The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-08-12
The Presidential ElcctiOn-The Campaign
Commenced In Earnest.

Presidency may be said 10 begin IN earnest-in
sober, sad, serious earnest-dashed with a few
strokes of cant and humbug. The last conven-
ton has been held In Buffalo-the last nomination
has been put forth by the abolluonists, with the
sh-eds and patches of all other factions assembled
there-and now there remains nothing to be done
but to go into the field at once Join issue on the
great questions of the day, agitate the masses,
present the candidates TO the people, and continue
the game by day and by night on Saturday and on
Sunday, in the grog shop and out of it, at the
roads and in the markets, up 10 the seventh of No
vember next. Three great candidates are placed
before the people-Zachary Taylor, Lewis Cass,
and Martin Van Buren,. Little may be said of the
career of any of thenl-they are known to the
country at large, and one of them too well known.
In one respect, and very important one, the
coming election differs from any that has taken
place in this country since the revolution of l776,
and the establishment of the present constitution
in l7S9. During the early organization of our 60
vernment, there were some symptoms indicating
desire to organize parties on geographical interests
and passions; but the great moral influence of
Washington on the public mind, tended to prevent
such calamity as the marshalling of different
sections of the country in hostility to each other,
would produce. The election which is now pend
ing for the Presidency, will be the first which has
taken place In tins republic in which most ex-
traordinar1y, unprecedented and partly successful
effort has been made to organize party in the
Northern or free States, in entire hostility to the
South although nominally this party confines Its
attention to the prevention of slavery in the new
territories of the republic The convention which
has been held during the present week in Buffalo,
presents moral force-a unity of purpose-a con-
centraton of Northern feeling, all banded and
leagued together In hostility TO the South, and to
TO the extension of Southern institutions IN the
territories, that may well make the lover of the
Union tremble, if he believes that those sentiments
and those purposes succeed IN elevatng the
nominee at Buffalo to the White House at Wash
ington, with all the ultra doctrines hanging
around him. Such fact would be, indeed, re-
alizatlon of those calamites this republic which
Washington, in his day. averted by the force of his
moral character.
Many OF the features prcsontea ..i....-i---z
world by the vast assemblagc of men and women,
the rogues and the politicians, at Buffalo, may ey-
cite smile of derlsion, or broad laugh of ridi-
cule. In fact, the angels in heaven could hardly
ook serious. To see delegates appointed TO such
an assemblage, black the ace of spades, and as
woody as the sheep on the mountains-.o see the
descendants of the African race deputed by the
white Anglo-Saxon people, from any part OF the
country, as delegates TO such assemblage, would
hardly be believed In any other country, or any
other age. The crude notlons-the wild OPT Mons |
the incoherent thoughts which filled the mind of |
other portions of the delegates, or those who at
tended as amateurs, both men and women-for it
seems that both sexes represented-would
also be sufficient provoke the laughter, rdlcule
and sneers of the sensible world around them.
But these traits, like the great features of human
nature, are mixed up and blended with sober
and calm enthusi asm in favor of the assertion of
certain human rights, possessing an eternal truth
IN their existence that the tragic features of the
Buffalo convention will overpower the comic, and
suppress those emotions that spring alone from the
ridiculous.
In the midst OF all their folly and their fanatl-
cism, il that this convention declared their
opinion on certain great public measures, which
have previously had a strong hold on the masses
of the people of this country. We allude, especial
ly, TO the declaration, which appears to have been
made IN some of their resolutions, in favor of
cheap postage; OF the freedom of the public lands,
rec TO all settlers; of the necessity of amending
the federal constitution, and of electlng many of
the public officers of the general government by
the people, the Office RS of our State government
elected under new constitution and, above
all, TO the solemn and terrible declaration that no
more slave States shall be added to this Union
with the consent of the North, and that an end
must be put TO slavery even in the District of Co
lumbia, over which Congress has undoubted au
thorty.
These declarations are startling and momentous.
They compose the platform of the Buffalo Conven-
ton, and of the new party which supports Mr., Van
Buren,, and which is to be submitted to and de-
cided upon by the people These principles torn
the serious part, the sober features of the conven
non, and they will command general attention
throughout the Union, for good or for evil.
In presenting Mr.. Van Buren, as the candidate
of this new party the friends of that statesman lay
claim to the State of New York, and several other
Northern States; thereby trying to impress the
mind of the public with the idea, that the selection
of the next President of the United States will de-
volve on the House of Representatives. This
assertion is merely one of the arts of the ex-
pert politician The strength of Mr. Van
Buren, is mere cypher, feather, in the
great weight of those principles, those ideas,
and those feelings, which have been put forth by
the convention. He has little personal strength,
or popularity, IN New York, but not sufficient to
carry single electoral VOTE either IN this or any
other State of the Union. Yet Mr. Van Buren,,
from the circumstances which have placed HIM |
where he is, will become most important and |
ruling element in the election for the Presidency |
An election which will begin now with serious
ness. Notwithstanding the popularity of many
of the principles put forth by the Buffalo Conven-
tion we are persuaded that many of the masses
which support General Taylor, recognize the force
and truth of many of their declarations and reso-
lions with as much ferency as the assemblage a
Buffalo did cheap postage, free soil, freedom of