The Express.
London, England, 1858-10-25 00:00:00

THE UNITED STATES.

MON OUR SPICIAL C0113111.011DINT.)
NEW YORK, Oar. 9.
Gerritt Smith, u I told you in my last, still keeps
the field u a candidate for the governorship, and
though everybody knows that his chances of nous
are none whatever, the gallant manner in which he
is carrying on his canvass is exciting a good, deal of
admiration. He is an abolitionist of the nutmeat
sort, is a man of large fortune, which he has lavishly
devoted to the cause of the slave ; hie personal ap-
pearance is very commanding, and he has a ready
wit and an eloquent tongue. The press, of
or at least all the influential portion of it, ismcllll4
against him, and he is consequently driven into
making the beet use he can of the advantages he pos.
sasses independent of everybody, and is canvassing
is person in all the principal towns and cities,
by addressing meetings, and submitting himself
to examination by the audience upon all
possible points in his creed. This is exciting a
great deal of attention, inasmuch as such
a course is very unusual. For more than thirty
years, or ever since the practice became general of
nominating all candidates for election by conven.
Lions of delegates, the convention being managed in
its turn by a sort of cabinet council called a " caucus,"
and made up of a few leaders, the candidate himself
never appears, at least in the eastern states, during
the whole canvass. He is assailed by his enemies
with the most truculent bitterness, and defended by
his friends with corresponding ardour; his private
life is invaded from his boyhood up, and paraded
either in hostility or friendship before the public,
bat usage imposes on him an imperative obligation
to keep silence. The work which in England the
candidate does himself in addressing the constitu-
ency and answering questions is here done by hordes
of "stump orators," generally young lawyers with
"the gilt of the gab," who are sent through the
length and breadth of the land to harangue the
people by party committees. The result is
that, as the nominees of conventions are generally
known only to professional politicians, the mason
have no opportunity of becoming acquainted with
them or judging of their fitness except through
wrparts reports, which the aspirant for office is not
allowed either to refute or confirm. The system
was an excellent one for the knaves, and has been
Sot to be so, but it was extremely difficult to
through the bonds of party organisation.
Pies the general approbation which Gerritt Smith's
some is reseivieg I should not be at all surprised if
be were the means of inaugurating a change ; and if
his canvass results in this, though in nothing else, he
would have fair claims to be considered a benefactor
of his country.
The democratic candidate for the governorship is
an ex-judge named Parker, an old pro-slavery
partisan, but in other respects unexceptionable.
The republicans have had the good fortune to secure
a wealthy New York merchant, of good abilities, and
the best possible antecedents, named Edwin 1).
Morgan. He is the first New York merchant who has
ever been a candidate for the office—a fact which
Mwell excite some surprise, oonsiderifig what an
sses the commerce of the city exertuesuposkthe
rest of the state; but the men of business here are
generally far too much absorbed in their money-
making ever to interfere in polities, except now and
then for the purpose of keeping things quiet.
The elections in the state of New York, pardon-
larlythat of governor, owing to the commanding
peewee in the Union which she occupies, naturally ex-
cite great interest throughout the country, and it is
heightened now by the_gradual approach of another
presidential conflict. We are accordingly plunged
in a vortex of agitation ; and if an Austrian prime
minister could only get a glimpse of the scene, he
would fix the general disorganization of society,
and the commencement of _ the reign of

anarchy, for Christmas at the farthest. Speechify-
ing, stumping," denouncing, inveighuig, dur
interring dead speeches and by-gone slanders, the
utterance of awful prophecies, the drafting of windy
and magniloquent resolutions, the getting up of
"glorious mass meeting* "—;11 form a tempest of
fearful violence. Each aide assures as that if its
opponents triumph, America is doomed. All the
speakers and writers are busy in "indenting pure
patriots," or exposing unparalleled villany. It is
undoubtedly a proud boast for any country that its
political system can not only permit such saturnalia
without injury, but be positively strengthened by
their violence. The result it is impossible to pre-
dict as yet with any degree of certainty. The re-
publicans have seriously damaged themselves by an
abortive attempt, made some weeks ago at the cosi-

