The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-04-18
THE Presidency AND 1.-THE EVIL OF THE
DAY"

The National LaehgeHccr has devoted many
long editorials to various aspects of what it calls
The Evil Of the Day the present struggle
concerning slavery One aspect of it, looking
forardS The Presidency, it has neglected to notice.
The Presidency is the highest prize of political
ambition in this country. Few public men who
have become prominent, are unwilling to be rec
ognised as candidates for it. The Presidential
term is 80 brief, that hardly is one canvass over
before another begins so that the country has
no rest from party turmoil. The game for the
Presidency is in fact always going on, and, as the
candidates are many, and their friends are scat
tered all over the country, not few of them feel
ing personal interest in the Of their favor
lite, it is everywhere going on.
OF course, no important question of State or
Federal politics can be kept free from its mani
fold influences The calculations of the players
embrace the whole field of politics; great public
questions are regarded in their bearings upon the
Presidency; and candidates in choosing their
positions upon them, hardly fail to take into con-
sideration the influence their choice may exert
over their chances for that high Office
In the Era of last week we referred to the re-
marksble movements of Messrs. Clay and Web
ster, who may be regarded as rival Wing candi-
dates. The movements of Messrs. Cass and Blu
chanan are no less noteworthy. la the early
part of the session, Mr.. Buchanan, long known
as a candidate for Presidential hOnors, spent a
month in assiduous attendance on Congress.
Like Messrs Cass, Clay, and Webster, he be-
came profoundly impressed with alarm for the
fate Of the Union, and his patriotic anxiety to
restore peace TO our beloved country led him to
commune daily with Mr.. Davis of Mississippi
and other Southern gentlemen respecting some
feasible mode of compromise The result was
determination in favor of the line of the Missouri
Compromise. Just about this time, the Non
Intervention doctrine of General C3ss began to
be called in question by Southern men in both
Houses Of Congress Mr.. Davis of Mississippi
in the Senate with other gentlemen from his sec
ton, took strong exceptions to it, and Mr.. Brown
Of the same State in the House, with several other
Southern Representatives openly condemned it,
General Cass seemed to be losing ground at the
South, while Mr. Buchanan and his favorte plan
of settling the controversy, were openly com
mended by Southern men,
In due time the Ex-Secrctary departed, and
and not long afterwards, Mr.. Cass took occasion
to define his position, and bring up the subject of
the Missouri Compromise 1t was done ingeni-
ousy. Mr. Davis of Mississippi was catechised
in regard to his construction of that policy That
Compromise excluded slavery above the parallel
of 36o 3O', without excluding or recognising it
belOw-it was Intervention above the line against
slavery, and non-interyention below Would
Mr. Davis accept that Compromise, for the pres
ent Territories Mr. Davis had already said
and he would repeat, that what he demanded was
this, the Missouri Compromise line to the Pacific
ruth specific recognition of the right 10 holt sares
belOp that lmsl Ahn-said Mr. Cas-" that
would not be the Missouri Compromise n-and
then he went into an argument to show that that
Compromise (the one proposed by Mr.. Buchanan,
recollect was not so good for the South, as his
doctrine of Non-lntervention for, while it Sc
cured Non-Interyention only below 800 3O', his
plan established il in all the Territories above
and below The demonstration was complete
Mr.. Buchanan was foiled-the Missouri Com
PiVhise WAS no more talkeu OI-mr, lass nau
out-generalled his Opponent-and now, in the
language of the Y. correspondent of the Balti-
more Sun, understood to be Mr. Grund, who is
doing all he can to ylify every statesman true to
Liberty and magnify every statesman, compliant
with slavery SHE General has reeOnguered his
gromd'
So thinks the Washington Union, which con-
graduates General Cass on the fact that MIR.
Webster, Mr. Clay, and the most conservative
portions Of the Wing party, have come over to his
platform.
Nothing is more certain than that Mr.. Bu-
chanans months session in Congress has proved
of no effect General Cass, il is now understood
by his sanguine friends in Congress, will be the
nominee of the Baltimore Convention in 1885,.
Already these friends have begun the secret can
vass, and leading Democrats in the several
States are appealed to by every variety of motive
including contingent promises of future Executive
favor, to lend them a helping hand.
or course it is necessary to dispose as speedily
as possible Of the Slavery Question now before
Congress, and to do 50 in way not to offend the
South, without whose support General Cass might
ultimately fail