Year: 1862




Great Issue.


On Tuesday next State elections will come
OF in Pennsylvania. Ohio, Indiana and Iowa,
involving. each, from two opposing tickets in
the field, tho choice Of several State officers,
members of both branches of the State Legisla-
ture, and full delegation to the House of Re-
representatives. at Washington. In ordinary times
here would be matter for q universal cleo
tioneering agitation among all classes of our
people; but now there is neither public curios-
ty, excitement nor interest upon the subject to
any extent, although these elections may deter
mine the political complexion of the next Con-
gress.


Why is this? How are we to account for
this apparent and extraordinary public in
difference to such q schedule of Congressional
elections, SO close at hand, and all oc-
curing on the same day. The solution may be
given in the single word rebellion. The public
mind, with the energies of our loyal States, is
absorbed in the grand and paramount work of
putting down this Southern rebellion. 1t is the
engrossing, the vital and the only living ques-
ton Of the day. In the presence of this tre-
mendous issue all the paltry divisions. distinc-
tions, quibbles, claptrap and moonshine Of our
political parties sink into insignifcance and
public contempt In the midst of this sublime
struggle to save the life of the nation the masses
of our loyal people are not disposed to recog-
nize anything else as worthy their attention,
and our mousing politicians of all parties, with
their petty and contemplate intrigues and
- Ia - ,Ea IA
wait for more convenient season in order to
command the public attention.


The masses of our loyal people cheerfully re-
cognize in President Lincoln the legitimate, re-
sponsible and trustworthy head of our govern
ment; that the conduct and the issues of this
war are in his hands; that his patriotism is en-
titled to our confidence, and that this war,
which may be trumphantly ended for the
Union before the close Of the present year, can
not possibly be protracted by the exhausted
rebellious States of the South to the end of Mr..
Lincolns term of office. Our loyal people,
therefore, are now devoted to the one grand
idea of bringing this war to an end as soon as
of President Lincoln


Whatever, then, may be the peculiar shades
| of difference between the opposing Congres
sional tickets in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana
or Iowa, the general results of these
elections will be decided by the public
Judgment, between this or that ticket, as
the one or the other may be regarded the
best in view of an earnest and harmonious
prosecution of the war. Nor do We imagine
that such secondary questions as the suspension
of the writ of habeas corpus, or the enforcement
of the Confiscaton act, will materially affect the
judgment of the people upon this main ques-
tion-the vigorous prosecution of the war. The
great object with our loyal people is to defeat
and disperse the armies Of this rebellion Let
this be accomplished, and with the submission
of our rebelious States the questions Of the
habeas corpus, and Of confiscation, and of eman-
cipation, will cease to trouble us, and the re-
vival of our spoils and plunder seeking political
parties will be open for the public considera-
ton.


The great and engrossing question, mean
time, of the speedy suppression of the armed
forces of this rebellion, will control these i'm
pending elections. We may rest assured, too,
that the results, though they may, perhaps, as
tonish and confound our huckstering politi-
clans, will be understood and respected by the
President, and as endorsing his policy of conduct
ing this war, not for the universal abolition Of
slavery, Union or no Union, but for the
speedicst restoration of the Union, even though
it may involve the preservation Of their local
institutions with the submission of our rebel
lious States.


UNscRUPULoUs PERvERsIoN or THE Truth OF
HIsroRY.-Mr. Cassius NJ. Clay says Jefferson
went down to his grave melancholy because he
saw that slavery menaced the eyistepca of this