The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1867-10-17
THE VOICE OF THE PRESS
On the Recent Elections.
[From the New York POST:

uo NhiiC VIC lCSASo oiO 'NClCdts VI
at least the doubtful success, of the
only real principle involved in the
election, we do not shut our eyes to
the admonition they give. These
preliminary contests, though they
determine nothing essential, though
they. do not settle the character of
our politics definitely, are yet i'm
portant. They serve the purpose
of the little pilot balloons which
aeronauts are accustomed to send
up before venturlng an ascent, to
show the strength as well as the
current of the wind. It is one Of
the felicities of our system of dis
tributive or State and local govern
ment, that we may try experiments
| of Legislation on small scale, to
test its result, before committing the
| whole nation to the process. and so
we may gather, from these local
elections, earnest or indications of
public sentiment,or at leastof the set
Of it, before the broad national sen
timent is invoked. Now, what are
these indications Are they not
clear? In California, the people
say to the responsible party of the
State, give US good nominations if
you want us to vote for your men
not lobbyists, traders in legislation
but pure upright citizens, of whom
we need not be ashamed. In Maine
they intimate that so-cal He'd pro-
tective tariff, which destroys their
large shipbulding interests, and
sumpturay laws, which violates the
most elementary principles of free
dom and equal rights, are not to
their taste While in the great Mid
die and western States they lift up
the admonitory finger to Congress
or to those who pretend to lead it,
and say Beware! Look ahead /:
see where you are going to"'
It can not be denied that there
has been a good deal Of inconsider.
ate and even dangerous legislation
in Congress during the past two
years. There has been a great deal
more inconsiderate and dangerous
talk. There are still threats made
by men who ought to know better,
which are nothing less than revolu-
tionary, and of these things the
people are getting weary. They
tell their representatives in Congress
that instead of listening. to their
enthusiasts, to their extreme men to
their Summers, their Stevenses, and
their Buffers, it would be better to
listen to the dictates Of good sense,
to the strict requirements of consti-
tutional law, and to men Of modera
ton and craftsmanship. At this
time, when the nation has just
| passed through a tremendous civi
war-when the tremblings Of the
great shock are still occasionally
felt-when so many things have
been changed and SO many more
are changed, as the natural and inc
vitable consequences Of it. We dc
not need party frenzies nor fervors
we do not need the rash and reck
less spirit of invocation, running
often into violent fanaticism-
which has defeated the good results
of nearly all revolutions, except tha
Of l776, when men of foresight an(
large views were at the helm; bu
we need wisd om, calmness, modera
ton, the bold and comprehensive
! view Of craftsmanship as well as tn,
keen insight of sympathy and jus
tice the best heads as well as th'
noblest hearts the broad spirit O
patriotism rather than the blind spi
rit of party; that grander spiri
which is not hot, eager impatient
and ready to smash all things tt
pieces when its own ends are not in
stantly subserved, but which relie
upon the people, which respect
their judgements, and which is viii
, ling to trust them with the future O
the nation, because it knows tha
where freedom is, where free dis
cussion is, where general suffrag,
} is, truth and right must speedily tri
umph. - ..-s !.
We regard the late elections, thel
, as decisive of little or nothing, bu
indicative of very much. They ar
first warning which the maste
gives to his servant who has showl
signs Of misusing the power witt
which he is intrusted. He does no
withdraw his confidence from hi
agent he does not abandon him a
all, nor discharge him; indeed,
J any serious or pressing emergenc
, were present that master would rus
to his aid; but he none the les
points to his original instructions
: defines again the powers OF the cler
5 intimates that he has done som
r things wrongly, has left some thing
p undone, has allowed himself to b
misled by incompetent or hot-hef
ded advisers and that he had bette
consider his ways, if he does no
wish to hear certain sail more ur
! pleasant words. IF the servant
: as sagacious as we take him to
he will give earnest heed to the wal
ming.
: The leadership Of the Republica
party has grown arrogant and recl
a less. In the adoption OF measure
s and the treatment Of men it has bee
G alike intemperate and reckless. Th
;, most extreme theories of the wildes
!, and most impracticable theorizel
have been forced upon the party 6
the base of its creed and the oldes
e strongest and most devoted an
q efficient men of the party have bee
spurned and traduced, with rockies
} violence, if they failed or faltered
II giving their assent.
; The truth is the Republican part
t grew too strong to be wise. 1t ha
4 so much faith in its position that
lost all prudence in defending it.