The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-08-14
The Pitssburg Convention.


the Presidency, and adjourned, to fight out their
battle among the people. This third party is,
therefore, fairly in the field, and have now to
consider the influence Of this movement. the plat
form and the nomination, one way or the other,
upon the general result in November.
The platform of the party is substantially what
was anticipated: the immediate and total repeal Of
the Fugitive Slave law-no mere slave Stases-no
more slave teIritory-free farms-cheap postages-
intervention-tbe recognition of the black empire of
Hayti, "on footing with the most favored
Standardization in foreign disputes, instead of
war-free soil, free speech, free labor and free
men. Such are the substantial elements Of the
Pittsburg platform II will be observed that it is
intended to accommodate, not only all the practical
and available stripes and shades Of abolitonism
and free soi but the land reformers, the industrial
associations, called, the Irish, Germans, French
and Italians, the progressive democracy, and the
universal peace party. Gerrit Smith made spe-
rate effort to add to these fundamental principles
absolute reputation of the existence Of slavery,
free anna gamation, the election of posmasters
by the people, and the universal establishment
of the Maine Liquor law; but he was overruled.
The Women's Rights associations, unfortunately,
had delegates the ground, so that
all hopes of any decisive progress in the
fundamental right Of the reforming sisterhood
to the brooches and run for Congress, must be
given up for the present campaign. Bat, as Gerrit
Smith, Fred. Douglass, and others, of the real
Simon Pure abolition red republican school, are to
have convention of their own in Buffalo, on the
LIST of September, possibly the Woman's Rights
party-in pants and petticoats in socialism, amalga
,,cl II. Cd A.
good opening for practical movement upon the
Presidential question. Nor should we be surprised
if even yet such fourth ticket as Gerrt Smith
and Lucretia Mott, Fred. Douglass and Abby
Kelly Foster, were to be brought out, in full
Bloomer costume, upon the track, heads up, drums
beating, and colsrs flying.
For the present, however, We have to deal with
the Pittsburg Convention party, and the probable
effect of their platform and ticket upon the wings
and democrats in the election. Their platform,
though not as exaggerated rs it was supposed it
might be, is still radical enough for the conscien-
tous adherents of the anti. slavery societies.
1t is strknely similar, in its general plan, to the
Buffalo platform Of lS4S And, though the Con-
vention has declared that its object is neither to
aid the wing party the democratic party, but to
defeat BOTH its inevitable effect must be the de-
feat of the party the other. The real object
of this third party is, by prostratipg one or the
other Of the old parties, to rise upon its ruins and
reconstruct from its remains nightly abolition
party which shall lord it over the North, and over
the government, and exterminate slavery in the
South or drive the South out Of the Union, or into
all the horrors of of races like that of ST. Do
mingo. which has finally resulted in the coal black
Empire Of Hayti.
But whatever of pausiblity there is in the Pitts
burg platform for ralying together formidable par
ty in this campaign it is pretty efecrualy neutral
lied by the nomination of John p Hale for President.
In every view of the case it is farce, and espe-
cialIy after he had, in formal letter. in advance Of
the meeting Of the Convention declined the honor
of being the free soil candidate most emphatically.
There profit in the thing, and he did not want
it. Again, the nomination of such man as Chase,
Of Ohio a man of superior abilities and consistency
of charact or even Of the earnest and fear
less fanaticism of GiddiDgs, would have been
a striking evidence of the zeal and ear.
nestnes Of this outside party; but the nomination
Of Hale reduces all their proceedings to o joke.
Hale is witty, jocose jolly sort Of shap-a free
soiler by accdent-the practical joker Of the Senate
and Of the respectable bar rooms at Washington-a
clever man, but "hale fellow well met" and
caring seriously no about the Fugitive Slave
law than Martin Van Buren, ever did of the Buffalo
platform. But Van Buren, had something Of the
standard abilities and character Of national states
man to bring to the work in lSiS, compared with
which the character Of Hale is that Of q political
mountebank-the clown Of the circus, whose voca-
ton is to turn everything into farce joke The
consequence Of such nomination, in conunc-
ton with various other causes, possibly will be
the loss to the free soil ticket Of 200 900 out Of the
100000 votes cast for Van Buren, in 1913. We may
count certainly upon the loss Of about 100000 (the
banburners) in New York alone, who will follow
Van Buren, back to the democratic ticket Bat with
even a hundred thousand yotos, the anti-slavery
ticket, apprehend, will yet hold the balance of
power between the two Baltimore candidates, and
decide this Presidential elect n.
The important question, then, recurs-Whch Of
the two great parties will be victmzed by this
Pittsburg movement? Where are the materials Of
this third party to come from! We very much fear
that the mass of them, particularly in Massachu-
sets, New York and Ohio, will be drawn from the
original rank ard file Of the wing party, composed
of the conscientious proselytes and converts of
Seward and his coa]jutors, resulting from their
adoption and propagation into the wing creed of
all the isms and politisal denominations which have
risen up in the North during the last twenty five
years. Many Of these people, thus converted to abo
litionism, land REFORM free farms, free soil and
what not, are conscientious believers in these here
sizes, and viii 60 for principles as superior TO men
The original stronghold Of the wings in ohio-the
Western Reservoirs, in this way, in lS1s, turned
almost bodily over 10 Van Buren,. He received at
least fifteen thousand votes in that section in 49,
that were dead against him as the democratic can
didate in 1910, and mostly for Mr.. Clay in 1874
Those men voting Buren, in 49, will be very apt
to stick TO Giddings and Hale in 52. Furthermore,
in spite Of all that Seward and his organs can do,
We afraid that of his conscientious disciples
in this State than can well be spared, will 30 for
Hale, in obedience to "the higher law" Of con-
science, and it is plain to see where his supporters