The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-07-24


jobbers, as the grand continuing cause Of all the
public distress In these things wc have the secret
Of the overwhelming tornado which swept away the
administration of Van Buren, in 1910. Harrison's
military glory was but q feather in the balance
Henry Clay, or any other good whig, nominated in
opposition to Van Buren,, frcm the same causes
would have been just as easily elected. Thus much
for the result Of lS40.
In the campaign Of 1874, things had come to an
equilibrium again. The two parties were restored
almost to their proper level The wings, however,
with an overweening confidence in their strength,
once again nominated Mr.. Clay, and proceeded to
sing him into the White House, after the fashion
of lS40. But the administration of Harrison, or
rather of Tyler, who succeeded on the death Of old
Tip to the administration, recoiled against the
wings in two vetocs Of q national bank. Nor did
the repeal Of the sub-treasury help them, nor the
bankrupt law Still, notwithstanding these things,
and the Texas and Oregon questions, Mr. Clay would
have been elected but for the clement OF abolition
introduced into the Presidential arena Of the ft-
teen thousand votes cast for Birney in this State,
probably ten thousand of them were wings; whereas
six thousand of them voting for Henry Clay would
have elected him. In the election Of 1914 we sec
most strikipgy illustrated the insignfcance ofmere
men, as compared with the effect OF great principles
Personally, and in social sense, Henry Clay was
the most popular man in the United States, while
Mr. Polk was, comparatively, cold, unpopular
and obscure man. How strikingly consistent for
all, is the drift of popular opinion from one Presi-
Dental election to another, when we come to con
slider it dispassionately
In 1913, the wing party resolved to give Henry
Clay the go-by. He had disappointed them, and
they had disappointed him; but they had succeed
ed most gloriousy with military chieftain, and
they resolved to try another. Public opinion, how
ever, had already designated the man. in the plain,
straightforward, simple minded, honest old General
Taylor, fresh from his brilliant campaign in
Mexico. The people were delighted with him.
Even the democrats were kindly disposed to-
wards him; and in Pennsylvania at least some of
them, in their primary meetings, nominated him for
the Presidency as an independent candidate. Be-
sides, though swing, he was not an ultra wing"
and was run as no party mani conservative, upon
two platforms-one in the North, and one in the
South But SILL there stands out the force OF fixed
principles in the result. The democratic party was
divided The vote received by Van Buren, in this
State, added TO that of Glass; would have elected
Cass the President, such was his strength with the
Van Buren, detection, and the inevitable certainty
of the loss of New lork staring The democratic par
ty in the face And thus much for the availability
| of military chieftan in 1913.
| The chapter, through the entire political cycle
from 1924 to 1852, is thus complete. Uniformly we
find great dprineiples, questions of cur
rency, finance, and administrative policy, the con-
trolling forces in every Presidential election, from
that day to this. Compared with these influences,
gunpowder, bayonets, and bombshells, are mere
sound and fury, signifying little or nothing. We
find Gen. Jackson riding in upon the vhirlwind Of
popular opinion, against the United States Bank
and the bad measures of the wing party-we
find Van Buren, carried through upon the State bank
imitation OF '34'o-6; and his administration swept
off like chat, from the general financial revulsion
and bankruptcy which succeeded In 1914 we find Mr..
Clay defeated by the intervention of the abolition
faction and in 1913, by the interpostion Of this
faction, larger scale, Gen. Cass is over
| thrown. In not one single case has mere military
capital effected any decisive result either side.
Principles and party combinations have been para
mount, from first to last.
What, then, is the prospect for 1922 History is
| rhivsvpLy .."sh;..s ~ .."Inrie Her lessons are
full of wisdom They reduce the.science of politics
almost to the accuracy of mathematics. The past
| i the oracle of the future. What, then, is the
prospect! Unpropitious, we should say, for the
third military cMeftain Of the whigs-the fee
bes Of the three in intellect, though the greatest
of the three in battles and victories. The
principles, the circumstances, and the assoca-
tions by which he is surrounded are ali
against him. The head of a whig cabinet stands
aloof, aiding and abetting his adherents, who are
moving to organized mutiny. The elite ofthe wing
administration, and the oficeholders, have no in
ducement to aid their Baltimore nominee The
Union wings of the South are in open revolt, because
the election of Scott is the promotion Of Seward and
his schemes of disorganization and sedition The
mass Of the whg free soilers of Massachusetts, New
York. and Ohio, are moving for the Pittsburg Con-
vention, and separate and third party nomina-
ton, because General Scott has accepted the whig
platform, while his most oficious organs "execrate
and spit upon it," The native American heresies
OF General Scott, and his yaclating opinions from
time to time paralyzing the efforts of his best
friends to harmonic his principles and pretensions;
and, to cap the climax, the music Of the fife and
drum, and the fantastic buffoonery and claptrap Of
n grand military carnival, have become
Like tale thrice told
In the cars of drowsy man.
On the other hand, we have the leading measures
Of the democratic party established and in highly
successful operation, as the practical policy of the
government. We find that party now united and
ravenous for the spols, all Of which will be clear
gain. There are forty thousand Offices. and fifty
millions year, now held by the wings, for the en-
couragement Of the democrats to work for Pierce,
while neither the inside outside wings are GER
tain of anything in the election Of Gen. Scott. The
Pittsburg Conyentionwil, most probably, cost Gen.
Scott the loss OF Ohio and Massachusetts,, coupled
with the Webster defection-certaiuly New York;
and, very lkely-with all the other causes emu
merated-a most dcplorablc defeat in November.
If So the moral will be the uncertainty-yea, the
emptiness of military glory and purely military
nomir alton, regardless, alike, Of true consistency,