Year: 1867

provision that might really have been OF great
benefit TO the people Ia likely to be turned
by the unscrupulousness Of politicians into
direct evil.


The Neral or tho Connecticut Eiectisn.


The partisan press Is making great pother
as to the true cause Of the defeat Of the repub-
lican candidates In Connecticut Republican
journals lay all sorts Of Hattering unction to
their easily satisfied souls. One finds that the
sad result Is due to the fact that the State
keeps disfranchised portion Of her republic
can citizens meaning the niggers. This Is
equivalent TO saying that there were not enough
republican voters, which Of course Is true,
that the whole trouble Is due TO something that
Mr.. Sumner once said on some unmentioned
occasion. These are but samples of the expla-
nations given, all Of which show the wonder
fdl aptitude ofpartisans for seeking In out Of
the way places things that lie directly under
their noses. But the folly Of the republican
explanations Is wisdom by comparison with
the utterances and acts of the democrats. These
latter see in Connecticut nothing less than signs
Of great coming change in popular sentiment,
and argue from 1t an early reputation by the
people Of the dominant party. They are firing
democratic cannon everywhere, and lessening
the present small number Of their voters by
blowing some to pieces out of the very ex-
travagance of ecstasy. Names not recently
much mentioned are also proudly paraded
once more, and long hidden heads are pushed
up into sight-heads that, on account Of their
coppery character, were judiciously kept SO
well concealed during thu canvass that the
voters forgot that such things could be.


On the part Of the democrats this II an old
blunder. They made it in this State in 1862
over their success with Seymour. That was
perilous time. John Van Bureu came to Fort
Washington twice in those gloomy days to con-
suit with us as to what should be done. We
saw that there was one chance for the party.
The republicans were then Weakened, shaky
in purpose, and had made great blum
ders in the conduct of the war. We
told the departed Prince that he must
put his candidate before the people on sound
war platform-that the party must stand
straight on the great national question and
outbid the republicans themselves for vigor-
ous prosecution Of the war. Our advice was
taken, and Seymour went in with . rush. But
he purblind democracy did not understand It's
own victory. In spite Of all the facts IL inter-
preted the result in il favor a. popular de-
claration against the war, and acting on thas
Interpretation It fell into irretrievabie ruin In
TIE succeeding CANVAS. The democracy II
now only doing over again In the case Of Con-
necticut what was then done in the CASE Of our
own State and the result will be the same; for
no amount Of warning will open the eyes Of
those who wilfully refuse to see.


We can tell these partisans that the result In
Connecticut Is neither . turning OF the tide
against the republican party nor the result Of
any such recondite causes - republicans them
selves Allsge. The whole explanation Of the
result in Connecticut lies, a Demosthenes
might have said, In three words Those words
are-Barnumi Barnumi Barnuml Its case
Of Barnum through and through The defeat
of the republican ticket was an expression Of
the moral sense Of an intelligent and upright
community. The party managers made nomi-
nation that was An insult to the votes-that
outraged their ideas Of the proprieties, not TO
say the decencies, Of political life, and they
resented the insultin apraotical way by voting
mot only against the one candidate, but against
the whole ticket The one bad name corrupted
all. The republican party is, perhaps, not 50
vigorous In Connecticut as in some other
States II Is strong enough. however, for ordi-
nary occasions, and may stand some very bad
nominations; but 1t was not strong enough
to stand Barnum. That worst Of all possible
nominations carried 1t down like milestone.
And there is only this,-6 fact to be seen in
the result Of the Connecticut election.