Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-11-13
The Recent Election.

n larger popular vote, than has been
awarded TO any Presidential aspirant
since the days Of Washington. attcst<
the sagacity with which Tho Radical
leaders selected them standard bearer
i'll the recent campaign. Tie ccla;
of victory which had. been gained il,
carrying. . succcs.tu VIZ, TO its t!o>r.
cnab!ai tl."M to l.uildup thcirs strength
during tic last three years, and divert
popular Indignation from their $rns>
infiactions cf the constitutions, nm;i
theil thc selection OF q popular ci.ici-
tain WHO represented the success OF
The rational arms. a;d promised tn
make that success enduring hy givin;
peace to q distracted country; secured
them even q more signal triumph. an,l
enabled them to grasp ,hcExccu:ivc.
ms they had already the Legislative
department Of the government: 'Thc
successful general with great na:A2
won on many bicody lat:ie fields. was
put forth rs the representative OF 4
party WHICH seeking to identify them
selves with the late war, Appealed to
the feelings Of pride aud patriotis::l
which awaken the pci,s.!;:- hrart,
aroused again the passions; " iiich were
: enlisted in it5 prosecution, and with
the magic Of Il naiao AMI pr,>ti 50 y!
victory, invoked all good citizens to
aid the great leader in i,ciiIcting
that in the cabinet, Which he has;
partly failed to accomplish in the
1icll.
The same policy wlirl. dictated the
selection OF L canIi,lute, gave color
and character to the campaign. The
OLD battle was fought anew. Old is
SHE'S were revived, "to rule us like
.sfcptercd sovcrcigns frcm their dead
nrns.' The CID flag was @.ain
unfuricd, and the battle OF the Union
formed the kcy-no,c Of the campaign.
Icpublicaniein WAS made The cxioncn,
ofthc war and OF AL that the wa,'
was intended to accomplish. It was
artfully represented that the fruits OF
victory were still Insecure, that the
tnion WAS still in dansc.., and the
Future peace and prosperity Of the
country still at stake. 'Rcrublicaniym
was the only conservative party, the
party Of the Cuion, the party Of
peace. Democracy on the other hand.
was the iydra-hcaded monster OF the
Rebcllion, assuming another suisc, but
still animated with the same spirit.
ana using only different means to ac-
= complish tho same end, Northern
Democracy was still covert "copper"
hoadism," finding its best rerrcso,ltn-
tive in Va!laudig ham, and Southern
Democracy was thcrsssrebcl element
seeking to inaugqratc another war
under the lead oc Hampton. Such
were the dead issues that were again
revived, and used By an unscrlpulous
party to Influence the popular mind,
and enlist in support of partizan ends
the spirit Of patriotism and. the love
. Of peace: Sclfishncss was made to
assume the guisc of philanthropy, and
In tho name Of public virtue and the
love Of country, ono Of tho most un-
scrupulohs and corrupt parties that
over disssraced the halls cf-acgisE,tion,
and the high places OF power; were
enabled to conduct tie campaign to Il
successful close;. and 7e!ect their Prcsi
don't by immcnsc popular maiorities.
10, effect their end, no means that
money could supply, that fraud could
effect, that calumny gould devise, were
Wantipg to falsify and pervort, to
acludc and mislead. I
= In the accomplishmcnt n Of their pur-
poses they seem to .havc, becn aided
BY the Histpkcs of tAcir opponents.
In the light Of tho result we arc on-
ablcd to say that the selection Of a |
candidate with Scymour's war:rsc,ctorl,
was a great mistake 81 tho Dcfniiocra-
cy, and whatever strength the t;cket1
might have derived from, tho namio of
Blair WAS lost by HIS imprudGnt uttcr.t
ances. The prominent part ass,smedf
by Southern leaders, not only in the
adoption of tho PLATFORM, but in the
progress Of the campaign, contributed 7
to tho samo result, played into tho
hands of our opponents and gave
aome color to the slshders which they
so industriously circulated Thcncwf
battle was fought upon ground of tic
encmy's choosing, and upon tho vcryl}
issues which he desired to present: !;