Middletown transcript., 1868-10-10
The Issues Of the Campaign.

principal issues involved in the Presiden-
tial canvass, and recur to the subject again
The intelligent voter, who casts his ballot
from principle and is not controlled by
passion, or swaycd by blind party zeal
will take a survey of the whole subject,
and weigh thoroughly, oH the issues pre-
sentcd to public consideration in the can
vass before him. To such persons we ad-
dress ourselves, in the remarks we have to
submit through this medium.
Nearly four years have rolled away
since the close of the unhappy civil contest
which convulsod this nation from centre to
circumference. Time enough has elapsed
for the development of policy, by the
dominant party, calculated to heal and
cure the wounds inflicted upon the body
polite. But what has been done? SO
far from making things better, the Radi-
Gals have absolutely made them worse and
they will continue to grow worse and worse
if that party is entrusted with fresh lease
of power, at the ensuing election. Dis
content and dstrust will spread, North
and South; the burdens of the people will
grow heavier: taxation will be increased,
while the means to pay the taxes will be
diminished. The South harrasscd and
disquieted by turbulent, demoralized.
and non-productive negro population, will
be unable to build up her waste places,
and contribute her wonted share to the ma
tional wealth, casting an increased burden
of taxation upon the Northern States,
which will have to sustain it, if it be sus-
tanned at all
The reconstruction policy of Congress, is
Pandora box, full Of all imaginable evils.
1t has so demoralized the negro that he
will not work, and he has become charge
upon the national treasury, through the
contrivance of Frecdmen's Bureau. 1t
has made necessary a standing army in the
South, to keep the peace between the two
races; but, notwithstanding the presence
of the military, murder and rapine are dai-
'ly occurrences, all over that section of our
country. Millions of the public money
are expended to support this army, and
this Bureau; all of which would be saved
to the country, in the event of the election
of Seymour and Blair. For we take it for
granted that the Congressional policy
would be changed. sooner or later, should
the Democrats he reinstatod in power.
Congress would be held in check by a
Democratic Executive, until the people
could cleanse the Augean stable of that
corrupt and feculent body, and thus re-
deem the country from under the curse
which its domination has imposed upon it.
General Grant, if elected, would not do
this. He has told the country so, in eff
feet, by saying that he would have no pol
fey of his own, to interfere with the will of
Congress !; and we have seen that the rW
of that body is the only charter by which
it is governed. The Constitution is dis
regarded and trampled under foot by it,
and its defunct leader, Thaddeus Stevens,
had the hardihood to ayow it, publicly, on
fhe floor of the House.
Now let the intelligent voter ask him
self, whether he wants this state of tbinrs
continued? Docs he want to see murder
arson, rape, and every imaginable i'll in
ticted upon the Southern people? Does
nc want standing army maintained in
the South, at the cost of millions of dol
lars to thepublic treasury? Does he want
the freedmen's Bureau. at the cost of
millions more, to feed ,-ciothe and educate
the negro at the public expense? Does
he want to give the negro full power with
himself. and make him his equal, by
clothing him with all the privileges and
immunities of citizenship? Nay, more,
does he wish to see the negroes preferred
glass, petted, pampered, fed, clothed and
educated, at the public expense Does
he wish to see the heel of the negro upon
the necks of the white citizens of the
South ? Does he wish to see that fair
portion of our country laid waste, its hou-
ses given to the torch of the incendiary, its
citizens butchcred by semi-barbarous
race, its women given over to rapine, and
the plowsharc of ruin driven through the