Okay, I’m rushing things a bit, as these pics are for the 1864 election. Similar issues, though.
The New York Times editor argues that the joy southerners show in Democratic successes in the North is argument enough to vote against them.
THE END OF NORTHERN UNITY.
Published: October 26, 1862The Richmond papers are jubilant — and they are apt to be so when the cause, of the Union has received detriment. They rejoiced over the first battle of Bull Run. There were those among us who rejoiced also. They rejoiced over Ball’s Bluff, over the days before Richmond, over the days in Northern Virginia — and the same parties among us rejoiced over them all. Loyal men met their exultant smiles amid the gloomy faces of those who loved their country, and could hardly resist the impulse to smite back the traitorous rejoicing which thus had broken forth from the depths of traitor hearts. And now again the Richmond papers exult, and again we see among us that baleful exultation upon those traitor faced. Both rebels in Richmond and rebel sympathizers here rejoice together. Surely it is not that they think that our cause, the cause of the nation, the cause of freedom, the cause of the Stars and Stripes has advanced and been prosperous.
No. Richmond rejoices that “Northern unity is ended,” as says the Richmond Examiner. That Northern unity has been a terrible thing for the rebels. It was so unexpected to them. They had counted so thoroughly upon a divided North. This unity of the North, says the Examiner, “this fatal fact has caused the death of men by the hundred thousand.” Without this united spirit, treason and rebellion would have carried out their plans and Slavery have reigned triumphant over the Continent. Alas! for that unlucky Northern unity which has enabled freedom and order and government to resist the traitorous assault upon them and threatened the traitors not only with the overthrow of their schemes of conquest but with condign punishment for their crimes. No wonder that, as the days went on, and the situation grew more and more hopeless for the rebels, this Northern unity should seem more and more dreadful to them; and no wonder that they should rejoice exceedingly to be able to declare that “Northern unity is dead,” and that “this fact is the most favorable feature now apparent of the present situation;” and that “the late political developments in the North have a more serious interest (for rebels) than the military news of the day, important as these are;” that the present state of things is “a necessary preliminary to negotiation “with us; for there was “no hope of peace” as long as this united North existed.
We meet Democrats who tell us — and we firmly believe it, too — that there were many who voted for Democratic candidates in the recent elections who are staunch supporters of the Government, earnest for the war and determined that the rebellions shall be crushed, We do not envy the feelings of any such when they see how much of hope they have put into the hearts of rebels, how much of comfort, if not of aid, they have given them.
And if there are any men in our State who are thus honestly for the war and against the rebels, but who are seeking to excuse their listening to the voice of party, rather than to that of patriotism, by saying to themselves that the election of SEYMOUR will not help the rebels, lot them look at these rejoicings of the rebels over the death of Northern unity, as shown to them by the results of the October elections — and let them beware lest they too, in November, give to rebellion further cause for rejoicing.