The Baltimore County union., 1868-09-05
The Political Situation.


South did not pretend to be in favor of the
Union, nor did their friends in the North make
any greater professions. Democracy made the
war and carried it on-the Southern wing of
it doing the fighting and the Northern wing
aiding and abetting it. Down South they said
they would never be conquered-would " die in
"the last ditch" irst-would not come back if
blank sheet of paper was given them upon
which to write their own terms; North, de-
mocracy contented itself with abusing the
Union cause, while prasing their Southern al
lies-with solemnly resolving in national con-
vention the " war was failure" We do not
wish to be understood as saying that all North
ern democrats thus bent the knee to the Baal
of treason for Logan and Butler and Grant
and Dix and Fitzpatrick and Griswold and
thousands of others stand as living witnesses
that that party contained true men-men who
would sooner sunder party ties than commit
one act or say one word against their country's
interests. The result of the contest between
the sections was that the South was whipped,
and then great change came over the demo-
cratic party. Not a secessionist could be found
in all their ranks, nor had there ever been one
they had been loyal all the time, and were
perfectly willing to denounce treason in un-
measured terms. They were in such haste to
see united government once more that they
would have Immediately admitted the seeded
States into full fellowship with those that had
remained loyal. North and South it was the
same, and if the professions of those who had
lately borne arms against the government had
been believed, they would have been regarded
as thoroughly reconstructed, and as firm friends
of the cause against which they so earnestly,
and bravely, too, contended. But, happily,
their professions were not believed, and the
rebel States have only been admitted back into
the Union under such guarantees as will serve
as a great barrier against another attempt at
secession.
Lately, however, there has been another
change in the democratic creed; there is not
as much loyalty about it as there used to be,
nor such great professions of love for the Union
made. That card failed of success; it induced
a few men to support their party, and enabled
all the good that the role of loyalty did them.
Democracy has taken another /" swing around
" the circle" and turned up as the apologist
for treason, the friend of those who had been
in rebellion, the open advocate of another war,
saved the nation from disruption. We lately
saw the representatives of the democratic par
ty in council. The peace man in time of war
was there so was the man who had been ar
rested and confined for the utterance of disloy-
al sentiments so was the rebel officer; so was
the murderer of prisoners after surrender; all
united in common purpose, viz the overthrow
of the Republican party, even if, in the strug-
gle, the pillars of the government totter to their
fall Wade Hampton told his constituents that
there was but one sentiment in that conven-
tion among those who had ever been known as
supporters of the government, and that was,
explanation Of or apology for their past course
They nominated q man who was an open
friend of the rebel cause, and who is proved to
have been in correspondence, while Governor
of New York, with emissaries from the jeff.
Davis Government; they selected as their can
didate for Vice President man who openly
advocates another revolution and the complete
overturning of all that has been done towards
the reconstruction of the Southern States, and
have placed these candidates upon a platform
Of undisgused reputation and of sentiments
and intentions perfectly satisfactory to the reb-
ell leaders of the South, and which such men
as Hampton, Orr, Cobb, Toombs, Rhett, Beau
regard and Forrest fully endorse. Blair's let
ter announcing his position has met with a cor
dial raannnse oil ovar ba Soutb nd rabaJs N .o
jubilant because they have the opportunity of
voting for one whose principles coincide with
their own, and whose election would give them
all they lost by their treason. His position is
this, as stated in his letter.
"There is but one way to restore the gov
ernment and the Constitution, and that is for
the President elect to declar these (the recon
str ructon) acts null and uoid, compel the army to
undo its uSurpatiOnS at the South, disperSe the
carpet bag State governments, aloW the aohite peo
pie to rcorgGnize their Oscn governments and elect
Senator's and Representatives.. 1t ,0iH
not be difficult to COMPEL THE { U. 81 SEN
TIE TO submit IT is idle TO talk of
bonds, greenbacks, the public cretit, and the public
faith"
Such are the sentiments Of sir. Blair, the
democratic candidate for Vice President, with
which the South expresses itself as perfectly
" satisfied" This bold enunciaton of the
views held by their candidate has given great
encouragement to the unrepentant rebels of
the South, and they are bold and outspoken in
their opposition to the government, and threats
are daily made fwhat they will do in the event
of the election of Seymour and Blair. The
Mobile Tribune fully understands the nature of
the contest, and says: 81 If zee are successful IN
"the approaching contest, zee shall regain all that
"De lost" Howell Cobb, in speaking of the
contest, denounces all who favor the Chicago
candidates, and says that "upOn them there
should be no mercy. AnaHematize then, drive
them from the pale Of social md political socie-
"ty. Come one, come all, and let us
Snatch the old banner from the dust, give it
"again to the breeze, and if need be, strike one
" more bloD for liberty" Albert Pike, late rebel
general, thus encourages the cut throats of Ten
nessee: Go on, boys: sscear to murder North
" ern hordes. Arn, yourselves and organize, and
BE ready to respond promptly aohen called on
" and .1fyht 6ravely, eUen if you get killed." The
Atlanta htelligencer, rejoicing over the action
of the New York Convention, tells its readers,
" We feel like we were back again IN the days Of
"or count,y's glory." We might fill every
inch of our space with extracts like these, but
these few should be sufficient TO show how un-
repentant the rebels of the South are, and that
The democratic party is in full accord with
those who plunged the nation in war seven
years ago, and that its leaders pledged, in
the event Of their success, to elevate and en-
courage treason, even if another bloody war
follows their action.
The Republican party, in glorious contrast
to demscracy, stands pledged to peace, to ma
tional unity, to the preservation of the nation
al honor. They have gone into the contest