The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-12

elections
Of i,j!. equally important is 1t to recall the Gle.
m.lts IT danger in the political situation UP to
lat. stage OF tho campaign OF 1894 We shall
note what Nj Rhodes has to say on these topics
nni then turn TO a chapter In which no discusses
tn, attitude Of G reat Britain toward the Union at
Acfitirn luncturr
I.
II w,s IA tn, autumn OF 1856. TINT President
I.tl ms administration of affairs clio uded AZ
trSnaI 5,,n by d ,tcatsin the field, had TO be-
Ih.1tel TO the Judgment of the people al the bal
10, ,,, Tho result of the elections which in
oct her and Nuvcm her took place In the principal
States, was that PENNSYLVANIA Ohio, Indiana
Illinois. Wisconsin,, New York and New Jersey
oil Of which except the lastnAmcti had cast their
electoral votes Tor Lincoln. while even Now Jersey
ha given him four votes out Of seven declared
against tho party in power In the new House OF
Representatives the Democrats made conspicuous
gains from tho States mentioned Had tho same
ratio ot gain extended to tho other States they
would have acquired the control of the next HOUSE
a d.s,U.r from which the Administration was
saveI b. New England. Michigan. Iowa Cali.
fornia AMI the border slave States Tho cleo.
tons came near being what the Ns,o York Times
then stcadfast Republican journal, pronounced
them to be, a vote Of want OF confidence" In the
iIsNll'lI inhSHuCu hS inc cleCuOns nau 1Ol-
lowed closely upon the proclamation Of omanci.
pniion. tbs Democrats nOt unnatutslly construed
tn, result ~ q popular protest against Lincoln's
surrender TO the Radicals. such being tho Demo
cratic Interpretation .! the change Of policy from
war Tor tn, Union TO war for the negro Mr.
RI les does not doubt that this pproval OF the
pr amation cooperated with certain other inGu-
enccs suoh ~ the corruption which pc'vadcd tho
War Department before Stanton became Sccrc.
tary. the suppression Of freedom OF speech and
froslon OF the press, the arbitrary arrests which
continued to be made under tho authority OF the
Secretary OF War ana the suspension by the same
power OF the writ OF hdbedS corpus. lie holds the
dominant cause, however to have been the failure
OF the Northern armies TO gain decisive victories.
This d'feat Of the Administration party in such
important States as New York Pennsylvania.
Ohio. Illinois and Indiana was mainly. our author
thinks. q symptom Of WEAKNESS OF the war. n
remonstrance against the waste OF much life
and money. The dissatisfaction showed itself
in an extreme form when in Pennsylvania and
Wisconsin violent resistance was offered TO the
draft rendered necessary under the call for 800 600
militia in August 1852. An explanation OF their
defoaI which at the time current 10 some
extent among Republicans, ascribed II to the fact
th,t ths Republicans were fighting the Confed-
eratss in tbs field. while the Democrats stayed at
h'h'o' o1" At' Nuoi7sS says hh'h comparison
OF tho returns OF 1882 with those OF 1900 and 1909
miis IL plain that this alleged fact had little to
do with the result
In III, concluding ch.p,er Of ,hi. volume VIC
are reminded that In the summer of 1884. Lin.
coins prospects of re election TO the Presidency
were by no means bright TWAS certain that tho
D'n>;rats, who wcre to meet in convention al
Chicago on Aug. 20. would nominate Mcclellan.
who was tbs mast popular man they could name
A. hs would rec,ive the support not only OF tho
D,n)cr,ts, but also Of q certain conservative Gle
msnt In tbs Union or Republican party. and as
Fremont would draw OF the Radicals from their