Mr. Sanford to Mr. Seward.
Sir:The election returns confirm the report in my last despatch of a majority of twelve for the cabinet in the house of representatives.
There will be, probably, some contested seats, but I hardly think this majority will be materially changed.
The election has been a very close one, the majority of “liberals” on the aggregate vote of the whole country, which was over 83,000, appearing to have been about 500.
The strongholds of the “liberal” party continue to be the great centres of trade and industry, while those of the “conservatives” are the rural districts. In Brussels and other districts, with two or three exceptions, where, heretofore, these have rarely made opposition on account of the overwhelming strength of their opponents, they have put up their candidates for election, and have thus been able to count pretty correctly their strength in the country.
Since 1857 the “liberal” party has been gradually losing ground, and but for the act of the “conservatives” in breaking up the house of representatives by their organized abstention from its sessions—an act not approved by the whole party, while it united the “liberals,” and gave them a cause of complaint before the country—the probabilities were that the “conservatives” would have come into power.
If the leaders of the “liberal” party will profit by their narrow escape, and turn their attention rather to measures touching the industrial and commercial affairs of the country than to questions which bring them in collision with the faith and religious belief of a large portion of the population, and which the natural jealousy of the influence of the Church of Home in their internal affairs has excited, I think that they are assured a long lease of power.
It is the acrimonious discussions which have been raised on questions touching the privileges and powers of the church, or institutions under it, which have [Page 260] created the profitless bitterness and rancor between parties, and which, in case of the victory of the “conservatives,” would, doubtless, have led to acts of violence in some places. The country is very prosperous; its people have a larger measure of liberty, greater freedom of political action, and, in their municipal life, approach more nearly self-government than in any monarchy in Europe. There would seem to be no reason why, with more attention paid by political parties to the material interests of the country and the wants of the masses, and less to questions which clash with faith or religious scruples or liberty, this country should not continue to be the freest, least taxed, and most prosperous on the hemisphere.
I have the honor to be, with great respect, your most obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, &c., &c., &c.