Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1868-01-25
The Approaching Campaigr.

Already the tocsin of preparation Tor
the great political contest which will decide
who is to occupy the highest position with
in the gift Of the American people, is being
sounded. The quadrennial elections OF
Preside nts of the United States have ever
been regarded with a lively interest, even oy
those who have taken but a humble part IN
the conflict of principles involved in those
contests. Under ordinary circumstances,
when no great national questions are at issue,
the election of Chief Magistrate is an event
which rouses the public mind to feverish
state of excitement awakens the latent en-
ergies of the most humble adherents to party
tenets, and infuses patriotic enthusiasm IN
the breast of every lover of his country.
When the principles involved and the vital
Importance of the issues to be decided by
the approaching campaign are taken into
consideration, however, past struggles appear
like jousts of the tourney, compared with
the stern realities of the battle in which we
shall soon be engaged. In political contests,
when questions involving national unity are
at stake, candidates are of but secondary
Importance. 1t makes but little difference
who is put forth as the exponent of a plat
form of principles, provided he has the in
tegrity to remain true to them after his
election. Although the platforms of the
two great antagonistical political organiza-
tons have not yet been formally presented to
the people for acceptance or rejection, TIE
policy of each has been sufficiently foreshad-
owed to indicate, at least. their fundamental
principles. The policy of reconstruction
adopted by the majority in Congress, and
the measures instituted for the rehabilitation
of the seeded States. will probably form the
groundwork for the erection of the platform
of the Republican party, while the views
entertained by Johnson on those subjects will
undoubtedly be taken as the textbook OF
Democratic creed. The position each party
will take in reference to national affairs, is
as clearly defined as though the lines were
already drawn. and the results of the success
of either can be calculated with as much
certainty as though the battle were fought.
1t has cost Us hundreds of thousand of lives
to demonstrate the fact that we have gov
eminent. Shall we surrender it into the
hands of those who struck at its existence
The Federal compact is sealed with blood.
Are the obligations it imposes to be decided
by those who will declare it rope of sand !:
The loyal people of the North have written
upon our national escutcheon, with their
swords Liberty to ALL" Will they allow
the glorious inscription to be obliterated
and the symbols of slavery installed in its
stead Shall the freedom which We annouc-
ed to down. rodden and oppressed race,
from the Potomac to the Gulf of Mexico, be
supplanted by an oligarchical despotism, ere
the laundering tones of the cannon which
proclaimed it have ceased reverberating If
the reins of Government remain in the hands
of the Republicans for another term. the
good work but just commenced, will be
finished and our free institutions be estab-
hshed as firmly as the Rock of Ages. Let
the Democrats secure the victory, and the
agitation Of the present is but a symptom of
the disruption that will follow. Questions
of national Importance which many people
imagine have been definitely settled by the
subjugaton of the rebellion will be re-
opened and the fruits of our ear-bought
victory snatched from our grasp before they
are gathered. The contest will be close
one; even the vote of California may turn
the scale. We cannot hope to carry the
State if we allow petty jealousics and party
chickering's to divide our strength. That is a
dead certainty. We must present an un-
broken front to the foe or defeat is inevita-
BILE. The fight is a national. not local one,
and thank God there is no United States
Senatorship mixed up with it. The Demo-
Gratis are gathering their strength for this, the
final struggle. They are energetic, willy and
confident. We must cork if we beat Them
With that invincible chieftain, Grant, as our
leader, however, we are sanguine that our
banner will never be Inundated by defeat.