New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-06-18
BLASTED HOPES.

BLASTED HOPES.
The secession Of the Northern members of the
KhOw-NOthiDg Convention has carried dismay
into the ranks of the negro.catching Democracy.
The N. Y. Herald gives vent to this feeling in
the most varied efforts to keep up the spirits Of
it's friends and to persuade them that it won't
be much of shower after all.
In the unity of the Know-Nothings that great
party whose programme is comprised in the
Extension of Slavery saw their only chance of
success at the approaching national election.
This new organization, rising up, as they hoped,
to divide and nullify the North, was sure to keep
the Administration in the hands of the Demo
Gratis Pierce, Marcy, and Douglas had whelmed
them in ruin; the KnowNOthings were to lift
them out of the abyss.
This was shrewd calculation. In any fair
struggle on the simple question of restoring the
Missouri Prohibition, and rebuking and sup
pressing the civil war which AtchisOn and the
border DULLES have carried into Kansas, the
sham Democracy was destined to an irrecOver-
able defeat. The elections in every Northern
State since the Nebraska bill was passed had
party, having risked its all in that infamous meas.
ure, was virtually extinguished at the North.
But as the KnOw-Nothings became prominent,
the hopes of its bankrupt leaders revived. The
new party was to divert Northern sentiment
from the otherwise all.absorbing issue, to dis
tract the councils of the Anti-Nebraska men
and divide their forces. By this means the i'm
mortal Pierce was to be succeeded by " Ma
"tiOnal Democrat" Kansas was to be admitted
as a Slave State, Cuba purchased or conquered
and such predominance in the Government as
sured to the Slave interest that the Free States
would henceforth be compelled quietly to sub
nit to all the dictates of the South.
Such was the anticipation of these high
souled patriots; and with view to help on the
good work, The Herald kindly lent its temporary
favor to the Know-NOthings, with the under
standing no doubt that the new Democratic
President would not be such an migrate as Mr..
Pierce proved himself in respect of the French
Mission. But human hopes are always exposed
to disappointment; and the dream of electing
a ull-blo,ded negro Democrat to the Presidency
by the aid of great nOwNothing vote at the
North has come to sudden end. The secession
of the Northern delegates shows that the Free
States will not be diverted from the one vital
matter. The next Presidential election must
turn on the restoration of the Missouri PrOhibi-
ton. The legislation which admitted Slavery
into Teri itories that for thirty years had been
conse Grated to Freedom must be repealed, and
the institution must again be banished from
those Territories. That is the question on
which the Northern people intend to express
themselves. In comparison with it there
is no other before the country which
merits a moments consideration. It's de-
cision will settle what is hereafter to be the
nature of the Government and whether or not it
is to be administered solely with view to the
extension and perpetuaton of the Southern in
stitutiOn. 1t will settle whether Free North
is to be recognized as constituting distinct
portion Of the Republic, or only a slayeholding
South with Northern provinces. 1t is now GER
tain that the country must come to a vote on
that question. No intrigues can put it into the
background No side issues can draw attention
away from it's supreme Importance. Even the
Know Nothipgs refuse TO allow any other ques-
tion to be set up in it's place. This precludes
further doubt, and shows that minor differences
among Northern men will be postponed. Such
being the case, that astonishing political revO-
luton which within the last eighteen months
has swept over the most democratic of the
Northern States will at last reach the National
Administration. The Missouri Prohibition must
be restored, and Kansas and Nebraska must
never come into the Union except as Free States