The republic., 1851-12-15
Fishing for the Presidency.

DUREN, eA fTesiuenl OF lHe OHlled otaleS
were engaged in a fishing excursion in tht
Northern part Of New York. The paragraph
did not suggest any particular observation a
the time. As we knew that they had been on
a Buffalo hunt together year or two previous,
il was reasonable enough that they should vary
their amiable recreations by little angling
and we saw nothing but the serene philosophy
of the retired statesman ia the devotion of a
few days or weeks TO sports of the fields and
the brooks. 1t was sight pleasant to CON
template-that Of these venerable men, aban-
doning the political seas which had been 50
long ''ve1ed with their fsheries" throwing
off the cares and troubles OF wicked world
and with their vanished rods and "silken
lines on gittering reel enrolled pursuing
''The gpringing trout in speckled pride,
The salmon monarch OF tho tide;
The ruthless pike intent on war,
The silver eel and mottled par"
No man Of ordinary sensibilities can look
upon this picture of MARTIN VAN BUREE and
+. P. BLAIR, enacting the innocent anglers
without a feeling Of gladness that the days OF
pastoral simplicity have not passed away from
the earth forever, and that the dreams of AR
cADIA may prove realities even in an age which
finds less music in the shepherds pipe than in
the steam whistle See them looking after
their worms, flies, and insects, selecting for
each fish the appropriate bait; now spread
ing their nets and seines-now tickling
trout, now hooking gudgeon-fOlow-
ing their sport with an earnestness that
would have commended them to old WALTON
rs his true disciples, and vindicating the claim
of the piscaiory art TO "cause the helthe of
your body, and spscyally Of your soul" Hap
py anglers Happy anglers What was
free soil to them as long as they had free fishe-
ries What cared they for the fate Of the
Richmond junto OF the Albany Regency 1t
was their business 10 catch and cook fish
they had ceased to be fishers Of men, or to
profit by the craft of the first angler-thy
craft, thou
-- "cunning enemy, THAT, to catch saint,
vith saints dost bait thy hook =!
How long these ancient fishermen" were
engaged in their excursion we do not now recol-
lect, perhaps we never knew. How many fish
they caught during that time history does not
Inenton; but the results that have been mys-
teriously evolved from their labors will make
them long memorable in our annals. 1t will turn
out, we apprehend. that there were never two
fishermen who piled their art more dextsrously.
Ii will be remembered that, before the com
ing-off Of this remarkable fishing party, there
was not the most remote prospect of revitalizing
the VAN BURN dynasty. If there was any
cabal in the country that seemed utterly ex-
tinct, it was the old regency ofBLAIR, BENTON,
BUTLER, KENDALL. and the VAN BURENs-
the set who were hurled from power by the
election of General HARRIsoE, and were igno-
minuusly defeated in their Buffalo conspiracy
Of lS4S 1t was believed that the treachery Of
these men to Gen. CAss had deprived them of all
influence and control with their old friends. The
announcement by JOHN VAN BUREN Of the dis
solution OF the DEMOCRATIC party, and the
seandalous alliances Of the Buffalo seceders
with Mr.. GfDDiNGs and Mr.. CHASE, seemed to
cut off the last hope Of their reappearance in
the church Of the Catholic Democracy. The
feuds in New y ork between the Barnburners
and the Old Hunkers seemed TO be raging with
fury that all the waters Of the Hudson and
the great lakes could nOt allay. There ap-
peared an impossible gulf between the two fac
tons--a chasm yAwning with width and a
profundity that might we'll shock the nerves Of
any Democratic CURTIUs.
This was the state Of things in the Demo
cratic party before Mr.. BLAIR and Mr.. VAN
BuREN abandoned themselves TO the piscatory
art. What followed The fishermen went to
their respective homes--to the classic cabbage
garden of Kindefhook, and the tranquil shades
of Silver Spring. Oil is forthwith poured on the
troubled waters. The spirit OF pacihcation il
abroad, with healing on its wings. Old Hunken
and Freesoilers mest everywhere with the same
cordial grapple and embrace which Mr.. b. r
BUTLER and Mr.. GrDDiNos interchanged or
lhe Buffalo platform. Old sins are forgotten
and forgiven, and old sinners Of all dies and com
pleIions are warmly received into the common
Democratic fold. Anon it gets into the news
"a peTs that Colonel Benton and General DIl
are in correspondence with regard 10 tht
Presidency. The Evening Post become
amiable, conservative, and jubilsnt ii ap
peals to the Union newspaper 10 cease III
assaults on the Free Democracy, if it really
Ink, 70 re-es;ablsbment Of the party B-
and bys the name Of WILLIAM o. BUrLER il
mentioned wi..h distinguished consideration
We soon find that Colonel BrNTos is muster
.ng his forces ia Mnsorhi under General Bur
rms standard, and Mr.. Bran starts on
pious pilgrimage TO KENTUcXY, and il - ~
mored that Mr.. LIsN BoYD mounts the BCT
rER cockade, and (stFAnger sill that JErTER
son DAVIS himself brings his MISSISSIPPI pha
lan1 to the same camp. j, begins ~ look ss /
the combination were acquiring a significance
and importance that might enable It 4