The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-11-04
The Causes or the Defeat or General Scott
and tho Whlg Party.

The Causes OF the Defeat or General Scott
and tho Wing Party.
We publish, in another part Of this paper, OK.
tracts from several of city contemporaries
| showing their opinions on the contest which has
| just terminated As will be seen on reference to
their lar gusge, they differ widely in their views Of
the causes which have operated to produce the
defeat Of General Scott S,me talk of native
Americanism o,hers Of wing Indifference, others Of
misrepresentation and false Issues. None have rs
YET Put their finger the real source Of the unpre
cedented expression of public opinion which it has
been our duy to chronicle
1t may do very well to tell the subscribers of the
Tribune that the country people have been mised-
that unfair Influences were brought to bear against
General Scott, his opinions misrepresented and his
cl arsc,er trsduced. But the country cannot be de-
luded by such nonsense. The people of the United
Sra well that if unfair inAu were
sorted to either side il not General Perces
and that, even if there had been any disposition on
the part of the democrats to traduce anera Scott
the gallant general himself has not neglected the
ample opportunities he had Of placing the public in
possession Of his genuine sentiments or is 1T less
incorrect to allege that the contest was purely
personal one OF each thousand votes which were
cast on Tuesday, lot fifty be fairly ascri5ed to
personal predictions antipathies Both demo
Gratis and shigs knew perfectly well nat principles
were at stake, and voted accordingly IL not,
however, struggle between the known doctriues of
tbetwo great parties of the United Statesfee trade
had but little to do with the result, the Trb pam
phleteer TO the contrary notwithstanding and very
few Of those who registered their vote felt much
concern as to what scope sphere should be allot
ted to the authority Of the federal government.
The question of public improvements did no. enter
the minds of the supporters Of either candidate
The issue was fairly laid before the country, as
Sewardism and disunion against the Constitution
ana the Union. Those who were for the reckless
abolition of slavery-those who would rejoice 20
this glorious Union dissolved and the fragments scat
tered to the wincs-those who would not rccol from
acts which would involve civil between the
North and South, voted for Scott; those who hold
that codte qnt cC6te. sediton must be crushed and
the Union preserved, voted for Pierce.
The game of the Seward party was obvious and
above board from the first They succeeded in in
ducipg The Baltimore Convention to rejec, Webster
and Fillmore, who were not likely to bocoms the
plant instruments of Mr.. Seward, and set up in his
stead who certainly possessed greater person.
al 6cfat than any other in the Union, and whom they
taDcied they could use Perfectly conscious of the
prestige which the people of this country attach to
military glory, they chose the greatest soldier of
America-one who has covered himself with glory in
the only wars ever had since we became nation
one, who, the leader Of armies, fills larger
share four history than any since Washington They
laid great stress on the empire which military remi
nsceDces possess over the heart, and counted conf
der ty the aid of the thousands scattered
over the country, VITO have either served in person,
have had dear friends aud relatives in the army Of
Scott Having thus tkilfuly secured, they
thought, large measure Of unqualified supports
they hoped that the unpopularity which cannot be
eifaced from any scheme which bears the name of
Seward would be counterbalsnced, and INDUCED the
esuirg belief that the country would q. least have
q President who was pledged to the fataticai aboli
ton clique Of this State. This was the plan how
judciously it was carried out, what Of detail
were committed, or what characterization prevailed
in the camp, it is notnow cur purpose to inquire.
The result ia known TO everybody. The most
overwhelming defeat that has been witnessed since
the days Of Monroe has rewarded the adroit schemes
Of the sewaroites All tho glory of Scott, all the
military sentiment with which the people arc sup
posed to DO imbued all the glorious associations of
the war OF 1872 and of Mexico, have not availed to
secure for tie Seward candidate even decent mi.
nority. The Whole country, North and soath, and
East and West, hayo emphasically pronounced
judgment, in voice of thunder, on the nefarious
pota Of those who would use greatest general
an instrument TO destroy the Union Great as were
the disadvantages un der which General Pierce la
bored az frst-heavily as the pjudicious support of
fooiish frisIds initiated against him during the
conyass-thc Who'll. u Mon, with unanmousl voice,
has pronounced in his favor. He may thank Mr..
Seward for no inconsiderable share Of his support
We trust that the lesson will not be lost on the
SewaIdites. They will never have An opportunity
Of bringing forward candidate whose personal
popularity will be greater. II they could raise
Washington himself from his grave, we doubt
whether he could be elected on their platform-we
do lot mean the Baltimore platform, which they ex.
ecrate and spit on.
TIE wings have, in truth, owed little to their
penchant for military heroes General Haui.
son not elected because he was soldier,
but from the unpopularty which Martin Van
Buren's financial operation, and the failure Of
the State Banks had brought upon the democrats.
Nor was the election Of General Taylor mill.
tary triumph Had Mr. Van Buren, been true to the
democratic standard instead Of splitting the party
Mr. Cas- might possibly have been successful
General Scotts defeat is a third example Of the
little real influence which military popularity
possesses ON q Presidential election, when it is
unsccorpanied by civil capacity, or trammeled by
the support Of an obnoxious faction. IL has become
much the fashion to suppose that the tnsel repute
OF military valor, and the tags and feathers Of
soldier are oil that Is required to the favor
Of the people OF the United States, that few ques
ton the fact We doubt however, whether in
reality such claims to popularity felt outside the
circle in which military men are the chief movers.
We have pointed out the true cause of General
scstt's overwhelming defeat This is not the place
attempt W explain the reasons Of hh nysvs suc