The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-10-06
z II YORK HERALD.
The r:xcltement or the Day

The Excitement OF tho Day
Daring the last few yeats we have seen variety |
OF excltemenls in this country. We have had re-
ligous exctements, wrapping great districts in the
flames of that zeal and enthusiasm which the sa-
cred text very happily characerzes as being "wIth-
out knowledge" aud spreading with amazing
rapldity from one end OF the country to the other
We have had the temperance excitement, also
widespread and far more beneficial in its tendency
Moral excitements OF all descriptions have had
their period of sway. Then we have had the
dancing mania-and the musical mania, and all
sorts OF manias. But by far the greatest excite
ment and most omnipotent mania which has yet
visited us, is the excitement Of the present day,
and the Clay and Polk mania.
The rapidly with which this excitement has
dfused Itself all over the land the violence which
has all along characterized tits fearful increase
in the receipt OF every fresh piece Of intelligence
from States where the first skirmishes have
taken place-and the Generalization, lcen-
tiousness, immortality, folly, talsehood and bias
phemy, which have every where marked its pro-
gress, all render this excitement the most remark
able of any with which we have been visited -
There certainly never has been any political cam
paign in which the &c nuine patrio, has found
10 Cypress bis spirit with shame and alarm. Just
let reflect for moment on the forgeries-
the dsreputable hoaxes-lhe calumnies- the
sanders-the scurrility-the intempt rance-the
indecencies which have characterized the
press Of both parties! And the orators,
the miDsrels, the itinerant partizans, who
have been waking so necessarily on both sides or,
have, equally with the party editors, discovered the
extreme depths Of degradation to which parzan-
unprincpled, selfish, besotted partizanship-
reduces all men who permit that vile spirit TO OBJ
tain the mastery over them. TIE newspapers Of
the wings, and the wing orators have been hard
at work for three four months past proving their
opponents, the democrats, from Mr. Polk down to
the lowest member Of the Empire Club" TO be
the greatest of villains unhung, that pollu
ted any country. And just the other side.
The democrats have been equally industrious in
the effort 10 prove that the wings are, without ex-
ception, all bad, all disreputable, all disgrace
the country.
Indeed, we do not believe that in any previous
Presidential contest has there been such an out
pouring OF vltuperation, SANDER, and personal
abuse OF the most vulgar and revolving character
such general and disgusting exhibitions OF the vest
passions OF the human heart, as have been mani
tested during the present campaign. We have en-
deavored to collect some OF the grossest specimens
OF abuse and vtuperation, from the various party
papers of both Sides but the OF blackguard
ism became, weeks ago, swollen, that II was
impossible even to give any tolerable sample OF lis
vieness. Every principle OF morality-of relig ion
of common decency, appears to be set at nought
by the active pariizans on both sides And the ex-
citement pervades all classes. II operates uni
versally. Nothing else s talked of, or thought of,
but the coming contest. Even the fine arts-he
theatres-the places of amusement, are affected
by this extraordinary outburst OF political licen-
tousness and folly.
Certainly no true friend of this country can be-
hold all this without and alarm. 1t is only
this fierce and dlsagraceful pariizan spirit which
blots and blurs the beauty Of that great movement
which is going on with such prosperity and triumph
great, Influential and all-poweru body OF honest
and reputable men-ihe neulrals, the honorable
citizens who stand aloof from the filthy arena OF
party polltlcs-to come forth and unite in putting
down that unhaowed and demoralizng spirit
which is now dlsgracing the character of our free
institutions. When shall the great third
party arising in It's majesty and strength TO give US
n Just and equtlble government, sa!utary reform,
and wise and honest administration of the laws,
altogether irrespective OF men, and irrespective OF
brother az iinst brother, and covering the whole
land with dlshonor and disgrace