectual support of
Congress N the work Of restoration. The
majority of tie people view with jealous
eye the abscrce of ten States from 1he
halls of Congress. Our great work ought
to he the speedy, happy restoration OF.
those States, on he basis of humanity and
justice. Had we thoroughly aud singly
devoted ourselves to this task, devoted
ourselves to it BY judicious nominations
for local Ulcers, by thorough organization
aud energetic canyassiug, we would have
riumphed By majority of Twenty
Thousand.
s-S.-Es-=--=.-z---~-
The EnF5nssnI DahS