Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-12-03
THEAMERIcAN ELECTIONS.
English Views of fRe Result-Worlk
of the New Congress.

] English Views of tine Result-Work
of the New Congress.
From the London Post, Nov. II.
If the results Of the elections held in
the United States on Tuesday last are to
be accepted as indicative of the state of
public feeling a very marked change has
taken place within the past two years in
the position of the two great political
parties in the republic. Until the election
of Mr.. Lincoln to the Presidency. exactly
ten years ago, the Democrats had enioyed
an uninterrupted supremacy, and even
then their defeat was due, not to their
own inherent weakness, but to their ina
bility to agree in the choice of candi-
date. Since then, however, the Republican
star has been in the ascendant, and the
victorious faction has not scrupled to en-
ploy their newly-acquired strength to
keep their opponents in absolute subjec-
ton. Nor was this very surprising. On
the outbreak Of the civil war the same
line which separated the hostile camps
equally divided the two political
factions; the Democrats, wherever
resident whether in the North or
South, accorded all their sympathy
to the youthful Confederacy. In the
Southern States, men were almost univels-
ally democrats, while in Northern, or at
least in those which gave their hearty sup
port to the established government, Re-
publieanism reigned not only supreme,
but practically alone. Whatever may
have been the ostensible objects of the
war, it was in one sense q struggle for
performance between the two powerful
factions, and when that war terminated,
the vanquished, as a matter of course,
were compelled to suffer. The Union
was declared to be re- established, but the
Southern States were submitted to q
special military government, and were
denied the privilege of sending represen-
tatiVes 10 Congress. The stain of previ-
Gus rebellion was made the convenient ex-
cuse for excluding from Congress the i'm
meDse bulk of the Democratic Represen-
tstives, and the Republicans saw them
selves by this means enabled to legislate
for the republic without even the shadow
of opposition. In the North, where the
supreme power lay, this course of pro-
ceeding appeared equally expedient
and just and it was thought that
in the work of political reorgaDi-
zation the Republicans ought to
not to be exposed to the danger of being
thwarted by their former foes. Such
was the position of affairs during the first
portion of Mr.. Johnson's Presidentship,
but before its conclusion the signs of
reaction had begun to manifest them
selves. Though elected by the Republi-
can party, The President protested against
the injustice with which Congress COM
posed almost exclusively of Republicans
dealt with the Southern States, and he
over and over again used the veto with
which the Constitution endowed him to
set aside the measures of which he disap-
proved. The Presidents veto is only con-
ditional, and Republican Senate and
House of Representatives combined to
render ii imperative. When, however,
in the autumn of 1868, the time had come
for the election of Mr.. Johnson's sue
cessor, and also new Congress, the alb
solute predominance of the Republicans
had vanished, though the large majority
by which Gen. Grant was elected and the
number of Republican candidates sent to
Congress testified to the general disfavor
n which the Democrats were still held.
Now, after the lapse of two years, the
elections to Congress have again been
held, and we have an opportunity of
Judging whether in the interval the
Democrats have succeeded in gaining
further ground. We have received by
telegraph the results of these elections in
the several States, and it must be acknow-
lodged that the gains of the Democrats
are very substantial. The most
significant circumstance in connection
with the present elections and the gains
of the Democratic party is the fact that
under the provisions of the fifteenth
amendment of the Constitution the ne
groes have exercised the franchise. When
the Republican party insisted upon cou-
ferring this political privilege on men who
I'll within the last few years, were regard
ed as mere chattels, and denied the com.
mOnest civil rights, they reckoned, and,
rs might have seemed, with much prOba-
bility, on securing the support of those
TO whom they had proved themselves
benefactors The negroes of the South
ern States were made to believe that the
war was undertaken for their liberation,
and that their emancipation and political
enfTaBchisement were the great objects |
which the Northern States had in
view in expending so much blood and
treasure. 1t must, however, be adj
mitted, if we may judge from the
present election returns, that the enamel
pated negroes evince but little gratitude
for those who have done so much for
them. In Alabama, for example, the
Democrats have secured five out of the
six seats instead of the two which they
ELL in the present Congress. In Virginia
they equally preponderate, and in Ken
lucky they command almost the whole
representation How this phenomenon
is to be explained we know not, but it
would almost seem as if the former slaves
had greater confidence in their old mas
tiers than in those disinterested friends
who have conferred on them so many
privileges. One thing, at all events, is
evident. The Democratic party has thus
now, for the first time since the close of
the civil war, a prospect for opposing and
vindicating its views In Congress, and in
dependently of the general work of reOr-
ganization, which is still far from COM
plete, the new Congress will be called
upon to deal with the proposed reduction
in the tariff, ard must attempt to grapple
with the immense financial difficulties
which have been beQueathed by the civil