The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-06-20

pretty evident that we are TO have three dis
tinct, weA defined and antagonistlc parties IN
the fel1 for the succession, to wit
/. The Know Nethings, or new American
| party.
Q. The Seward anti slavery disanion party.
g. The spoiDe democracy.
| 1nto these three parties the bulk Of all the
outside factions of the day will probably be
nerged-the liquor law faction, the anti-liquor
law faction, the democratic hard shells and
soft shells, the Seward and the silver gray
wings, the ultra liberty faction Of Gerrit
| Smith and Fred Douglass, the land reformers,
4 the anti-renters, the women's rights women,
and the F0uTierite philosophers and free colored
| Americans, inclusive. In this view, let us see,
| from present indications, the relative strength
| of these three new parties in the Empire State,
| from and after our next November elestion.
At our State election of last November, the
vote for Governor resulted as follows
For Clark Seward liquor law wbig. ........ 15eso2
For sey mour, soft shell antiquor law demo- IA AZ.
For Uiiman Know Nothing. 122ss2
For Rranson hard shell eenocrat 34002
For r. Wood Independent free soiler. S,6Sl
Total popular vote of the state. s,lo2
This exceeds by fifty thousand the aggregate
vote for President in 1852, and upon the same
ratio of increase we shall probably have by
November next total popular vote OF six
hundred thousand. The vote for Governor, as
distributed last year, affords scarcely an ap-
Proclamation to the relative strength Of the
parties involved, emitting the liquor question.
Upon that issue there was an ihexplicable
amount of cross firing. The result, however,
establishes the important fact that with all
the force Of the Nebraska agitation, in its first
gloss, with all the unpopularity Of Pierce,
Marcy, Cushing and Forney, with all the de-
fections of the democracy, all the novelty Of
the liquor law, and all the inexperiencs Of the
Know Nothings, whose organization as State
party had then scarcely commenced, the Sew
coalition were unable to muster one-third Of the
aggregate vote of the State.
How stands the matter now 7 The aemocra-
cy are still disorganized-tbe Seward coali-
ton have nothing to stand upon but the slavery
agitation and the liquor law. The approach
ing election involves neither Governor nor
| congressman 1t is limited to several
| State officers, the Legislature and town
and city officials Nor will the Assembly
be rendered political test upon the
| election of Senator. That question
has been settled. But upon the maintenance,
| or modification, or repeal of this odious and
despotic liquor law, the election Of the new
Legislature will inevitably turn, and the re-
suit will most probably give to the victorious
party the inside track for the great campaign
of 1856. This liquor issue cannot be smothered
| up in the repeal of the Nebraska bill. Too
many substantial business intsss, too many
positive individual political rauhts are 10
volved In this law to admit Of the idea that the
question of its repeal can be suffocated in the
impracticable abstraction Of the restoration Of
the Missouri line.
The liquor interest in all its ramifcations,
| will exert tremendous influence in our No
! yember State canvass Where will it go? Not
| with the Seward disunion coalition establish
| ing this despotic law-not, most assuredly
with the disorganized and unreliable democracy;
but with that party most likely to possess
| the strength and the will to defeat the law
this new American party. Since November
last, it has increased itS S>mgth to full two
progressing. Can Seward muster the fifty
thousand reinforcements, according to his vote
of last fall, necessary to bring up his force to
two hundred thousands Extremely doubt
full. Can the spells democracy hit upon
any plan of democratic fusion sufficient
| to control in this State two hundred thousand
| votes, during the remnant of the allotted exist
| ence of this Pierce administration? Exceeding
| ly doubtful. Can any plan of fusion be invent
ed between the spoils democracy and the Sc
ward coalition, upon any pretenoe or for any
purpose whatever? No. We must then con.
clude that the contest next fall will be between
the Seward party and the American party
and from the instincts, interests, antecedents
and fixed principles of the democracy in favor
/ of free trade and free liquor, we must also con.
clude that the pressure Of the liquor question
| will bring over a prodigious democratic balance
of power to the Know Nothings.
Here, however the question arises, what
| ground do the Know Nothings occupy on this
liquor law 7 1t was doubtful last fall 1t seems
now TO be sort of neutral ground. But when
| a definite stand upon this Issue is adj that is
wanted to defeat the Seward holy alliance, not
only in this State, but In other States, we are
| quite sure that the Know Nothings will ap-
propriate the means and the opportunity to do
the work.
- 7i Pore the American party Is
,et them carry New York,
" lvania next fall, and the