The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1868-09-03
The Question Before the People.

Al MORNlNU, SEf IEM
The Question Before the People.
The all important question, says
the New York Times, presented to
the people, North and South, is not
whether a Republican or Democratic
Administration shall rule the coun-
try. The political conflict which
agitates every section of this CONT
nent is not simply partisan, as in Or
binary cases where the people are
called upon to judge between an Ad-
ministration and the Opposition =
between the Gins" and the "outs.' -
The welfare of the Republic during
a long series of years depends upon
the result of the coming elections.
Neither the Republicans nor the
Democrats, as such, can rely upon
the prestige of party name in such
a conflict, any more than they could
four years ago. Now, as then,
more serious interests at stake than
those involved in the possession OF
White House, or of the Capitol, OF
of the party spoils.
The military success which closed
the war for the Union only furnish
ed basis for the restoration OF
peace. The absence of actual wal
is not. peace. Lees surrender was
no argument proving the restored
loyalty of his troops. 1t simply in
dicated their exhaustion, their ina
bility to fight OF course, the de-
feat of the rebellion proved it's fol
ly-but it did not prove conversion
Indeed, we should have had little
respect for the sincerity of convic-
tons which could be altered by the
mere fact of failure. Our adversar
les were unwise in expecting, on the
other hand, that we should show the
same want of sincerity in the jus
tice of our cause by contenting our
selves with an empty boast of mill
tary victory. Our watchword from
the beginning had been not con-
quest, but peace. The war was uot
duel-it settled the claim ESQ far
as armed force could settle it) that
the nation has right to the sover-
eign allegiance Of all its citizens
But settlement thus made by wal
might, by another outbreak Of hos
tilities, be jeopardized, and perhaps
annulled. Something more, then,
was required. The laws, which dur
ing the war had been silent, must
now speak again and ratify and Sc
cure the results gained on the bat
tie field. But ordinary legislation
might be repealed hence the neces-
sity of incorporating in a constitu-
tional amendment the legal condi
tions of a more perfect union and OF
permanent peace. 1t is true that q
resort to arms having once been de-
termined upon, it Is easy to throw
aside constitutional enactments.-
But, then, we all remembered that
the war through which we had pass
ed was made possible only through
a misunderstanding rs to the exact
meaning of our federal Constitution
in regard to the claims entertained
by the two great parties in that
struggle. Was it not important
that any such ambiguous construc-
ton should be henceforth prevent
ed? AS a rule, our people abide
by the laws. At any rate, the least
we could ask was a constitutional
guarantee, securing what had been
gained at so great cost, and pre-
venting future difficulties.
In great measure this result has
been achieved, through the four
teenth amendment. But the peo-
pie cannot shut their eyes to the
fact this has been accomplished in
the very teeth of the former Scces-
sionists, and that the means through
which it has been accomplished are
pronounced unconstitutional and in
valid by the Democratic party
The feeling of insecurity. therefore,
as to this most vital element in the
restoration Of peace, still remains.
1t has still to be decided by the pop
ular vote whether the war had any
real significance, whether it accom-
plished anything ofpermanent value
for the nation. Admit that the
prominent secession leaders acqui-
esced in their defeat, still the people
remember that they did not cordial
ly participate in the work of restor-
alton. They looked upon the allie
glance to which they returned as
being precisely that which they had
repudiated. They entirely ignored
all conditions which the results of
the war imposed and made neces-
sary. They looked upon the war
itself as a simple test of physical
forces in which they had failed
When it was over they deemed it a
myth, and regarded it's results as
empty shadows.
And here is the great mistake
which the Democrats are now max
ing-namely, in adopting this South
ern view. And they are building
their hopes of success upon the idea
that the people at large adopt sim
liar view. It is mistaken conf
dence. The popular sentiment has
not thus essentially altered; what
it was in 1864 it remains to-day
and what it demanded then, and
now demands, is absolute security
and permanent peace. Vituperation
directed against either Mr.. Seymour
or Gen. Grant effects nothing. 1t
is impossible to create diversion
by directing attention on the one
hand to the war record of extreme
Democrats, or to the incidental abus-
es connected with the Congression-
al plan of reconstruction on the
other. The popular thought, as we
said at tbs first, goes down far be-