Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-10-25
.Nct Much OF a shower

of parties, even in this country, has there
been such sudden and powerful reaction
in public sentiment as has been disclosed
by the recent elections. Never has the fate
of a great party, which controlled every
department of the Government, save one,
land this exception the result of hideous
assassination and in power in every State
in the Union, save two, been so completely
and adversely decided by such decisive re-
verses in so short time.
The most marked change in public Sentl-
ment was in the great Safe OF Ohio. The
Democrats entered the canvass with ma
iority of forty-two thousand six hundred
and ninety-six staring them in the face.
The Republican candidate for Governor was
one of their most cherished Generals and
popular men, and yet his majority, which
may even be successfully contested on ac-
count of illegal voting by negroes, is count
ed by units instead of thousands. OF the
nineteen Congressman the Democrats have
but three, vet at the late election they car
ried t,celre districts, and lost three others
nv less than one hundred votes. The last
Ohio Legislature gave the Radicals ma
ioritv of forty-six on Joint ballot-thirteen
in the Senate and thirty-three in the House.
Now the Democrats have ten majority on
ioint-ballot-thr in the Senate and seven
in the House. There is, therefore, gain
of fifty-six for the Democrats on the
ioint-ballot of last year. In addition
to this, the great feature of the Radical
platform, negro-suffrage, was defeated by
about fifty thousand votes, change OF
nf,aety thousand from their party strength
of last year. Never was there more COM
plete revolution in politics. days work
which should satisfy the most enthusiastic
Democrat in the State-a result which gives
the death-blow to Radicaism in Ohio.
In Pennsylvania, though the change IS
not so marked, the Democrats have elected
their ticket by about two thousand, being
O change of about twenty thousand since
the election of last year. Decisive gains
were also made N the Legislature, but not
sufficient to overcome entirely the very
heavy Radical majority. The Democrats
carried eleven of the twenty-four Congress
sional Districts, that party having only SIX
Congressman at present. GAS goes Penn
sylvania, so goes the Union"
Full returns have been received from one
hundred and fifty-fve out of the one hum
dred and sixty-two towns in Connecticut.
The result sums up as follows : Democratic
towns, eighty -two /; Radical, seventy-three
Democratic majority, INTERCHANGEABLE
gains, nineteen. This is the first time III
thirteen years that the Democrats have
carried a majority of the towns.
In Indiana the gains have been unpre-
cedented. The returns from twenty-five
counties show an aggregate Democratic
gain of nine thousand one hundred and
fifty-three, and further changes ale reported
the same way.
The Democrats have gained between ten
and fifteen thousand votes in the extremely
Radical State of Iowa.
The telegraph announces that California
has confirmed her adhesion given to the
Democrats last month, by renewed vic
tory for that party during the past week.
Such. then, has been the result of the
recent great political contests. The mis-
cradle apology of ''local issues" with which
the discounted party excused their Ill sue
cess in the skirmishes, and tue opening
movements of the great bate, sink into
insignificance in their utter defeat and rout
on the final charge. Party corruptions III
California, temperance and constabulary
reforms in Maine, and general apathy in
Vermont, but poorly sutficed to hide the
disasters of September, while total de-
struction of the Radical forces during the
present month are too astoun ling and
fatal to find defence in such silly subter-
fuges.
L The great organs of the party at the North
are alarmed at the import of these over
whelming defeats, and grave and important
changes in party tactics and political prln-
ciples are limited at and advised. Candi-
dates for the Presidency have been made
and unmade by the result, and the party
leaders are foundering about among the
waves, dashed into fury by their excuses.
Movements and counter M ovements are be-
ing developed to stay the progress of the
headlong revolution, and the abandonment
of old organizations and the formation OF
new parties is suggested as the most certain
means of check-mating the conquering
forces of Conservatism.
Not so in the South. Ignorant masses o.
negroes, with drums and torches, "makine
night hideous" with their noise, are paraded
in hooking compliment to the defeat of theil
race in Ohio, and untried strangers are
borne in triumph by basely pandering tc
their ignorance and preiudices. Bold jour
mails threaten the Northern people with the
wrath of the loyal blacks of the South, and
others more sapient and prudent, declare
the party stronger than ever, and has to-
day more chance of success than at any
former time.
These astute editors remind one of the
unfortunate but incredulous individual not
included in the family of Noah, who shell
tered themselves within the Ark, from the