Year: 1867




cure them in power, and if not, will be


fatal to all success. This is the sleepy
; and careless year, in which success on


either side is not very important; but


next year. (1868) is the one which


must settle the politics of the country
for long period. No experienced
= politician is in the least doubt as to
the cause of the falling off in Ohio;


and it is not, therefore, by way of eX-


cuse (fOr there is no excuse but Of in
structiOn for future benefit, that we
shall comment little on the state of
| affairs, both in Ohio and in the cOun-


try. Before we proceed, however, let


us say, for those whom a little check
discourages, that in 1862 the whole
! Democratic State ticket was elected by
5000 majority, and fourteen out Of
nineteen Congressman elected Not


Withstanding, the Democratic ticket


was beaten, in 1868, by 100000 ma
jority. Now we have not done halfas


bad as in 1862, and, if there is any


prudence or good sense left in the Re
publican party, we shall carry the


Presidential ticket, in 1868, by nearly


as large a majority as in 1868. But,


that is the question. Will good, zeal
GUS, earnest men ever learn that they
cannot turn the current of human ma


ture by law and logic? Will they


ever learn a still greater truth, that
there are many things which ought


not to be turned by law and logic?


Many things on which the people


have a right to consult their interests
and their prejudices? We never saw
the particular advantage of running
our heads against a stone wall in order
to test the existence of matter. We
know it beforehand. But, let us take


the particular facts before US. The
falling off in the Republican majority


in Ohio is caused solely, as it was in
1862, By the diSGfectiOn (fOr time) Of
Republicans. There are no changes
Of opinion among the people worth


counting Nay, so far from it, that if


Congress had taken more decisive


measures in regard to the South, and
crushed the rebel element there entire
ly, it would have been more popular


than the dilatOry measures they have
adopted. If there are any Democrats
or Conservatives who believe that the
Ohio election had anything to with
the military reconstruction of the
South, they are preparing for them
selves a bitter disappointment. The
proof on this head is positive. Messrs.
Ashley and Shellabarger, are the two
most radical members of the Ohio del
egatiOn, and the former the most
abused man in Congress, and strongly
! in favor of irPcach hnaont; yet-these
men are the very ones, which are best
sustained by their constituents, if the
election was any test on that score
But we all know the question of recon-
structiOn was not in the canvass.
Many of the Republicans were disaf-
fected, and all disorganized. Why?
For two reasons mainly. Because,
first, of negro suffrage-pressed upon
them in the most impOlitiC and ObnOX-
iOus form. Had the question of negro
suffrage been put to the people of Ohio,
as it ought to have been, as a distinct
question, it would have been voted
down, but it would in no way have
affected the Republican party. But
it was put with two conditions, which
were positively wrong and absurd.
First, it was attached to a condition
that deserters should be disfranchised.


Most of these deserters were not deser
tiers in a just sense, and yet they would
have been disfranchised. They left
the army without legal discharges, but
with no bad intentions. Secondly, the
amendment was put in the middle of
the Republican ticket, where every
man who resolved to vote against it
must either not vote, scratch the tick
ct or vote against it. The largest
number scratched the ticket, and many
stayed at home. These facts will ap-
pear on the face of the official returns. !
Yet with all the tremendous odds
against us, Gen. Hayes, the gallant
and worthy candidate of the Republi- !
cans, is elected, and if it is necessary
to organize the militia of Ohio and
march to Washington, he is, we doubt
not, ready to do it.


In our private estimate before the
election, we thought negro suffrage
would run full $4,000 below the gene
raj ticket, but, in fact, it has a great
deal more than that. The reason is,
not only the prejudice against the ne
gro, but the deserter, clause, (which
was equal to 10000 vOtes) and the
disaffectiOn Of many Republicans to
having any such question raised. A
national party should put nothing in
its creed, doctrines or organization
which does not relate to the national
policy or measures. With religious,
sacred, or moral questions, a national
party has nothing to do. The nation
al measures which are before the Re
publican party, are the reconstruction
of the South, the equalization of taxes,
the payment of the national debt, and
a thorough economy in all depart
ments Of the Government. Let Con
gress attend to this at its next session,
in the best manner which the means
and wisdom of the day will permit,
and the Republican President in 1868
" III 10 CACCLCu ny ONC4 W llClLllllS ina
jorities. This brings us to second
cause Of Republican lukewarmness.
This is the financial question. Con-
gress 1--WE mean the last One) has ap-
parently been ready to spend money
for any purpose, hap-hazard, with
very little regard to economy or neces-
sity. This must at once be stopped.
The nation has no money to spare on
every scheme which spectators get
up. AS to the currency question, pub j
lie opinion will undoubtedly Justify
the return of the national bank notes
and the substitution of greenbacks for
them; but it will not justify any issue
of greenbacks in excess Of the whole
now out. Any attempt to
do that will at once completely divide 3
the Democratic party. AS to the Re |
publican party, it can well afford to
make the entire currency a simple
issue, for that is the most '
popular currency we ever had in this I