The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-07-18
Scrub Races for the Presidency-rnc election
OF rsss and ,bc s-rosPtst for 1885

Scrub Races for the PresIdency-Tnc election
OF tsss and ,bc s-rosPeet for 1880
From all tbe poisicsl movements around US,
and from all the lights before US, the facs is
becoming more and more apparent every day,
that we are drifting helter skelter into all the
hazards, exci,eDents "nose aud confusion
of miscellaneous scrub race for the Presi-
deDcy. 1t Is almost equally clear that we sh all
have scrub race which will carry no the cleo
ton Of President TO the House OF Repressnsa-
tivss at Washington upon the three highest
candidates from the people. Thrown, tnen,
upon this contingency these questions natu-
rally arise:-What are the prospec 8 for tue
succession? What party will come upperm 1st,
and what principles will prevail?
Let us look back little. Our guides for
the future are the lights of the past. Our
political history since the adoption OF tue fede-
raj constitution in 1889 may be divided into
four epochs, which have passed away, and o
Eth, which is soon to commence. First, The
administration of Washington, during which
ali party distinctions were held in suspense
in the universal respect and confidence
which the Father of his Country command
ed. Second. The administration of the elder
Adams, which developed aud brought into
force the stringent high church doctrines Of the
old Federal party. having, what Patrick Henry
would call, an awinl squinting at monsr-
chy," Third. The Jsffersonian epoch, which
gave the ascendency TO the radically popular
principles Of Thomas Jefferson, which were
brought out into very bold aud startling relief
from the reaction of the French revolu ton, and
its terrible crusade against the Bourbons, the
French aristocracy, and the monarchies Of
Europe
This epoch may be considered as lastingfro
1900 to 1924, when the old federal party having
melted entirely away, another change AMI
another reconstruction Of parties succeeded.
| The administration OF John Quincy Adams
was the transition administration from the ''era
OF good feeling" under Mr.. Monroe, to that
violent antiquari m Of parties which was
brought out Into definite shape in the contest
between Adams and Jackson in 1928 This is
our fourth political epoch which, with several
Incidental revolutions, may be set down as the
era Of the democratic and whig par les closing
with the election of Gen Pierce in 1852. Since
that day al the political events of the country
in the interval past, present and to come. will
cnlmiDate in the inauguration Of our fifth poll
ticaI epoch in 1855.
| Now for onr Presidential scrub races aud the
! election of President by the federal House u
Representatives Under the old dispensa.ioD,
! from 1889 to 1900, when the highest candidate
Was President aud the next highest Vice-Pre-
sideot, every Presidential election MY be said
TO have been scrub race; for as yet the peo-
pie were rot drilled to the discipline Of p,rty
caucuses orscoaveDtioos. But in 1900, Jetfer-
son and Burr having each IS votes ia the cleo
toral colleges the election was thrown into
Congress, where, after six days balloting,
Jefferson carried the day. This difficulty and
| exciting affair result ed ia change of the con-
| stitutiop providing distinct vote each, at the
electoral colleges Tor President and Vic; Pre-
sident. Then followed also the party system
| Of Congressional caucus nominations, which
lasted till 1924 in fail force; and this briggs us
to fbe only real outand-out scrub race in the
whole series OF our Presidential contests from
beginning to END; and to the only point in the
disipte grafton and reconstruction Of parties
heretofore bearing ony practical! analogy to the
| present state OF thing.
In 1924 the candidates before the people were
General Jackson. John Quincy Adams William
H. Crawford and Henry Clay. The cd party
lines, federal and republican had become obso.
lese. They were "all federalists, all republi-
CABS" 1t was coolest Of cliqaes aud lodi
v,duals for the spoi.s. In view Of this contest,
the leading politicians in Congress in 1920 had
Effected the Missouri compromise, Mr.. Clay
| tho act iva In Tho ion
was thrown into the House. Mr.. Adams, before
the people, was the ooly candidate OF the non
slaveho ding Interest, the other three being
Southern men. The electoral vote WIS, jack
son 80, Adams ga, Crawford Al, Clay 81.
10 the House, therefore, Mr.. Clay did not
come ny as a candidate; but in tuning over
the votes OF the States of Kentucky, Ohio Hi
pois and Missouri, which be controlled in The
House, 10 Adams, he decided the slssisn in his
favor upon the fir { ballot. Aad why dad Mr..
Clay prefer Adams to timer Jackson or Craw-
ford? He saw that Jackson was dangerous
rival, that the Clay vote for Adams would de-
feat Jackson, while If thrown for Crawford, it
would be- thrown away. But we presums that the
great object of Mr. Clay was to sire igthen aim
self 'or the future in tue North, against the over
wh e]rsipg popularity Of Jackson in the South,
ard that hence his support Of Adams. Thus,
although we can discover neither IN the divi.
SION OF the popular, nor the electoral, nor the
House vote for President in 1924 anything of
positively sectional character, 1T stiil apps ars
that the election Of Adams was she result Of an
oil,rng to the Northern anti slavery sentiment
by a Southern aspiranr for another trial
III 1923 there was clean contest between
Jackson aui Adams, resu,1og IN tie over
wheimipg defeat OF the latter. Ia 1882 the
iorces opposed to Jackson's administration we're
divided upon Clay Floyd aud Wirt, VITA no