Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-01-11

dcaons Of the state Of the pubic mind in those States
and districts in ~hch they ureyet to be held and
are confident they will not be found 10 vary widely
from the result In the possible contingency, too Of
an election by the present House of Representatives.
Mr. Van Buren, would be of al least fifteen States
and probably sersntecn eighteen, on The fret ballot
there being but siz secure t, Mr.. Clay.
Our motive for thus entering into a department of
political statistics with which rarely concern
selves, the estimates Of future votes in proceedings of
ms kino IS snDle one enough II IS TO present TO
our polltIcal trends this practical fact, OF which
would invoke their general recognition, with their ge-
neral ADOPTION OF TINT coursee of action which Ii p.r
scribes as the indispensable 10 Success in The
approaching conflict. We repeat the opening words
nf the present asticle-Ms Democratic PyssdeataL
Nomination is aready made! All should receive it
as such, aad act upon IT accordingly 1t is unn.
cessnry for us TO wait till May-it would be pe.baus
fatally injurious for us 10 do so-before regardinv
ms settled the plan of The approaching Campaign SO
lar as II depends on this, its FIRST preliminary point
Before this point was asceFtned, the efforts Of the
friends Of other candidates naturally gwen more
10 the immediate Object of the advocacy u Iheir {.
psctlve claims, than TO the common and remote
one OF p'eparing for the general party contest Local
organization and movement within the party, for the
purpose of influencing lis SELECTION to be made through
the Baltimore Convention, have rather engaged the III
tenton of numerous and active classes, well of
Influential newspapers than that far more important
oganz't on and movement for The I'll scton itself
which all the other partial and preliminary movements
mus. merge themselves These internal dlssensions
have, in maay CASES, assumed tone Of mutual
acrmlny which cannot bs too strongly reproba,ed alike
for the spir, from which it proceeded and for the dan
gers toward which il tended 1t is now, we think, time
that all this should cease that al further competition
for the nomination of III, Democratic party should b.
felt TO be at end. 1t is generally understood, that
all present idea Of it is virtually abandoned by Mr.
Cshouns principal friends, though no formsl demon
s.ration that effect may yet, the date this art-
cle have been made before the public eye. As the pre-
sent chances OF the other candidates who have been
brought forward by their friends, hinged manesty OH
the contingency Of rreconc,leabe competition be-.
tween the claims Of Mr.. Van Buren, and Mr. Calhoun,
which should create 4 vacuum 10 be filed by third
man, they become also, Of course, transferred the
future by the failure Of that imagined conngen.
cy No reason, therefore, remains why we shouiJ
not oil NOR, with the zeal and harmony promised
By all after the action Of the Convention about The
organization which indispensable TO success and in
which elready, great eAtsn anticipated
by earnest and ndefatisatl, opponents.
The truth is tint the organization which has be-
come necessary Tor the successful conduct OF one of
these great struggles of strength between the two
parties of tic county, slight system of ma
chnery, tn BE- easily combined and brought into eff
Glen action, within period of few weeks months
The time is enough for that purpose, ii We should
all set earnestly work atont il Tomorrow morning
We I'll iu,!erd afford to wal, till MAY And yet
It never be done effectively usefuy long as
continue divided by these competitions Of Prasden
tial candidaleship The Wings have The whole Union
already covered over with work of the eff
Gent organztton, through the machinery Of Clubs al
ready in many places carried out into minute detail by
local subdivision, and rapidly extending themselves
! and acquiring the necessary habits Of combined and
ready action. No little time and no little practice
necessary to overcome the slow and grating friction at
first attendant on the operation of such extensive poll
teal machinery They have the advantage OF having
ready u their hands the old organization OF the last
election, requiring but little trouble to ref: il for use
with very slight modification nf form Our party, IN
the other hand into the last with llle
or no preparation of this kind-and dearly had pay
for the over-conident neglect Dearly shall have
to pay for it il again unm'ndful of signal a
warning the example Of that period. We hope 10
this vitality essential duty at once and cnergetlcaly
undertaken and carried out. The most important pac-
lical thing be done the establishment of Democrat
lc Clubs or Associations extensively and in M
nutsly ramied detail possible. State Committees
County COMMUNICATIONS Commit,ees--Village or
Ward Assoca.ions--.hese what wanted-wi,h
frequent meeng5-tlorough canvassing of their re-
spective spheres of ocaty-bcra collections OF funds
the distribution, and the properly directed dstrbu-
of documents, speeches, pamphlets and other forms
of appeal TO that just and sagacious of
the people, whose lair verdict is all that desire
And when the proper period approaches frequency and
extensive gathering Of public assemblies with Proyi-
sion of suitable speakers for the effective Discus
sion OF all The great topics end issues oil the contest
nothing of all this must be neglected if we would heed
opponents have already set their already rapidly
maturing preparations for 1874.
This be probably one of the most close and We
hement il certainly is 10 be one of the most mpor.
tan struggles OF parties that the country has yet
witnessed The consequences involved meal.
cuabe-the array of the enemy so formidabe-that
no single effort single precnnon, must be omitted.
We en.reat friends to lose time, to spare
labor. We would especially conjure our whole press
t, urge this duty into practical and effective perform.
ance in every village in which Democratic paper ha.
n reader We easily the victory, il are
but willing 10 take the requisite pains, seasonably and
zealousy-we can still more easily throw it away, If we
are not.
Thetc is but one other point which We desire to
speak, within the limits at command for the pre-
sent article. We desire 10 ct rest the misconcep-
tons that have been ndusriousy propaga.ed respect
ing Mr.. Van BYrens opinions on the Tariff, by some
Of The papers OF political friends, which
have thought i; wise and RICH; 10 employ their
utmost ingenuity in viliiying-we will not say IN
nisrcp,psentng-him as means OF urging forward
the rival Of competitors. We refer particularly
II his Indiana Letter, against which, we often hear
il charged that there is nothing satisfactory this
srhject-lha, plays ronnd and round he compass of
opinion without any definite indication Of any fixed
point of notwithstanding, alternately, all interests,
and even throwing out the Int'maton the friends OF
protection that his opposition TO that principle may be
con!ented, with simply preventing any increase of pro-
tecve duties, above the rates already afforded by the
present Tariff Than ali this, nothing can be n
true-nolhnr more unjust.
1t is indeed, true that this portion of that paper is
marked with eshat less Of that lucid force aud d.
rectness, which have usually distinguished Mr.. Van
Buren's communications Of this character The style
is not always the happes nor free from conu.
SION and looseness Of expression should we
have been any The less pleased with it, had IL
been more brief and simple in the declaration OF
conclusions, and less dfuse in the statement of
processes of reasoning. Nevertheless, no one can
take up in spirit of fair candor, ard read the whole
of his remarks in their just connection, without per.
ceiving in them declaration of doctrine, not only dis
tnct enough but also decisive enough, TO be perfectly
satisfactory all but the EXTREMIST extreme OF 'mpac
cable theory 1t is certain, that respects the prac-
cal exercise Of the powers ascrbed to Congress for the
imposition of duties, they go at least as lar as the
ground maintained by Mr.. Calhoun himself, whom we
look to with pride and pleasure as the he ad OF our Free
Trade scbo, Of cpinion-a school in winch we do not
hesitate allow that go considerably beyond the
grounds of the mas.or himself.
The substance of Mr. Van Bu!ens Indiana Letter
may then be thus condensed
lie acqus secs in the established system OF The col
lection Of the Federal revenue By impot dnes as an
actual practical fact and sustained by the general
concurrence of all parties He however, expresses no
special attachment it, and while ne states strongly the
abuses of which it has always hitherto been made the
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