The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-12-24


THE CLEMENS AND FooTE LETTERs.--Mr. ex-
Senator Clemens letter, published yesterday.
has done something towards clearing away the
mist which obscured his position, though we
doubt whether il will add to his fame. We trust
he is better acquainted with the President S
mind than he seems to be with the New York
election. lie calls the latter bitter lesson"
and obviously casts in the teeth OF the Union
democrats the transfer Of the State into the
hands of W. II. Seward. Had ex-senator
Clemens been better informed he would have
known that Stewards triumph is solely due to
the Interference Of the federal government in
our election, aud to its open support of the Van
Buren, free soil faction. 1t was the Cabinet
which placed the issue before the New York
democracy IA Van Buren, free soilism on the
one side and Seward free soilism on the other
We would not openly sustain the former by our
votes and rather preferred that the Seward
wings should triumph for a while than that an
equally dangerous and traitorous party should
be installed in power through our active sup
port. Hence the "lesson," "bitter" enough
we dare say, TO the administration but which
to us, loses its sting in the renec ton that it
must end in the union Of all the free soil fac
tons, and the creation Of bread distinct issue
between them ard the friends Of the Union.
Mr.. Foote has taken more reasonable and
sensible view of the position of the government
He has, in fact, no Cabinet Office in prospect
even though Jefferson Davis should be elected
to the Senate. Would that Mr. Clemens could
say the same!
We are told that Senator Cas- endorses Mr.
Clemens letter, and even goes so far as to regrc,
he did not write it himself General Cass il
quite welcome. so far as we are concerned, to
strange his own offspring, and support the mer
who are trampiing the compromise under foot
We have no objection to his pursuing this Of
any other course which he can reconcile to his
conscience 1t is enough for US that we shall
hold him responsible at the proper time.
Meanwhile as ex-senator Clemens ana his
friends seem to know so much more about the
Presidents mind than any ore else, can they in
form us why or how Il is that General Pierce
has displayed so lively an interest in the resus
citation Of the Van Buren, dynasty in this State
III, as Mt. Ilcnichs soy p TIC 10 no icsoiu''y VI
posed to disuniop, how came he to throw all hi
influence into the scale Of the free sellers here
the men who ran against Cass in 1913, and wh'
arc to-day every whit as strongly disposed to
wards disunion rs they were then? Unless tn
ex Senator has some very strong reasons t.
give. we shall adhere to our beliefthat the Pre-
sdent's course in these respects was dictated
| by secret causes-such as the existence of tn
letter and reports Of the speeches for which W
have advertised Some allusion to the forme
| was made by the National Era, at Washing
ton 1t is, in fact. beyond doubt that more thai
one person at the capital knows the truth of tn
| matter. For our part, we repeat we cannot ex
| plain the course Of the President in regard t.
| the politics of this State on any other theor
than the supposition thet some such letter q
| the one mentioned--in which General Pierce
| seriously compromised-now exists, and is j
| the hands of the Van Buren, leaders.