The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-11-06


and factions will stand as they are-what are the
prospects of the democratic party, and who viii
be their man!
The leading asprants in the field are, General
Csss, Mr.. Buchanan, Judge Woodbury., General
Houston, and General Butler, of Kentucky, with
a host of others, to fill up contingencies.
General Cass is the most prominent of all. His
course upon the Hungarian bill was popular,
and in the settlement of the slavery measures
he stands very prominently associated with Henry
Clay. But he has had the misfortune of defeat
and there is strong prejudice among the ultra
democrats of the South against him, growing out
of his interpretations, last session. in the Senate,
of the true aiming Of the Nicholson letter, which
Mr.. Clemens and others declared was the very
construction against which they had contended in
1878 If Gen. Cass, therefore, has gained in the
North from his conservatism on the slavery ques
ton, he has lost caste in the South, and cannot
command their support. They may even defeat
him IN convention, as they defeated Van Buren, in
1874. Still he is ahead of the list.
Mr.. Buchanan, from having proposed and urged
upon the democrats in Congress the line of SO
30 as the true adjustment Of the slavery question,
is more popular among Southern ultras than Gen.
Cass; but his nomination and his success must de-
pend entirely upon the unity of the party and the
popularity of their measures for he has neither the
prestige of military services, nor anything of thai
charm Of personal destinations, which belongs to
Mr.. Clay. There is but little in his history upon
which popular enthusiasm could be excited; and
in this respect Gen. Cass has a great advantage
over his Pennsylvania rival
Judge Woodbury. has even less of popular avail
ability than Mr.. Buchanan.
General Sam Houston is scarcely thought
of by the orthodox members of the church;
but the outsiders those keen-scented blood
hounds who snuff in the air the trail to the
loaves and fshes-have put him in nomination,
from Texas to Nassau street in the city of New
York. His history is the great romance of the
age. A soldier under Jacksonville Governor of
State-an exile among the Indians-the leader
of revolution-the head of new Republic, and
so forth-there are more materials connected with
his name for banners, transparences, songs, stump
speeches, mass meetings and bonfires, and all the
paraphernalia of carnival, than with any other
name in the calendar. He is great, too, upon the
stump, full Of backwoods wit, humor and anec-
dote; and if nominated as the national demo-
cratic candidate, backed up by Cuba, and the div-
dends of the Plainfeld, Jacksonville, and Lehigh
banks, he would run like thunder fire let loose
in dry prairie, among the buialoes, horses, deer,
elk, wolves, and wild cats, would hardly stir up a
more lively excitement. On the ground of availa-
bility, the hero of San Jacinto holds the most
powerful recommendations. But the managing
politicians of the party, on the right of succession
do not appear to think his time has come. Their
plans lie between Cass and Buchanan. Other can
didates must depend upon the same chances that
nominated Col. Polk
In all this national convention is presupposed,
which is doubtful, and national candidate, which
is extremely doubtful. But assuming that the old
system of the national campaign will be followed
up, what are the prospects for the wings in 1852
Mr.. Clay, at the last session of Congress, filed
up the measure of his glory; re.established him.
self as the great embodiment of the wing party,
and extended his popularity from the wing ranks
TO the great masses Of the people. But he Is old
very old for public service and the nhrmites OF
age are limitation from which no appeal can be
made. Personally the most popular man OF his
time, he has sustained the most signal defeats. 1t
is too late redeem them. He is too old to be put
upon the course again He is Withdrawn. "Bst-
ter be right than be President" Let that suffice.
Mr. Webster has broken down the fencing which
confined him to New England, and has enlarged
his area to a national reputation. There is not
whig in the North more popular in the South than
he. But all the elements Of free sell, abolition rei-
gious prejudice and notification, against him in
the North Hisprospects, then, OF becoming ma
tional candidate depend materially upon an ex-
tended organization of the Union party in the
Eor,h-upon the conservative principles Of the
constitution and the laws. Recent Developments
Indicate thing of this kind, in molten, AMI be-
tween Webster and Fillmore, IL may be turned to
grea, advantage,
Gen. Scott, however, with the laurels OF Lundy's
Lane, and the impershable glories OF his splendid
campaign in Mexico, Tin spite Of the soup stands
out in the boldest relief the probable national
wing candidate for 1852, If they are to have such
candidate.
! IT, then, the slavery issues were adjusted-if the
two sections we've conoiliated-if old animositiss
/ were laid aside, and North and South were only
divided as wings and democrats, we might pretty
safely count upon a contest between Gen Cas- and
Gen. Scott. But what are the facts We have
,he Northern Benton clique, the Seward clique,
the abolition and dozen ether anti-slavery fac
tons, in a condition OF party mutiny, and some Of
them in open rebellion against the laws. In the
South we have Southern rights party organizing
entons called, and an agitation on foot which
threatens to break W, root and branch, both the
old parties in that quarter Again-in the North,
we have he'd the incipient movement to separate
Union party, in opposition to the nullihers.
Both parties, in both sections, are split up. Is
there any prospect that the Northern democrats,
with the Van Burens and Bentons, will be srcept-
able associates Of the Souihers ulrasl Is IL not
ridiculous to suppose that the Southern wings will
fraiernize with their Northern brethren, headed by
Seward, Weed and Greeley How, and upon
what candidates, are such white and black, ring
.;rssked and striped materials, to unite in national
convention Wings and democrats, each may
hold national convention, partially represented.
Each may nominate candidate; but the chances
are equally strong that the free sellers and all the
qualification factions will have a candidate, that
The Southern ultras will have a candidate, and
that the issue will be thrown into the House 81