New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-08-23

messed Ia the car OF Party, mas July 20.h) ha
following Editorial leader on our Presidential
contest,
THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY.
As far as it is possible TO anticipate from the
accounts recently received from The CHiicd
States, lhe triumph of the Wing candidate CLAY,
III the approaching Struggle tor the Presidency,
spacars aln.osl assured. The democratic p-rfy
have unaccpuniaoly pissed over the only tVo
ruhic rlen wfiuse names could save bsen PA. III
1 competition ,vl;ii that o iir CLAY rs si4t.s;nen
ann men Of abii..y-namey, VAN hUEE* AID
EALnoUa. and hare selected ii certain NJ Polk.
vi whom nobody ever heard, and who commands
No confidence and respect. Their strength, also,
is DIVIDED by the presence OF third cahdioate,
the present Pr, silent TYLER, who, @llhUu; much
chance OF success, Will carry with him The 9TH
cal huencc that might otherwise have turmet
the SC lie in evenly balanced contes. between
The two parties.
As regard English interests we look upon thr
probable return OF Sir. CLAY wuh mixed feelings.
ga The one hand he IS Certainly ny lar the mos,
respectable candlGate ana The Wing party On tic
otner SIDE OF The Atlantic ae by lar the 'St H.
| tclligent, reasonable, ana respectable party. A
| deInocrGuc President is something liae d EARGUs
O'CoHNoR or ToI DUNcoMBE in power, who may
III any moment dash through all the laws Of na-
tons, violate all official etiquette, and Involve Us
in war for some Northwestern boundary Or
Oregon territory, in order to get up a popular
clamor and carry an election. Reputation, also,
is q doctrine which finds much more favor among
the whole. hog democrats than with the s;eld and
respectable Wing, who mas sufficient intelligence
to comprehend the maxim that in the long run,
honesty is the best policy" Undoubtedly, there
fore, with Mr.. CLAY as President and the Wing
party in the ascendant in Congress, we should
feel much more comfortable in regard to our
foreign relations, and might look forward with
more confidence TO an adjustment of the awk-
ward questions respecting the Oregon frontier,
which, if neglected, may at some future period
lead to sercus cmbarrassments. On the other
hand, the election of MIR. CLAY must, VIC fear,
be looked upon as, TO q considerable extent,
confirmation OF the principle of commercial re-
strlction. He has always been the consistent
advocate of a Protective Tariff, and the cause OF
the Wings has always been identified with that
Of the New England manufacturers, who aim 1T
acquiring monopoly Of the home market by the
aid of prohibitory duties. Nor can VIC wonder
that such is the policy Of the most respectable
and intelligent statesmen Of America when we
consider that by our corn laws we shut the
door in the face OF any attempt To negotiate
commercial arrangement on the footing Of fair
and substantial reciprocity. We take nothing
from the United States but that which we cannot
possibly do without-thelr cotton and tobacco,
excluding the staple produce of the great agrlcu-
lural States of the West by sliding scale in
ronuusly framed so as TO throw the maximum
amount of impeachment i'll the way of access 10
the English market. Is it to be wondered at,
then, that they retaliate and meet high duties on
American flour by high duties on English manu-
lectures At present the COn-!aH question:
seems TO have gone 10 sleep, no one feeling the
pressure sufficiently in years of abundance and
commercial prosperity to make II worth while TO
agita'c And yet it is Just during this period of
prosperity, when the pressure OF the corn law Is
least felt in the shape of immediate distress, that
il is in reality doing most harm TO our permanent
interests. 1t is confirming foreign nations every
where in the protective system, and sowing the
seeds of exclusions and prohibitions, By which,
when too late, we shall find our markets cur
tailed, and our trade shackIcd. A liberal conf
mercial policy twenty years ago would have Sc
cured us access to the markets of Germany, and
would have prevented the growth Of the manu-
featuring system OF the Zpllvercn A liberal
commercial policy three years ago would have
prevented the passing Of The restrictive Tariff ot
the United S'ales. and would have given de-
c,ded a>cendancy in that country To Free Trace
| principles, and to the Free. Trade party. 4 hoe
raj commercial policy adopted ten years hencr,
as from present Indications would appear to be
the prUb,bl result, may very poss bly, ttll TO re.
cover what previous plumbers have lest US. To
offer 10 admit American and German cru IN eX.
change for Brush manufactures when the manu-
f.cturiug systems of Prussia, saxany, ard New
England have acquired strength and become
consolidated, viii be very like what the old say
ing describes as barring The door after the horse
is stolen.''