New York Times

November 6, 1860

It is universally conceded that the vote of New-York to-day decides the Presidential question. Every other Northern State is surrendered to LINCOLN. The great West will pronounce for him by enormous majorities. No one has a moment’s doubt about any NewEngland State, and the vote of last month rendered it absolutely certain that Pennsylvania will vote for him by at least 30,000 majority. The decision of the question, therefore, rests with New-York; — and so certain is the vote of the whole interior, that nothing less than forty or fifty thousand against him in the City can cast a shadow of doubt on the result in the State at large.

The most remarkable feature of the canvass has been the fact that the Republicans are the only organized party in the field. Theirs is the only platform of principles and the only candidate for which any citizen has a chance to vote. The Opposition to LINCOLN are united upon no candidate, nor do they agree upon any political principle. No man can tell what would follow their success, — what principles would come into the ascendant, — what man would take the guidance of public affairs. Indeed the only result of electing the Fusion ticket would be to throw everything into greater confusion than ever. Instead of ending the Presidential contest it would only be just commenced. The agitation throughout the country would be greater, more violent and more ruinous to business than ever before, and we might look forward to a Winter of political turmoil, business stagnation and commercial disaster. Business men in this City begin to see this tendency and dread the result. If the defeat of LINCOLN would end the contest, or put the matter in the way of a peaceful solution; — if it would elect anybody else or settle the principles and policy of the Administration, there would be some show of excuse for pressing it with so much zeal. But no such result is anticipated, or even claimed by his opponents.

The simple truth is, the political parties — and especially the Douglas Democrats, — have been made to play a purely subordinate part in this whole Fusion movement. The active leaders of the whole crusade have been a firm of dry goods merchants in this City, — who have cared far more about advertising their business at the South than about saving the Union or defeating LINCOLN. And the expiring faction of Know-Nothings, and the ultra Pro-Slavery Hards, saw at the outset that their only chance of salvation lay in fastening themselves upon the Democratic Party and being kept from utter extinction by its strength. If the Douglas Democrats had run a ticket of their own, with their own candate and upon their own platform, they would have had at least 20,000 more votes than the Fusion ticket will get, and would have held the organization, the strength and the prestige of the party after the contest was over. As it is, even if the Fusion ticket should succeed, half the victory inures to their copartners, and they themselves become powerless. For the Douglas Democrats, Fusion is the gravest mistake a political party ever committed.

The attitude of the Republican Party is eminently national and conservative, — and its success will do more to suppress the sectional agitation of the Slavery question than any other result. It seeks no interference with Slavery, — but aims only to check its increase. Its candidate is an eminently just, upright and conservative statesman, — pledged by his opinions, his declarations and his life against any invasion of Southern rights and any denial of Southern justice. The whole country has confidence in his honor and his fidelity to the Constitution; — and that confidence will not be misplaced or betrayed.

November 5, 1860

Senator SEWARD, in his speech on Friday night, declared the whole aim and duty of the Republican Party to be to leave Slavery just where it is. They do not seek to abolish or disturb it; but they do propose to prevent its extension or increase. It is not easy to see what objection any rational man can make to such a policy. The whole disturbance which prevails through the country has been caused by the efforts of the South to increase Slavery. They have pursued this policy steadily for some years past, covering its purpose by charging its opponents with designing to interfere with it where it now exists.

Senator SEWARD’s declaration on this point ought to have weight with candid and fair-minded men. He has always been regarded as among the most advanced of the Anti-Slavery Republicans. If any one had designs upon Slavery in the South, he was supposed to be the man. But his disclaimer on this point is direct and complete. All he aims at is to have Slavery left where it is, – and this is all the Republican Party proposes to do about it.

The Charleston Mercury not long ago declared that the success of the Republican Party would put an end to the slavery agitation as a sectional question. “It will cease to be a contest between the North and South,” said the Mercury, and will be transferred to the Southern States.” Is not that precisely where it belongs? Has it not been a standing reproach for years that we were meddling with a subject which did not concern us, – that we were stirring up a sectional agitation, – that the question of Slavery belonged exclusively to the South, and should be left for the South to manage? Yet this is precisely the result which the Charleston Mercury dreads and deprecates as the result of a Republican victory.

We venture the prediction that, in less than one year after the incoming of a Republican Administration, that party will be generally recognized as the most truly national and conservative party in the Union. It proposes the settlement of the Slavery question on the only possible basis, – that of checking the increase of the evil, and leaving it to the operation of natural causes and the laws of social economy.

November 5, 1860

A warrant was issued yesterday by Justice QUACKENBUSH for the arrest of GEORGE K. COOKE, the Democratic member of the Board of Registry for the Eighth District of the Fifteenth Ward, on a charge of having violated the Registry law. An affidavit has been made to the effect that COOKE, while acting as Registrar on the 17th ult., caused his name to be placed on the list of voters for that District, giving No. 308 Bowery as his place of residence. It was subsequently ascertained, however, that he resided at No 373 Fourth-street, which is not in the Eighth District, and that he had also been to the registering-place of the Ninth District, of the same Ward, and had his name registered there. NAPOLEON B. HOBBS, a clerk for LORD & TAYLOR, is also charged with an offence similar to the one of which COOK is accused. On the 30th inst. he caused his name to be registered as a legal voter in the Eighth District of the Fifteenth Ward, and went off boasting that he should vote for “The Union, the Constitution, and the enforcement of the laws.” As, however, he had not lived in this State one year, having come here from Baltimore, Md., in March last, he was unqualified for voting at all, and his arrest was effected on the ground that he had willfully violated the law. Justice QUACKENBUSH required him to funish bail in $500 to answer. The penalty, upon conviction of the offences charged, is not less than one year’s imprisonment in the State Prison.

New York Times, November 2, 1860

Correspondence of the Louisville Democrat.

LAMAR Co., Texas, Sept., 1860.

Seeing that the many Rumors and reports which were circulated through our State a few months since, as to Abolition emissaries, insurrections, etc., are being published and accredited by many of the papers in the older States, I desire, through the columns of your paper, to say to my friends in Kentucky, and to the public generally, that all such rumors are altogether unfounded. It is true, that during the exceedingly hot and dry weather of the past Summer, there were many destructive fires in the State of Texas. The town of Henderson was nearly destroyed – that of Dallas greatly damaged, and some houses burned in other towns in different parts of the State. But the origin of these fires, as far as yet ascertained, was either from the ignition of matches or some other accidental cause. I have not been able to learn of a single instance in which there was the slightest evidence that it was the work of an Abolition emissary – in fact, I don’t believe there is one in the State, though there are some characters nearly as bad.

As to the reports that poison had been found in the possession of negroes in various and sundry parts of the country, and in wells, &c., they are all false, as far as I have been able to learn. I have not met with a single man who knows of an authenticated instance. Yet these reports were published by all the papers in the State, and accredited by many, and the people in many parts were excited almost to desperation. Who originated these reports, and for what purpose, are the questions that have perplexed the good citizens of our State for some time past. Such reports are certainly calculated to injure the State, and keep away such emigrants as desire to come. Why, then, should the people of Texas circulate and give credit to them?

It is the opinion of many of our best citizens, after mature deliberation and thorough investigation of the subject, that these reports had their origin in the minds of scheming politicians, and are a part of that great plan concocted and being put in execution to “nerve the Southern arm and excite the Southern mind, preparatory to precipitating the cotton States into a revolution.” R.B.D.

Conditions of Affairs at the Navy-Yards.