The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-09-20
[From the Journal of Commerce. II
1nid EyesT Nor fQsI

Democratic relative GAIN 935s9
This probably is a close and more accurate view
OF the elections Just passed. than the former one
from the same source, but the manner in which the
Journal states the general result in the shape of
democratic gain of SO, 7S9, Is still incomplete, snr
unfair and deceptive, and does not give a true ac-
count of the position Of matters between the two
parties. In the first place, the Journal gives no
statement of the abolition vote which has been
taken during the present year in these twelve
States. Now, this must, according to the actual
returns, vary from twenty to twenty-five thousand
and probably will be twenty-five thousand in the
free states enumerated above. Again, the Journal
takes the Presidential of 1910 as the standard
Of comparison, which was, it is well known,
larger than any other vote before or since. It is
thus very obvious to every one who understands
the spirit and enthusiasm of the people and the
motives which influence both parties in bringing
them INTO the field, that the result arrived at
by such mode of comparison must be deceptive
inasmuch as at the State Elections the wing vote
very seldom comes out in its full strength, whilst
it does come out fully at the Presidential Election,
unless adverse circumstances prevent it. We may,
therefore, estimate the number of wings who abb
stained from voting in the recent State Elections,
at least at fifty thousand, putting altogether aside
the abolltioniss, and others, which, if included,
would swell the number TO seventy-fve thousand,
reducing the democratic gain to about eighteen
thousand IN the twelve states This is nothing
but fair and rational view OF the strength OF the
NO parties as indicated by those recent election
returns about which we hear so much discussion
Yet, although we TINS come to different conclu-
sion from the Jour~al Of Commerce, we do believe
that the wings have lost ground in the recent
elections. And the losses OF the wings have been
produced by known causes, in action during the
last three years.
There Is still time, however, for the wing lead
ers and wing organs TO retrieve these losses il they
cin be brought to proper understanding of their
positona difficult, but we will not say a homeless
business. One of the chief difficulties of which
the wings have had to encounter here at the North
is the abolition feeling, created during the last three
years, by the agitation OF the question of slavery
in Congress and out of it, Whilst Mr. Webster
and the wing orators and leaders in the North have
been making this the grand issue, Mr.. Clay in rhe
South and West has been obliged to assume neu-
tral position, although we do not know that
we can so designate his position, since he
has come out with declaration and personal
approval OF that very measure out of deadly
opposition 10 which his eectioneering friends
here, have been working so hard, night and day,
10 make capital on his cause. This is the source
Of tue present sad difficulties which threaten the
wings. This IS the source OF the disunlon, the dis
crepancy, the dlscordance in the declamations tao
tics, and agitation Of the wings at the North and
'her brethren % the South, z,rho abolition vote