Holmes County Farmer

The Defeat—What We Should Do.

In the recent political contest no attack was made upon the platform of the Democratic party. It was comparatively unassailable. The questions of the supremacy of the Constitution and personal rights, tendered by the Democracy, were not promptly met and combatted by the opposition. Instead of meeting us on these issues, they avoided them and carried the campaign by a personal warfare against our candidate for Governor. Mr. Vallandigham had been so long and persistently abused and misrepresented that it was impossible to remove all the prejudice and refute all the false charges made against him. In addition to this there is a considerable portion of the Democratic party who do not endorse his peculiar views upon the war. It is now evident to all he was not the man for the occasion.

Although defeated we have a great party. A party that has often been defeated but still lives. With a platform breathing, as a Democratic platform must do, devotion to the Old Union and the Old Constitution, and a candidate upon whom all the anti-abolition masses can unite, success is certain in the Presidential contest of next year. Who that candidate will be is for the future to develop. At the present time, Gen. McClellan and Gov. Seymour are uppermost in the affections of the people; but revolutions are very quickly made, and a few weeks may serve to place some man now unheard of upon the tide of popular favor. We beg of the conservative men of the country, those who take the lead in politics, to wait patiently for the masses to fix their hearts upon the proper man, and then let him be nominated, and he will be elected.

The result of the recent election in this State foreshadows nothing. Two years ago the opposition carried the State by 55,000 majority. One year ago the Democracy carried it by 6,000. Now it has again gone opposition by a large majority. Next year if the Democracy and other conservative men act prudently, we will certainly revolutionize the State.

There is but one hope left for the country, and that is in the next Presidential election. Then, let all conservative men act prudently, calmly and with an eye single to the public good. Let personal preferences and prejudices be all lost sight of in one great and united effort to save the country. Delegates will soon be chosen to the National Convention. Let these delegates be wise and prudent men, who will make every sacrifice for the public good. In the meantime the Democracy should keep up their organizations, circulate documents and papers and work unceasingly to set the public mind right. In no political contest was ever involved such important interests. Everything is at stake, and we must lose all or win all.