The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-05-16
Party Troubles and Coalitions In Congress-
Party Prospects

II is somewhat singular-it is, indeed seine what
ominous-that neither of the old parties have boen
able to harmonic upon any measure of legislation
or party policy, during the present session of Con-
grcss
In the very outset, the democrats, in caucus upon
the Compromise measures, compelled TO lay
them upon tho table for want Of harmony-the
motion 10 adopt them being defeated by coalition
Of seccsso lists and free soilors The wings Of the
House, in caucus, did adopt tho Compromise plat.
form--but il cheat; and though boosted ofby
Master Brooks at the time, il was but a cheat.
amounting to nothing. The subsequent vote in the
open House, upon Jacksons resolutions proves that
in caucus Master Brooks was humbugged, or that he
was party in an attempt to humbug the country;
for, upon Jackson's Fugitive Slave law resolutions
there were but eight wings from the entire North and
consequently, large majority of the entire whg
presentation agapstit. Indeed, both the resolutions
Of Jackson and Of Hllyer, recognizing the binding
force Of the compromises Of the constitution and Of
Congress, carried only by coalitions Of the
Union Of both parties, against coalition of the
abolition and secession agitators Of both parties. SO
upon the printing question. The Union newspaper
democrats could not harmonic the party on the de-
sirabe project of transferring the public printing
for the relief Of that paper. What then I!
coalition was formed with the wings, and it was
agreed to share and share about the spoils between
the Union and the Republic. This was most
upgodly coalition for the public plumber but it was
a dead failure. The combined forces Of the old
foges of both parties crushed by a coalition Of
the outside fragments-the compounding corruption
job of the public printing throttled till the
ungodly coalition cried out peccari Major Donel-
sold out his interest in the Union, on the spot,
and abandoned his useless labors to harmonic the
democracy, in disgust and despair. On the other
side, the whig Congressional caucuses, the Southern
seceders, and their milk and water manifesto
(skimmed milk and water) establish the
detcstation in which the Fugitive Slave law is held
by the Northern branch Of the wing party, and
their want of harmony against the abolitonists, in
the South. Lastly, the vote by which the home
stead bill was passed, was coalition vote
of both the old parties, and both sections,
against both parties and both sections
Thus we have the singular and ominous exhibition
of the total extinction of the old parties, in the most
important proceedings of the session-just the
as if no such things the whig and democratic
parties exsted-just as if they were used up, done
| for, defunct, and buried WE'LL what does all this
mean 1t simply means that the yirility and vital
| i.y Of both the old parties gone They have
| become thrcadbare, hackneyed, jaded, worn out,
full of aches and pains, and their old crutches
broken and useless. They in a transition state,
like that between the years 1920 and '25, resulting
from the Compromise and which broaght about an
entire reconstruction of parties. So Of the greater
and more complicated Compromise of 1850. Its eff
Gets greater md more complex and hence the
disruption Of the old parties and the curious coali
tions of the fragments which we had this session in
the proceedings at Washington.
| Now what does all this portcnd We do verify
| think il portends a terrible time at Baltimore,
| in both conventions. The democrats open the
dance on the first Of June, and such, very likely,
will be the between the old foges and young
America, the Compromise men, abolitionsts and
secessionists-such the personal bitterness and
jealousies of the several ciques of the various
ddates-such the row and the "nose and confu-
SON. that the very bones Of Old Hickory, at the
distant Hermitage, will rattle in their coffin
| at the horrible discords Of the late invincible
democracy. We should not at all be surprised if
| the National Democratic Convention were to be
scattered into fragments by their dissen,icns like
baggage wag scattered to pieces under the explo
sion of bombshell. Nor, if this occurs, should we
lie at all surprised to see the wing convention ex
rloding in the same way, and from the same causes
4
! both, g it is consummation devoutly to be wish
cd" The breaking up of the old organizations, and
free scrub-race upon at least n half-doZcn cand-
! dates-cvery man upon his own hook and his own
prncipl es-woud make delightful carnival Of the
campaign The country would gain by it, for it
would put an end to both the present rotten and
efete old parties and give us something better
something possessed Of the life, and vigor, and
practical spirit, which characterize this country and
the age. Indeed, we begin to think that nothing
now will save the Union but a scrub-race.
|
THE MEXICAN CLAIMs-MIsrAKE CORRECTED. In
the briefremarks have made in respect to the mys
teries Of the Mexican claims we meant to have said
that onethird of the aggregate amount of claims,
one million out Of three millions, had been appro-
priated to the pay Of counsel, and agents, and lob
by members, by the claimants, in order to procure
the recognition Of their rights by the recent Board
of Commissioners. Indeed, we are not sure but n
larger proportion than onethird had to be appropria
ted to these agents. Probably itwould be more
curate estimate say that one-half had been paid
these agents, in the shape of fees, black mall bo-
muses., or whatever else il may be called. We have
intimation Of one Of these agents. who received on
one of the claims twenty-five thousand dollars for
carrying it through to certain point and this very
same agent, as as he had pocketed the money,
turned round to another claimant, and for fifty thou
sand dollars opposed the claim which he had previ-
ousiy supported, and actually represented it as a
fraud.
The secret history Of these claims and their re-
cogntion, with the modes adopted by the agents to
pocket much Of the amount, will be given to
the public at the proper time. 1t is curious and
instructive history. covering not much money as
the nine millions Of the canal lettings in New