The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-05-08

nuhN vi ne" party, Wieihatlng among the demo-
crazy Of New York, and promising, from the posi-
tlon of the country and the prospects ahead to be-
come as important and powerful in future events as
the famous lccofoco party was in former age in
Tammany Hail. One of the principal leaders and
originators of this party is John Van Buren,, whose
eloquence, wit and talent have been reverberated
from the tarthest ends of the Union. According to
present appearances they will play an important
part In the ensuing Presidential election.
In couple OF weeks the democratic convention
will meet at Baltimore. The bamburners will
knock al the door of that convention for admission
According to present appearances and prospects,
the influence of the hunkers of New York and of
the nufers of the South, will prevent the entrance
of their delegates On their rejection from that body
they will accordingly organise themselves into an
independent democratic party and will proceed to is
splendid address the United States, and pro-
badly nominate the same distinguished man who re-
ceved the first fruits of their efforts at the recent
convention in this State-we mean General Taylor.
The recent letters fromGeneral Taylor are consider
ed TO be Economically good enough for any reason
able democratic convention. 1t is true, the General
calls himself wing, but not an ultra one; but as the
Generals and language are IN these matters,
probably those of his early years, when the term
wing was used in contradstinction to that of tory,
General Taylor may be considered democrat OF
the old Jefiersonian stamp--and even better one
than many of those who support the Baltimore
convention, and adhere to the creed of that party
AT all events, if the barnburners in the convention
at Baltimore, after being kicked of the regular
convention, should nominate General Taylor he
will be their candidate at once, according to his
own letters for he expressly says that he will take
nomination from any party, and will not give up
the ship to Henry Clay, any other great man.
If such should be the case-and the prospect is
very fair, the wings at their convention in June
must either follow the trump card of the barnburn-
ers and nominate Gen. Taylor, or, in the present
condition of the country, submit to an overwhelm.
ing defeat of their candidate If the wing conven-
ton should drop all their other candidates and
put forward Gen. Taylor, the additional nomna-
ton by the barnburners would sweep the Union,
and produce an entire revolution in parties
throughout the United States. No doubt would
exist of the overwhelming triumph of General
Taylor against all others If the wings do not see
this policy in nominating Gen. Taylor, under such
circumstances, then the three candidates may 60
into the House of Representatives. and in the exist
ing situation of that body would not be surpris-
ed to Gen. Taylor have a better chance than
any other candidate. Thus stand political affairs
at this moment. We are on the eve of a great re-
vouton of parties in this country, beyond doubt,
and we shall endeavor to give strength and momen-
tum to it, much we possibly can. We hope
and that the barnburn ers may be able to con-
stitue our provisional government for the over
throw of the two corrupt and unmitigated rascally
old factions of wings and locofocos. 1t is time to
overthrow these two despotisms which have WELD
ed the POLITICAL power and monopolised the spoils
of the country for the last twenty years.
PoLrrIcAL ETyMoLoGY.-Though our readers in
this State doubt perfectly familiar with the
origin and meaning of the two party denominations
which have lately sprung up among us, we are
convinced by observation, that in the other States
people are generally at loss what to understand
by these new party names. We propose, therefore,
to make them at once understood and familiar by
giving the supposed etymology of the two denom-
nations.
The democratic party In this State is divided
into two divisions, one of which is called hmnkers,
the other barnburn9s. The political division
which has taken place has originated from a diff
ference of opinion upon very great and important
principle. The hunkers maintain the principle
common to southern politicians, viz. that " Con-
gress has no right to exclude slavery from terri
tories where it does not exist" while, the other
hand, the banbumers assert as the principle of
their political creed that Congress has the perfect
and undoubted right to exclude the said institution
from all new territories where it has not hitherto,
been implanted, and where 1t does not now exist.
ll,sha cd tLao l,,, odd IS he
barnbumers, containing an exposition of their
views, and shall be ready to do the same for the
hunkers, when their political manifesto reaches us.
In the mean time, we give the supposed etymology
of the two names which seem now to have been
adopted definitively by the public, IN speaking OF
| the two parties.
| The name bunker" is supposed to be derived
from vulgar word, in common use in some places,
as 90 hunk" Thus, it is often said of any one,
"he has got good hunk of bread" "he has
eaten a good hunk of meat" Hence the OPP
ponents of the hunkers supposed to have
given them this name because, belonging to Mr..
Folks party, they manage to obtain a good
| skunk" of treasury loaves and also large hunk OF
| fishes from the same fountain. In other words
they the men who share the spoils and mo-
nopolise themselves the whole chunk" of all the
good things dispensed from the treasury Hence
the origin, as it is supposed, of the word "hunkers
On the other hand, the " banbumers" are sup
posed to derive their name from the following fact
Having made split from the treasury party, and
forsaken the barn, or granary which gave out a
share of its sweets to all the party, they manifest
disposition to destroy the party, and burn the very
barn their heads rather than to give up quietly
the principle they have adopted, and make conces-
sions which would keep the party together, and
enable them to maintain possession of the ''bam, y
or public spoils Their obstinacy in refusing tc
give up their obnoxious principle, by endangering
the party threatens to destroy and burn up the bar,
out of which the party has hitherto derived such
rich and fattening food. Hence their opponent.
call them the "barnbumers," on account of the