The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-01-18
COLUMBIA.
Friday Morning, January lS, 1857.
Not the Majority.

NOT the bAa1orlty.
The New York World, Of the 11th
instant, has an article based upon
some remarks of one of the most in
telligent English JOURNALISTIC Pail
Nal Gazette-lnd says that that
journal discusses the subject with
more breadth of philosophy than
knowledge of facts 1t maintains,
very truly, that no mere mechanism
of Government, no mere conStltu-
tional forms, can stand against the
will of g majority of the people, in q
country where the people possess the
sovereignty. But its attempt to for
tify this maxim by recent develop
ments in American politics, is beside
the mark, as the 1Toria says, in con-
sequence OF the toe ready credence
the Gazette and other papers have
given to the claims of the Republican
party, that they are majority of the
American people.
The World dissipates THE bold
assumption by the party, and shows
that the aggregate Republican ma
jorities in the recent State elections
did not differ materially from those
in the Presidential election Of 1864,
and gives us the following figures:
To Mr. Lincoln. :....... ...... g, ,223, ,O35
To General Mcclellan I Slt T51
Lincoln's majority. ..........:... Al, ,2S1
But in that election eleven States
did not vote. Had they voted, they
would have given solid opposition
to Mr.. Lincoln, as they would now to
the Republican party. The present
number of their voters cannot beless
than the Presidential vote of 1860
the losses by the war being more
than compensated by the youths be-
tween fifteen and twenty-one who
have since become voters. The num-
ber of votes cast in 1860 by the ex-
cluded States was:
Add McClrlians vote. 81 754
Anti-Rcpublican strength. 49,. 2,7OI, ,295
Republlcau strength. ........ 2 223, OBS
Anti-Eeplb!ican majority .. 49, Ats, ,2Go
It thus appears that the opposition
to the Republican party could spare
voters enough to make an army OF
half q million Of men, an7 still be
equal to their opponents in numbers.
The World adds:
eff the majority Of the people we're
really against us, our ability to block
the Republican policy and hold the
party in a deadlock would be Il tech
nical, transient"dvantaga. We should
be poi>inS Il pyramid on its apex,
liable every moment Ia see it jnstlei
out of its unstable cquilh:ilnl 10 fall
and crus}i us. But anch is not our
condition. Ne l!.t,c l4ol only the
President. ana the Supreme Cuurt Oh
our s!.lr, huJ 4 large majority Of the
whole people. Ii our institutions
are to be shaken into chaos and re-
moulded, the majority possess the
right, the power, and, what l. more,
the srW, to have il hand III the opera
ton. Ii tho Constitution is to be
broken down TO ulalc way for the
rule of tie urrcstrainel maj ority, we
shall take care til;it it is the real aa-
jority. not q sha::l one. that controls
the destiny .! TIE country.
In cnn,uuu with the conservatives
OF the Whole country, North and
SoatA, stc thank the lI'orI} for this
exposition OF the spurious claims of
the radicals, in which they a!lcSc
tha. tlley lave the majority Of the
American people with them il their
nefarious policy and schemes. Bat
the party in power may take the
ground that the eleven cxcindad
States form no part OF Tie American
Union, ana have 40 share ii admin
isterin@ the a;t;'irs Of Government!
further tilan to ln.J taxes We feel
encouraged: however, 10 nope from
the above statistics, dat ;;le reign of
radicalis2n lnrat soon give place to
tta Indictment -.F A., Il