Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1855-01-23


l09, against 81. The House, however. subse-
quently reconsidered its actios, and recommit
ted the bill--yeas log, nays 9l--to the select
committee Of thirteen, heretofore appointed.
--<>Oss-
THE NEXT PRESIDENTIAL CAM
PAIGN.
One Presidential election is scarcely over,
before preparation for the succession is set on
foot. This is owing to many causes, among
which are--the short duration of the term Of
Office, the magnitude Of the Office, the desire Of
partisans to gain prominence and precedence
to their particular tavorites by FIRST presenting
their names and their claims before the people I;
the disposition that exists among the opponents
Of an incoming administration to condemn it
without fair trial, and the ambition and
cupidity of the mercenary and trading poll
tcians, who denied all hope of place or prefer
inent for the present, seek to establish claims
on the gratitude of prominent aspirants by pre-
maturely presenting them as candidates for the
succession.
A great struggle is now going on in this
country. 1t looks not to mere municipal and
county successes it looks not to mere State
triumphs. There is greater and grander
object to which it looks-the Presidency and
Congress. Already different names have been
presented in connection with the Presidency,
by various newspapers in different sections.
The distant tread of the approaching contest is
distinctly audible, and it becomes the duty Of
the Democratic party to reflect seriously ON the
course to pursue.
That the people have had too little agency
in the choice of candidates for the Presidency
we have long thought, and that political man.
ayers and intriguers have had too much to do
with it we have also long thought That
drilled, disciplined, and INSCRIPTIONS corps
has exerted too much influence over our con-
ventions. Many of them, indeed most Of
them, are without position at home; many OF
them are not even delegates to the conven-
lions, but full of cunning, practiced in trick,
fruitful in expedients, and, with the most
brazen impudence, they manage to acquire an
influence over the more honest, plain, and UNI
suspecting delegates. Besides this, they usu-
ally pass themselves off as the trusted and
confidential friends of the prominent aspirants,
and get the place of mediator between them
and the delegates.
But while the people should have more
agency in the choice of candidates, yet every
man Of them cannot have his own way. There
must be party discipline and party concert.
Success is unattainable without such disci-
pine and concert. They must be prudent and
careful. They must attend to those matters of
business and detail, without which ne impor-
tant result can be accomplished. One most
important thing is to avoid premature agi-
tation of the subject and premature present
ation Of names.
So well established is the opinion that public
men are greatly prejudiced, and their prospects
seriously injured by premature efforts to adj
vance their Presidential aspirations, that dis
Greet friends studiously avoid all public demon
STATIONS of the sort. Death is never accepta-
BILE except to dstempered suicides. And po-
itical death is the least desirable Of any form
OF death. No man ever intentionally, of ma
lice prepense, cut his own political throat, while
every day presents as with cases Of dstempered'
men who Intentionally and criminally cut their
personal throats. Politicians often kill them
selves ignoranty- designedly. But in
discreet friends often bring upon them, that
worst Of all wrongs, most horrible Of oil hor-
rors, and most disastrous Of all disasters--po-
litical death and political damnation.
We hope that Democrats and Democratic
journals will observe that prudence and cir
cumspection which are 50 essential to success
and by means Of which they have SO often
acquired success. We believe that oil parties
have come to the conclusion that obscure, un.
known and incompetent men shall not gil the
Presidential chair. They are sick aud tired
OF such men. They want able, useful and
eminent men--men who have rendered public
seryices-men who are known aud honored--
men who gil large space in the public eye.
There is no ground for the apprehension
that such men will be passed by unless they are
daily advertised and nominated. There is far
more danger that such premature and i'll judged
nominations viii do them great and irreparable
injury. The people can always find the man
they want, and if not interfered with by the
wire workers, managers and mercenaries their
instincts would always lead them in the right
direction. Patience is great virtue, and in
politics profitable virtue.
HEALTH OF OUR MINISTER TO
FRANCE.
The Washington correspondent Of the Balti