The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-12-26
THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK.
From the January Number OF The Galaxy.l

! There arc, it is to be regretted, but few organs
: of public opinion that consider the results of pOpu-
| lar elections from an independent or non-partisan
| stand point. Yet it is desirable, even for parti-
| sans, that, occasionally, discussions of public
| events and lessons of elections should ne present
| ed which are neutral as regards party, and dis
| interested as regards persons. To treat of the
| recent State elections in this spirit, is the object
of the present article. The significance OF the
| elections which have been held during the present
| wear, and more particularly during the months OF
October and November, no one will dispute; hence
| it cannot but be instructive to point out the causes
| which led TO the victory of the Democratic party,
| and to strive to forecast the probable effects upon
| the presidential contest which awaits u in 1868.
The causes of the recent defeats Of the Republi-
| can marty NAV be briefly summed up as follows
1. Its position with reference to local issues,
such as the Excise and Sunday law in New York,
and the prohibitory md license laws Ill Massachu-
| sets and Maine.
9. The general stagnation in business. There
has been no commercial panic during the last
eighteen months, because extended credits, when
are the prime cause OF panlcs, did not exist, put
| bnsiness men all over the country have lost money.
There has been q shrinkage in the values Oh pro-
visions. cotton. woollens, and, in a word, i'll every
manufactured product. Gold and real estate are
still held at fictitious prices, but, IN time, VIII set-
tie down to O proper level. There mas Deen ais-
tress in all branches OF business, q dlmlnutlon OF
apparent fortunes, and the pressure OF taxation
has been keenly felt. The chief cause OF TINS
state of affairs has been tho contraction poncy
pursued by Secretary Mccullough. But, Whatever
the cause or causes may be, the responsibility Is
attributed to the party in power, and, as is always
fine case IL a free country, whatever OF popular
dissatisfaction may exist is visited upon II.
8. The developments CT frauds in the Revenue
Department and in the management oil the canals
in New York State. have exercised great influence
| unon the voters of this commonwealth. 1t mas
been the misfortune of the Republican party that
it's members we're officials in these departments,
| and that they are known to have prohted by the
| waste and corruption OF which alarming revela-
lions are made every day..
d. The negro suffrage issue. The TACT cannon
he painsaid that this question entered largely into
the recent political canvass, directly IN ONO, MIN
| nesota and Kansas, less directly in New Jersey,
| and indirectly in all the other States in which Cleo
| tons were held; nor will it be denied that, In every
| case. it contributed to the increase OF the Demo-
cratic, and the decrease of the Republican vote.
| Ohio. for instance, is undoubtedly a Republican
| State by o majority varying from thirty TO forty
| thousand, and upon any issue winch olsCnctiy
divides the two parties, the result IS sure TO DC
in favor of the Republicans by at least thirtythou-
sand majority. In tho late canvass i'll that State,
neors was clearly presented. and in a vote
larger by 2GS~SSthuSncnv ever poled III the state.
was voted Down by q nisJalty OF 3S,353. Inc ioi-
lowing are the complete figures q the vote on the
proposed amendment to the SConstltutlon
| providing for negro suffrage:
Against the amendment. $50
For the amendment. .2l6.9S7
Majority against the amendment. ....-. ss,35S
But, apart from the mere prejudice OF race in
| volyed in this question, negro suffrage was pre-
| scented to the North in its most unfavorable
aspect. In New York, Ohio, New Jersey or Con-
%necticut, the right of negroes to vote would have
no appreciate effect upon the result OF the cleo,
! tions in these States, since the negro vote would
be so very small. But in South Carolina, Georgia,
Florida, and the other Southern States, it would
be a revolution of portentous magnitude. Even
| Republicans, who believed it to be not only just,
| but inevitable, were appalled, at tho prospect OF
rich, prosperous and populous portions OF tho
| country being transferred to the control OF o mass
of voters WHO but yesterday we're uneducated
| slaves. II slavery was the demoralizing. soul
blighting institution that it was generally held to
| be by the North previous to the late war, plainly
| enough its victims could not be fit to discharge
| the highest offices of citizenship. III they were tit
to be rulers in one-third Of tho Union, equally
| clear was it that slavery was q much better lnstltu-
ton than it had been supposed to be. 10 avoid all
misapprehension it should be added that this
statement is presented simply as the view taken
| of the question by moderate Republicans.
Such were the chief influences which worked
against the SUCCESS of the Republican party in tho
elections O. o67, and which, if not checked, will
insure its defeat at the approaching presidential
| election. Despite this apparently gloomy pros
| pect, to the impartial observer Of the political
field it is evident that this party has the best
| chances Of eleoting it's candidate for President
in 1868. 1t must not be overlooked that the
Re- ublicans arc i'll u large majority IN all OF
the Northern States save one or two. On this point
the elections of October and November cannot be
| mistaken. The following table of the votes of the
States in which State officers were chosen, and OF
New Jersey. IL, in this connection, very lnstruc-
tive