New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-26
ASPECTS AND PROSPECTS.

ASPECTS AND PROSPECTS.
As we are frequently asked what will be the re-
suit of our State Election in tone which piles
some doubt or anxiety as to that result, we will
place the whole matter before our readers in as
clear light as possible.
There are about Six Hundred thousand Voters
in this State, about equally divided in bygone
party nomenclature into "Whigs" and Demo
"crats." Possibly Five Thousand of these have
become Aboitionists Of the Garrison stamp and
refuse TO vote at all, so that they do not count
in Elections; half as many more adhere to the
little squad formerly termed Liberty League,
and now Liberty Party, who hsbitu,lly throw
away their votes on members OF their own body,
who they know cannot receive Five Thousand
Votes at the outside. Then follows q small sec
ton of Radical or Gin the newer phrase) Practl-
cal Democrats, who are devoted to Land Limlta-
ton, Free Homesteads and other essentially
Democratic measures, and who sometimes run
independent candidates, but who usually cast
their votes for candidates of this or that leading
party as they judge will most conduce to the uti-
mate acceptance of their own distinctive views.
Then follow the Free Democrats, some Forty
Thousand in number. but cherishng convictions
with which macy voters Of other parties pro-
foundly sympathize, 50 that many thousands Of
votes additional may at any moment be given to
their candidates from dissatisfaction with the
attitude of one or the other Of the great parties.
Deductpg all the above, there ara left about Five
Hundred and Fifty Thousand voters, very equally
divided hitherto into Wings" aud demo.
"crats." OF these, about Five Hundred Thou
sand can be called out at a Presidential, but sell
dom more than -Four Hundred Thousand at
State Election like that we are now approaching.
But new elements have recently mingled in our
party contests. obscuriBg their aspects and deeply
affecting their results, and these We now propose
TO consider in their order.
/. Hards and Scfts.-At the original disrsft on
of the Democrat, party in l3ls, the vote of the
rival factions stood;
Cass.. ia 900 Van Buren,. .. 100 900
giving the latter an apparent preponderance of
5000. But in fact at least twice this number
were cast for the Van Buren, Electors by Free
Soil Wings who distrusted Gen. Taylor, or by
Birney Aboitionists so that, of the Democrats
proper, at least $1,000 majority voted for Cass.
Next year "Fusion was effected which lasted
till '53, when the quarrel broke out afresh under
the respective designations of lizards" and
"Softs." The Hards, as the vote proved, in-
cluded the great body Of Gen. Cass's supporters
in 49, but quite a number of the leaders of that
wing, including Gov. Marcy, Gov. Seymour. l..
Ii. Shepherd, &c, were now affiliated with the
Barnburners az "Softs." The National Admin
istration had then more spoiIs to dispense aud
more character to spend than now, and its infu-
ence was exerted to the utmost for the Softs,"
who seemed certain (ss between the two fac
tioDs) TO sweep the State by vote of at least
two to one. We supposed the Hard State Ticket
could not possibly poll more than Sixty Thousand
Votes, set it did poll nearly One Hundred Thou.
sand; the total vote of the rival candidates for
Secretary of State standing:
LeaveDworth Cwhg). Ice, $50 Clinton Hard ,s35
Sedgwick Free DEM 1895 Verplanck Soft 80 1877
HARD over Soft. .............. ,69S
Hard and Soft together over Wing and F. Dem 20 4si
A month ago it seemed certain that Bronson
would beat Seymour considerably; but more re-
Gently the Liquor vote, Wing and Democratic,
appears to have been drawn toward Seymour and
do not feel so confident Of this, however, as we
did year ago that the Softs would outnumber the
Hnrds by at least two to one.
The Hard Lieutenant (Ford) seems likely to
stand relatively good many votes better than
the Governor.
2. UoOiy" and 81 iIcer Gray. The division
Of the Wing party into two sectiOns-one up
holding, the other condemning, the Fugitive Slave
Law and kindred measures-has long been OBJ.
yious The Silver Gray or Conservative wing Of
the party has never evinced much strength in
electiDg candidates, but has proved quite efficient
in beating those nominated by the "WoOllies,"
or supporters OF Gov Seward. In no single State
Convention since the fssure in the party was first
made manifest, have the Grays had majority.
On an open, square bolt, we think they might
carry of Fifty Thousand Voters from the regular
Whig ticket; if they could once carry Wing
State Convention, nominate their own candidates,
and compel the "Woollies" 20 bolt, the Grays
could Of course poll much larger vote. They
have never done anything, however, tending to
show that they could, under any circumstances,
carry majority of the party, or even that they
believed they could.
3. Ns6raska and ARtt Nebraska. Nobody
doubts, We presume, that the Nebraska act lately
passed is exceedingly unpopular in this as in most
other Free States, nor that, on naked, square
issue, il would be condemned here as decidedly as
il has just been in Ohio. Of course, it is mpossi-
bic to make the Election, under existing ircum-
stances. turn on this single issue; yet we thiak
it cannot fail to swell the majority for Myron H.
CLARK who is the Anti Nebraska as well as the
W.. IL. II L.: =