The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-05 00:00:00

THE PRgSIDENTIAL CONTEST.

NEW YORK, JULY 23.
"Fremont stock is rising," said a gentleman to
me to-day in speaking of :late visit to the west.
I cannot express my own views of the present state
of the Presidential 'contest better than in this
brief phrase. The nomination of Mr. Buchanan
fell dead upon the country, exciting little enthu-
siasm beyond the circle of his immediate friends,
and adding no external strength to a party which
at that moment unquestionably controlled a de-
cided majority in the electoral college. Mr. Fill-
more's return added something to the enthusiasm
of the Know-nothing party, and the recent action
of the old Whigs in the States of Virginia and
Maryland has strengthened the chances and ex-
hilarated the hopes of that once formidable organi-
sation. Instead, however, of counting upon placing
their candidate in the Presidential chair by the
popular vote as they once hoped to do, their only
hope now is that, by securing the votes of enough
Southern States, they may divide the vote in the
electoral college, so that no candidate shall get a
majority thnre, and thus throw the election into
the House. For the Republican nominee, on the
other hand, there is a growing enthusiasm. In the
West, especially; I am assured that there is a fer-
vour rivalling that which carried General Harrison
to Washington in 1840 by the most overwhelming
popular vote since the election of Washington. In
the State of Indiana, which my information has
hitherto led me to regard as probably sure for Bu-
chanan, 'there has been a recent demonstration
which indicates a popular excitement beyond pa-
rallel. There is scarcely any part of that State
which has not sent more or less persons to Kinsas.
Driven baqk at the point of the bayonet or the butt
of the rifle,: these persons have tarried' the story of
their wrongs into every settlement, and at a mass
convention of the friends of Fremont at Indiana-
polis 50,000 or 60,000 persons assembled, full of
the enthuCfasm which carries popular elections. in
that section of the country. ` I am told that the
same feeling pervades all the agricultural States of
the North:Mest- and makes their vote-reasonably
sure for the Republicans. New England is looked
upon as equally sure, though I am told that the
State of Connecticut willperhaps throw a sufficiently
large Know-nothing vote to render the result
doubtful. " North-west and New England
vote in' a.. solid'..body for Fremont, the middle
States of Nev York, New Jersey, and PennsylVa-
Ma,. will-decide who shall be the' next President.
Hi4lriends count upon it as certain by a large Ma-
jority, andi cannot see why, making all alloW-
ances-for sanguine hopes, their calculations are not
well founded. New Jersey I regard as doubtful_
but I cannot see that parties have taken groundso
decidedly in Pennsylvania as to insure it to' any one
but Buchanan. I believe, from all I' can learn,
that therels a growing enthusiasm there for Fre-
mont, but I do net think that it has yet reached a
point to place that State in danger of loss by the
democracy. There are yet three months to work,
every day 'af which the Republicans may hope :to
gain.
Apropos of the influence of the press in this
election, the lierald has the following :
Wei find, then, from a careful examination of oar ex-
changes, and from an application to them of the official
returns of the census of the newspaper circulations of
1850, that at' this time the three parties for the Presi-
dency are represented as follows
- - Newspaper'. Circulation.
For Fremont lBB 474,968
For Buchanan 172 294,763
For Fillmore 5B 95,391
" Of these -aggregates, it will be seen that Mr. Buc.ha-
nan haslo4 papers``-in the north .and 68 in the south-7
that ofthe whole number, 110 are old Democratic jour-
nals, that eight have been Whig and one Independeal t.
It further appears that Colonel Fremont has 182 journals
in the north and only six in the south--.--that of the
whole number, 82 have heretofore been Whig, 18 Demb-
°ratio. 15 'Know-nothing, and 17 Independent. As for
Mr. Fillmore, he is weak in both sections ; yet, in the
soutb, in the way of newspapers, WO SOO that he has two-
( thirds of the number supporting Mr. '13119.411.,4 1_414.