The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-03-12
THE NEW HAMPSHIRE ELECTION.


We expressly forebore to in1ulge in any
protective utterances concerning the New
Hampshire election, because for some time
it has been plain that the result was too doubt
full to be accurately foreseen. The canvas:
was animated; both parties put forth extra,
ordinary efforts; and it was not without reason
that many Democrats anticipated victory
for their party. They argued, plausibly
enough, that the great revolution in public
opinion which had been so conspicuously il.
Illustrated in other States, could not fail to
manifest itselfin New Hampshire likewise; and
thus the election in that State came to be tacitly
regarded as a sort Of index to the issue of the
greater contest of next summer and autumn.
This paper, however has scrupulously re-
Trained from making any such concession.
However great profit it would have been to
the Democracy to carry New Hampshire,
its loss could not reasonably be regarded as
even suggestive of any greater misfortune.
New Hampshire for fourteen years has been
consistently Republican State. Ithas never
been influenced by any ordinary fluctuations
of public opinion. Its politics have always
been firmly fixed either on one side or the
other. 1t has voted with the Democrats when
the Democratic party was defeated, and with
the Republicans when the Republican party
was defeated. Hence its elections have hith-
erto never been regarded as test cases in the
politics Of the country. A Fictitious conse-
quence was impaired to the recent contest b.
ba Oft he kl.ok
about TO lose even this firmly radical State
Their apprehensions were aroused to the last
degree. They knew that the loss of New
Hampshire would be an immediate settlement
of the Presidential question. They could not
afford to lose it. Consequently they used all
their energy to avert so untoward a catastro-
Pie. They used and abused all the advan-
tages of their position. They flooded the
State with loyal rhetoric, which, probably,
was Of very little advantage, and with public
money which, no doubt, was the main instru-
ment of their success. Aud, after all, they
have carried. the election by a majority
greatly reduced from that of last
year. The latest returns show O Re-
publican loss of about 1900, indicating a
majority of 1900 in the State. Last year the
Republican majority was 29OO Thus it is
evident that the revolution is still going on;
and that its effects are at last visible even in
New Hampshire, State heretofore unaffected
even by those influences which have created
so great a change in other parts of the
country. In 1867 New Hampshire went for
the Republicans by about the usual majority.
Its vote gave no indication of the
political revolution. Yes in
three weeks afterwards Connecticut went
over to the Democrats; and, from that time
forward the great reaction against Congress
sional despotism continued to gather volume
and momentum. Now New Hampshire shows
symptoms Of sympathy with the popular
The Republican majority is di-
minished one half The reasonable inference
is that in Republican States more sensitive
10 political changes than New Hampshire the
radical majority will be still further dimin.
shed, or, possibly, entirely overcome; that
he Democratic States will become more in
lensely Democratic than ever, and that the
doubtful States will be carried by the
Democracy,