Year: 1868

his personal popularity. A deeper feeling
than mere party strife between opposing fac
tions, fred the hearts and nerved the arms OF
the loyal portion of the people, on the Sd o:
November. They went to the ballot box
with higher purpose. nobler aim than to
honor an individual with their preferences,
even though he were the nations idol A
great principle, affecting the perpetuity of the
Government, was involved, and the people
were anxious to ave it decided in favor of
the indestructibility of our free institutions.
Thirty years ago. John c. Calhoun, as the
exponent of the aristocratic sentiment of the
South, was enunciating the doctrine that a
State had right to secede from the Federal
Union when it saw fit, without let or hind
rance. This doctrine-which meant that
we had no Government at all-was opposed
by all loyal men as monstrous, reasonable
and revolutionary. The poisonous seed thus
sown in the hearts of Southern slave propa-
gandists, finally brought forth fruit-the re-
bellion. They appealed to armed conflict
for decision of the question, and were de-
feated. Out of the war grew great results.
Four millions of slaves were liberated and
the old feudal system of the South uprooted,
calling for corresponding change in the
administration of its Government. To this
they objected, and encouraged by Andrew
johnson, refused every overture made them
by Congress. Convinced of tie futility of
their efforts to destroy the Government by
force, they sought to accomplish it by STRAIT
eey. Upon specious platform they put
forward candidates who, had they been elect
ed, would have been willing tools in the
hands of unrepen tant rebels to work the
dissolution of the Government. The intelli-
gence and patriotism of the people, evinced
by the success of Republican principles,
thwarted their designs. The contest which
eliminated on the Sd of November, was in
reality the great, final struggle between Sc
cession and Union. The South never was
thoroughly conquered until now. Loyalists,
both North and South, have good cause
to rejoice that their malignant enemies have
been forever rendered powerless by peaceful
triumph at the ballot box, rather than by
again trying titles upon the battle field


For the future, we have every indication of
lasting and prosperous peace. The leaders
of the rebellion, with their fortunes linked
with those of the Democratic party, have
been signally rcbuked, and the last lingering
hope for the resuscitation of the lost cause
has been smothered under heavy majority
of loyal ballots. The emphatic Endorsement
of the doctrine that all men shall be free and
equal before the law, in the South, will re-
move the opposition to the reconstruction of
the seeded States, and law and order pre-
vail where riot, rapine and ruffianism now
reign supreme. The people of the South
cannot fail to be convinced that The only way
to secure to themselves the rights and privi-
leges they formerly enjoyed, lies through the
door of repentance and submission. Once
imbued with this sentiment, convinced of the
utter impracticability of any other method
and they will speedily return to their allegi-
ance and never again desert it. In fact, the
South has more cause for rejoicing over the
election of Grant than the North. They
have been and are the principal sufferers by
the unsettled condition of the country during
the past seven years. and now they have an
assurance that they will have peace. ouiet
and repose in the future. No longer delud-
ed and led astray by designing leaders. the
people of the South, listening to the voice
of reason. justice and humanity, will gladly
avail themselves of the liberal terms held out
to them, and join their best endeavors with
him who says " Let US have yeace." North
ern capital, energy and enterprise will culti-
vate her wasted fields, build her up cities and
develop htr resources. The inaguration of
thorough system of common school educa-
ton will dispel even the wish for the revival
OF that relict of barbarism, slavery, and
eradicate the prejudice of caste which has so
long kept large portion of the inhabitants
enshrouced in the darkness ofignorance. Ed
ucation and freedom of speech. with the
sense of right and justice which they impart,
VIII release the thralldom of superstition,
bisotry and narrow-minded prejudice which
have so longfettered the South. The election
of Grant will prove the regeneration of the
country.