Weekly Trinity journal., 1867-11-02
NUMBER 43.
tFrom the St. Louis Democrat, October lOth.j
aa The Ebb OF the Tide.

Jonn Morgan is In the Sauule again. his liuo
through Ohio, Pennsylvania and Iowa has not
resulted in the capture of those States, though
it has caused loyal men little discomfort and
alarm. But we trust that it will only rouse the
spirit of the North, and that when the great
battle comes those who fight for the flag will
strike harder blows as they remember the rebel
raid and the insolent rejoicngs which follow
ed it.
The election returns though they do not
please, do not disappoint nor surprise us. In
spite of all that good leaders can do to teach the
necessity of steady and unremittng effort, the
Republican voters still feel that they need not
spend all their time in killing the Democratic
party. Accordingly, when the main issue is not
directly involved, they stay at home or divide
upon minor or personal questions, and suffer the
enemy to gain fruitless victories. Unwise as
this is, it is still not unnatural, for overwhelm-
ing victories engender oyerweening confidence.
The sting of occasional defeat and the PRESSURE,
of apparent peril are needed to rouse the partXl
to irresistible effort Meanwhile the opposition
victories, except in their moral effect upon both
parties, really fruitless.
What have we lost? The Supreme Judge Of
Pennsylvania is not an officer of any political
consequence, and the defeat of Williams, if in
deed he is defeated, does not diminish in the least
degree the actual power of the dominant party.
The loss of local officers in Philadelphia is OF
still less practical consequence. Its only result
will be beneficial if it turns out of control of the
party the local management by which this de-
feat has been brought about. The loss OF the
State ticket in Ohio would have been serious,
but we have not lost it. Hayes will be Gov
ernor and Thurman will still aid Vallandigham
to adorn private life. The power of the State in
any emergency, will be in the right hands, and
the thousands of Republicans who staid at home,
thus reducing the majority, having recruited
their demoralized systems by this little reaxa-
ton, will come up to the polls at the next cleo
ton as fresh as ever. In Iowa, if we have lost
in some cities because of local divisions, we have
cities because of local divisions, we have still
secured all the fruits of victory. Two Senators
| are to be elected, one in Ohio and one in Penn
sylvania and the prospect now is that the Re-
publicans have secured both. If so, it is a gain
of one lin place of Buckalew), and that precise
ly where gain is of practical and permanent
importance. Two members of Congress were
elected to fill vacancies. In Pennsylvania n
| Democrat replaces Democrat by greatly re-
duced majority In Ohio we lose one. The So
norous voice OF Cary will be heard in Congress,
and his vote will swell the little minority of noes
on all party measures to fifty instead OF forty
nine-that is all. If, instead of one member,
the Democrats had gained twenty, they might
have been able to sustain a veto. AS it is, they
can do nothing. The defeat of the negro suf-
frage amendment in Ohio is to be regretted, not
because the practical advantage of an increased
Republican vote would have been considerable,
but because of the encouragement which it gives
to the opposition. We have already said that
the form of the amendment submitted raised
somewhat more opposition to it than would have
been excited bv simple proposition of negro
suffrage. But in the defeat of the amendment
we have new proof of the necessity of earnest,
faithful and well-drectcd efforts to remove that
prejudice upon which all Democratic opposition
to the reconstruction measures will be concen-
trated.
In practical advantages we lose nothing. The
fruits of victory remain with We regret
only the moral effect of reduced Republican ma
jorities. The result will encourage Andrew
Johnson. 1t may embolden him to armed and
violent resistance to the popular will, and we
cannot now be sure that he will not force the
people who neglected to use their ballots in Oc-
tober to take down their muskets in December.
At the least, it renders imperatively necessary
those measures of preparation which have hith-
erto been derided needless.
The moral effect of the elections, in the ordi-
nary scnse-in the effect upon other elections,
and especially upon the Presidential contest
will be rather favorable than otherwise. True,
it will emboldcn the Democrats. Possibly it
may stimulate them to adopt some definite pol
icy-a thing they have not dared to do since
they declared the failure. If so, it is pre-
cisely what we want. But it will teach the Re-
publican party the necessity of earnest and uni
ted effort in order to win in 1868 1t will kill
all side issues, sharp frost kills the yellow
fever. 1t will compact the party rid it of cor
rupt or unwise leaders: root out distractng
theories, and prepare US to fight together in solid
phalanx in the Presidential contest. Without
this discipline, wholesome though not pleasing,
we should very likely have been beaten. 1t
clears the decks for action.
The wave recedes. But it recedcd even fur
ther in 1862, only to gather strength and
volume for the flood of 1864. The Democrats
then elected every member of Congress but two
from Ohio, swept Indiana, elected Seymour In
New York, and began to apportion the Offices as
if the Presidential contest had been already won:
All their rejoicings to-day are tame compared
with the frenzy of triumphant exultation win
which they hailed that victory. Emancipation,
they boasted, was rejected by the people. But
at the next election the Emancipator was CHOSEN
by Unprecedented majorites. To-day, though
they have not vet elected State officers nor on-
tanned control of the Legislatures III a singio
Northern State, California excepted, tney a.
ready claim the Presidential election anu po"o :"
that the people will repudiate recohsllu''W1y We
policy based upon the votes OF loyal piaon '-..a
shall see. As the tide rolls out, the tiny - -
tures of the shore. whose vision is bounueu W
the nearest ridge of sand and wnosI .,sI tho. th.
hardly reaches back to yesterday, ~ Iii go
sea has forever recedcd. But MI .neaS ~. WI. ,ae
another tide in due season, go'eineu y rvs
anc.uer .ter suo Lnow nothing, burying them and
'; W.. ;..;I n the sand wholly out OF sIght Let
.nei n p..t,;cans do their duty, and the Hood tide
Tue nep Iii roI higher than that of 1864.
.,oe says:-st Owing to q little inter-