ound us a united people, with every State taking some
part in the canvas. Even South Carolina in 1860 was not clearly counted
out of the fight until after Mr. Lincoln's success had been announced,
and rebellion had been resolved upon.

But all is now changed. The twentieth Presidential election finds us not
only at war, but engaged in a civil war of such magnitude that even the
most martial nations of Europe are surprised at the numbers who take
part in it, and at its cost. The election is to be carried, and perhaps
decided, amid the din of arms, with a million of voters in the land and
sea forces of the two parties. This is so new to us, that it would seem
more like a dream than a reality, but that losses of life and high
prices render the matter most painfully real. How to act under such
circumstances might well puzzle us, were it not that the path of duty is
pointed out by the spirit of patriotism. The election will have much
effect on the operations of war, and those operations in their turn will
have no light effect on the election. Our political action should be
such as to strengthen the arm of Government; and the military action of
Government should be such as to strengthen those who shall be engaged in
affording it political support. Failure in the field would not lead to
defeat at the polls, but it might so lessen the loyal majority that the
public sentiment of the country would be but feebly represented by the
country's political action. What happened in 1862 might happen again in
1864, and with much more disastrous effect on the fortunes of the
Republic. In 1862 there was much discontent, because of the belief that
Government had not done all it could have done to bring about the
overthrow of the Rebels. Irritated by the reverses which had befallen
our arms in Virginia, and knowing that nothing had been withheld that
was necessary to the effective waging of the war, thousands of men
refrained from voting, half-inclined as they were to see if the
Democrats could not do that which others had failed to do. We are not
discussing the justice of the opinion which then prevailed, but simply
state a fact; and the consequence of the discontent that existed was
that the Democrats came very near obtaining control of the popular
branch of Congress. They made heavy gains in New York, Pennsylvania,
Ohio, and other States; but that this result was not the effect of
hostility to the national cause was made clearly apparent a