menoement of the canvass, to coalaoe with the
Americans upon the basis of a change in the nato-
ralisation laws and restrictions on the exercise of the
franchise, hostile to foreigners. This hes greatly
exasperated the Germans, who in the Fremont cam-
paign were their fsithful adherents, and has amt
over to the democrats the few wavering votes there
might have been amongst the Irish.
The inquiry into the outrages at Staten Island has
come to a close, but the judge's decision has not yet
been given. The removal of the quarantine has,
however, been definitely decided on, and in all
probability an island will be constructed for its
accommodation upon a shoal in the lower bay. It
.I.nquestion‘bl7 was, in its old site, in the midst of a
crowded district, de facto a nuisance. The Stet*.
Islanders maintain that it was de jure a nuisanes
well ; but whether the courts will take this *Wit
the question is more than doubtful.
You will have heard by this time of the awful
of the Austria. It has excited a very painful meow'
tion here, used as we are to snob catastrophes ;Int-
the fact that it was a foreign vessel, end thotoo*
of those on board were foreigners, has, of
somewhat diminished the general emotion.
The unexpectedly early departure of the steamer
1 moven me to kook off somewhat abruptly.

NAVAL AND MILI2.AD Y. •
_,___

L•IINCH OF MLR 11•IIISTr8 LINE-OF-HATTLI
8111 P EDGAR, 91 OUNB.
Another addition has been made to but •••
as.' the launch, on Saturday afemoca, foIlMille:4/-
d. of the mew line-of-beWs alp Bars, 9T
dear meal of the =owned Agamemnom The
beememerat is the eerly_part of the meek el the ketheaud .
ieleat led the ear eneterbit Ovalle I s maw jAt
,wlellem bra the anneal ri ant the tiselquel adhis
aelaasliCal prerbisa lir diab. macimmedeßlM. • A
pal was ire* gambg _ the area of the ship,
I wee tab awe • 2#1109 a die Iliad the paten ..
sad breist. Beelt die of the slip la Match the Mpg
lied bra buds was oompood by the madame of
the rad and tide &althea. while the general paths
wee ..clod te truly ameba .boat the plan .-
41.
and Maio the best t to whams the launch. TIM f.
weather wee mat end the setae ma the goer, Ally. f
her Mileeste ebb and other weals, gaily dremslA
eat Is fret,, was animated. The sew quay IF "
Ur dockyard was Used spectators, end nuediseek4
are asserbel ea be eppeeite (Breit) .Meet•Thlt )
soneli hareeed es b# warm approached, sad eheet . ,
quarter to two, Mrs. Melia. the wife ell I
Shepherd, the reptain-sieprisermism, area thel3 1110
tiateerhier &bombe of wise ageism the twee el lir ship. Ar^
peessibes geese* le ellosr the shipwri lig
few bird% ead Mat Wei amompliabot, Mrs.
• lellbs eh* sad • neatly Whist mast in
was eseiected to the stern sal revered Ols
white, with • powerful liming% lades
gl
ire a, The matrid beads cd die Illantma
ilesigest tetaira then struck up the eat "Bale ~
Wks:" Mil la a km weeds the male ship nesed, set la
mg sawed emeekl err iiiiiel We bas
sadist be aseitiebe dare of these eremb er bar
tad am both shores. • sere Impede( Imes wim-
haps serer trimme es d. •• seta the ship bell get
shoat the Repel seddd weis east stp at Am mob.
bbikehy Ism at bun ferre sad the Iselle wslw et
dem, mod as she drifted • eller Mere= up ride
her be mejerto awesome ma peep abet
pail. Abe was then Ulm la taw by lbw glreneng
sad will proceed to Shames to lb est.
are ' —l4Th between 18110#011hie, at feel 4 habit t
breadth. feet; depth ef how It bss S iambic NIA lob . _
maga, 3,094 tone. Amoules the were VI
Maas, ospe of the Lyda of Ma i elial Wilt
of aura and military Aiwa
crowd In the yard, and tee rnitaseme bore set
wince were atom, we did not hear of say accident.
PORTSMOUTH, OCT. 24.
The Echo, steam rebel, yesterday raberhei
three enapaniee of Waterford Militia Atdfiery, la CVO
two dm to Hurst Castle, and Use chid hi Mean
for purism duty. , . tea
Goreres, 6, peddle-wheel .team aker. =CA
dn. OM of the vessels of the At Witte T 0
hourly expected at Eipithead front North . '1
A new Preach built 00.11 M frigate, orestreAsi at
_Illt„.
Maslen government, arrived at SpitheA this Awes* treWs!
Bordeaux, on her way to the Baltic. ".