The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-04-22

ymS WING O0nkresesoaaA OeO'O IA
BEGINNING and . Good Prospect.
The night Of Tuesday, the twentieth Of April, of
the wear Of Grace 1852, was terrible night, and
viii also be remembered hereafter of the land
marks of the political history of the United States
II was a dark. pitiless, stormy and tempestuous
nieht-he fierce and bosterous concentration of the
collected elements of heavy three days Worcester.
II had been. and it was o continuous outpouring
of wind and rain when the night set in, and
throughout the night, and was scarce abated in
the morning II was m awful night to poor Jack,
drifting along lee shore and fearful to the inundated
valleys OF the interior From the rock bound sea
coast Of New England, from the romantic Susque-
hanna from the noble rivers at Pittsburg, from the
Shenandoah which winds its silvery way through
the fertile valley of Virginia. from the wild and
overlooking Potomac. the telegraph brought us, in
the midst of the Storm the tidngs Of its wide spread
disasters and foundations. Bridges and buildings,
ard fences and live stock, lumber and mcrchan-
disc. have been swept away or destroyed, to the
amount of millions. Such were the natural pheno-
mena Of the late heavy and protracted storm.
By one of those striking condolences which in
deliby fix upon The mind the recollection of parti
cuar events on this same tempestuous night Of the
brewing all winter at Washington, was rid
ding the whig party into fragments in secret
caucus in the Capitol The North and the South
had met, and,
Like the meeting Of two dark clouds over the Caspian
they clashed together-thc positive and the mega
tive poles Of the battery There explosion Of
lightning and thunder, and considerable gas-there
was rupture, and boiling from the cold fogies.'
The great wing party struck amidships, between
wind and water. and now threatens, under the first
popular breeze, to 60 down with all on board, like
the Royal George, with which
Captain Kcmpenfedt went down
With twice four hundred men,"
Reducing this wing caucus to a practical analysis.
it appears that the majority of the Southern wings
abstained from attending it-would have nothing to
do with it-and kept aloof 1t appears that Mr.
Marshall, of Kentucky, offered his original resolu-
ton, declaring the finaty' of the Fugitive Slave
law a cardinal principle Of the wing party; and
that il was voted out of order, 46 to lS-Mr. Man
gum, the chairman, being thus sustained in
his position. Mr.. Marshall thereupon declared
that, not finding himself in good wing com
pany, he should leave, and accordingly took
up his umbrella, and bade them good night. Mr.
Gentry, however, made one effort more-mark that
and renewed the platform Of the compromises.
But Mangum, Seward, and Truman Smith, stood
firm, resolved to be dumb upon the negro question,
as the only hope for Scott in New York; and Gentry
was accordingly ruled out of order. The Southern
ers it appears, after severaly protesting against
the act, then seeded in body. And here follows
the pith and kernel of the whole business. Mr.
Mangum, before the adjournment, said he antici-
IN from fha VIII
and in that case he desired authority to re-convene
the caucus; and the authority was granted.
Here we have several significant points of action.
The refusal of large proportion of the Southern
wings to enter the caucus, shows that they had no
hone of reconciliation with the Seward faction,
and were at least Indifferent upon the subject.
The withdrawal of Mr.. Marshall, after the failure Of
his proposition, natural enough under the cir
cumstances. The Zone effort more of Mr.. Gentry,
shows that the rupture forcgonc conclusion,
and that the motion designed to make sure the
provocation to revolt The debate upon this Sc
cond motion is important, as showing the extent OF
the detection among the Southern wings, and their
unanimty Of sentiment upon the compromise plat
form. But the authority granted to Mr.. Mangum,
re-assemble the in the event of a Southern
manifesto, is somewhat suspicious, and may proba-
bly, be followed up by some curious and desperate
juggling. We shall see.
A Southern manifesto is expected. There is
matter and room for n splendid document, and
splendid movement, totally independent Of the
caucus party. We apprehend, too. that the South
ern wings have gone too far to rccede. Anything
like bartering of principles for division of the
public plumber, is absolutely cut Of the qucs-
ton. fusion of the two sections, upon a compro-
mise of bargain and corruption, would be the per-
petual disgrace of all concerned. The bare suspi-
cion, although dsproved by the facts of a bar
gain between Mr.. Adams and Mr. Clay, ruined the
political prospects, for ever, of the greatest and
noblest statesman of the age. The bait may be
offered to the South; but the leading Southern
ders will not dare to sell their principles for pros
pectiye cabinet Offices foreign missions
But, again-the rupture can hardly be healed by a
double dealing Kane letter concession in behalf Of
Scott on the fugitive question. That may be at
tempted; but that, too, we believe, will fail. The
Southern seceders have laid down their platform.
They cannot abandon it without being dis.
honored at home and defeated in the election.
They cannot re-shape it into thing of two faces.
The last expedient Of the Seward faction will be,
perhaps, in their national or factonal convention,
to put some such man rs Crittenuen on inc tlcKet
with Scott, to neutralze the dead weight of the
abolitoniss, whose support he is as good as sworn
not to sacrifice. Here, again, there is but little
prospect, and precious little temptation for the
South to drop their principles for the sake of con-
ciliating the conscientious treason Of the believers
in " the higher law" In any shape, it comes to
this at last-in every shape, except fatfooted en-
dorsement Of the Fugitive Slave law az law of the
land, constitutional ard proper, and demanding the
respect Of all good citizens.
We expect, then, manifesto, laying down the
platform Of the Southern wings and calling upon
all constitutional Union men, irrespective Of the two
old parties and on both sides of Mason and Dixons
line, and East and West to rally together in the
formation Of an independent Union, constitutional
party, for the active work of the summer cam
paign. Let them act with emphasis and energy,