National Republican., 1875-11-04
FEATURES OF THE ELECTIONS

The lesson of the elections cannot be in
telligently written until the full returns
have been received and compared with the
votes polled at previous elections. All that
is now visible is that the people who did
not vote at all last year, or who then voted
wrong, have, some of them, repented of
their foolishness and returned to their first
love. They have reasserted their fidelity
to and confidence In the principles of the
Republican party as in contrast with that
opposition to them which is affected by the
Democrats and such disaffected Republicans
as have Joined them. We fail as yet to see
in the results of the fall elections anything
which can be tortured into condemnation
of the Administration. The State plat
forms upon which the elections in Republi-
can States have been carried each of them
Endorsed the administration of General
Grant, while those of the Opposition, which
the people have just emphatically disap-
proved, contained more or less criticism of
the Republican policy. The results, then,
being mainly Republican may be taken as
an expression by a majority of the people
strongly favorable to the Administration.
When we take note of the powerful
efforts that were made by the Detective
and pseudo Independent Press to obtain a
different verdict, we cannot refrain from
congratulating all true Republicans upon
their firm adherence to principles even
when their old favorite journals and editors
have endeavored to beguile them from the
istry and all the damnable lies o calumny.
The New York Tribune, the Epening Post,
Mr.. Geo. VIM. Curtis OF Harp6r's Weekly,
the Herald and nearly all the weekly pic
torials have employed their whole endeav-
ors to procure such results as should in
dorse Cows Tilden and CASTOR and reflect
upon the Administration at Washington.
1t is true that they fought Tammany and
initiation with the Republicans, but the
result shows that their efforts would have
been powerless without Republican aid.
So if they are entitled to any credit for the
defeat of Tammany they are obliged to
share this with the party which
they attempted to defeat in New York,
while that party has succeeded in
Massachusetts IN spite of them. Mr.. Bowles
and Mr.. Curtis were sure that nothing
would save the Republican party il that
State but the nomination of Mr.. Charles
Francis Adams for Governor. The work
of Tuesday must satisfy these gentlemen
that Governor Alex. 81. Rice, man of the
people, is far more popular with the masses
than even Mr.. Adams would have been,
while they may also fatter themselves that
their readers are men of independent
thought and action, who cannot be bought
and sold as sheep in the shambles by politi-
cal dreamers and impracticables. Is it too
much to ask these learned pundits who are
so fond of arrogating to themselves all the
wisdom ever possessed by the Republican
party since the death Of Greeley, Seward
and Sumner, why they can not accept the
lesson expounded first by the fate of Greeley
and Sumner and lastly by the elections of
Tuesday? The people Of this country de-
mand information upon all subjects from
the press, but they will accept dictation
from no man or set of men. They do not
perceive the necessity Of education and in
formation if they are obliged to act upon
the judgment of others regarding their
political and religious courses instead of
being guided by that reason and intelli-
gence with which God has endowed them.
To do so would be to ignore and sink free
moral agency. free thought and individual
responsibility. The American people are
not made of such material. If they were
thew certainly would not be fitted for self.
government.