The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-10-30
The Rebel Spirit,

1T Is sometimes disadvantage, but ottener
great and positive benefit, that liberty Of speech
and free press prevent any set of politicians
or any political party from concealing their
real intentions and ideas from the people at
large. During the war the impossibility OF
controlling the utterances of the newspapers
was often matter of serious annoyance to the
Government and to the military commanders,
who were desirous that the enemy should Db
tain as little information as possible about
their plans and the movements, positions, and
numerical strength of our armies. A free eX-
preston of opinion, however, in public and
private, is SO essential to the preservation OF
liberty and free government that, even under
such exceptional oircum stances, it was better
that the inconvenieDces should be submitted
to patiently rather than that the Government
should impose serious restrictions on the
press.
During the present political campaign some
of the Democratic leaders at the North have
endeavored to represent their candidates and
the principles Of their platform, in " ligh' th"f
would deceive the loyal people of the country
as to the real intentions of the party i'll case
they obtained a victory. This however, they
have not succeeded in doing; for their candi-
date for the cePresidency refuses to be
repressed, and he has gone about the country
giving utterance to sentiments that have efec-
tually annihilated any chance he might have
had for election to the Office for which he was
nominated.
The Southern Rebel press, too, have declare
their views on the situation in the plainsst
and most unmistakable manner. They hops
for the election of Seymour and Blair as the
means by which they will regain their lost
position of influence and power by which the
reconstruction measures of Congress will be
overthrown; by which the negroes will be
deprived of all the rights which were conferred
upon them by the abolition Of slavery; and
by which the principles of the Rebellion will
be made successful after all, in spite of defeat
on the battlefield.
The Mobile Tribune speaking of the pros
pects of the Democratic party since the
October elections, says
"The election of seymour and Blair cannot
restore Union which never really existed but
in name. 1t could give us little repose during
whloh we should be able TO repair rour shattered
fortunes; but IL could not possibly result IN Sc
curing to us free and enduring Government.
The southern man who heretofore enlisted in
the radical ranks is a traitor. He who goes now
ts double'dyed trattOr-one wnoss palm
should never be permitted TO press that OF an
honest man"
This is the true Rebel idea: the snake is
sootohed, not killed; and we shudder to think
what will be the condition of the Southern
States if such men as the writer of the above
paragraph again obtain power and influence
in the management of national affairs.
The Augusta ConStitutionalist lets the cat out
OF the bag in the followng:-
General Blair struck the true issue OF the
campaign in his Brodnead letter. ami although
some foolish Democrats have sought TO apollo.
would have exhibited far more wisdom had
they pushed his idea aggressively on every
stump in the East and West Had the South
Kept silent and worked In secret, ana the North
roused herself with the misplaced fervor ana
have been no stumbling block in the way of
Demooralio success. Hut preei pitate Southern.
craoy TO qualify their predeterinined policy OF
aggression, and assume a curious sVt,Euds of
defense. Would to God they had been nAeSs
alert or we more paiientW
But the South could not and would not keep
silent, and 80 every intelligent and patriotic
citizen will be able to 60 to the polls on Tues
day next with full understanding of the
real issues of the election, and that the success
Of the Democratic ticket means four years OF
anarchy, disCOrd, and perhaps another civil
war.
We commend the following frem the Taze-
well Register, the Copperhead paper of Taze-
well county, Illinois, to those Unisn soldiers
who may contemplate voting for Seymour and
Blair
what sort Of Republication is that which
would honor Generals Thomas, Sheridan, aud
Meade, and degrade Generals Forrest and
Hampton? Forrest is as good man as Sheri-
dan. and better cavalryman. No radical will
pretend to say that Hampton is inferior ia
talent virtue, and accomplishments TO Thomas.
Hampton, Forrest and Lee are accessions TO