The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-05-24

The only business
peryisors yesterday was tie In the Board OF b.
port of the committee in favor of syn Of the re-
Drinker 1857 IS, for extra services on Sunday
petit ION from the police clerks for extra pay 10,
Sabbath laborlwas received and referred.
John G. Stevens, ESQ.,, has resigned the post o.
Commodore OF the New York Yacht Squadron.
The Old Parties and the New American Par.
ty-Extrene Southern vlew-Union on
Disunfon.
The article which we transfer to our columns
this morning from the Charleston Mercury,
upon the destruction Of the two old parties OF
the country on the quicksands Of the slavery
question, and upon the alleged sectional ten
denotes of the new American party, is deeply
significant of an impending crisis in our national
politics.
The first great sectional agitation of this de-
Iicate question was temporarily settled by the
Missouri compromise in 1820-the second,
more complex and difficult, was adjusted upon
the several compromise measures of l850-the
| third, precipitated upon the country by q
| treacherOus, imbecile and donble-dealing adj
ministration, has already assumed shape SO
| fearful and formidable as to threaten the merg-
ing of all other issues in purely sectional
contest for the next Presidency. Running
through these several phases Of the Northern
anti-slaveIy movements, from their first gene
raj developement to the present day, and con-
sultng the apparent influence OF the anti slave.
~ sentiment over all parties in the North at
this time, our Charleston contemporary comes
10 the conclusion that now and henceforward
there is and can be no Northern party which
can be supported or trusted by the South.
In the historical review OF the Mercury,
however, there are several important facss
which have been omitted. If it be q fact, for
example, that Gen. Tay lor, Southern man,
proved false to the South, it was not the fault
Of the conservative people Of the North; bot,
perhaps the fault of Gen. Tay lor, but his ms
fortune, from the influence Of Seward over his
Clay ton Cabinet So, too, if the election of
Gen. Pierce has been followed by the breaking
up and abolitionizDg in the North of both the
whig and democratic parties, it is chargeable
not to The Union sentiment Of the country,
upon which Gen. Pierce was elected, bat
10 the follies, blunders and imbecilities of his
administration. We firmly believe that the
same popular attachment to the Union aud the
constitution, which, irrespective of old party
lines, TO great extent rallied the people to the
support of Gen. lor and Gen. Pierce, still
eXists, and may be concentrated upon some
other and more reliable Union ticket in 1856.
We admit that the national whig party is
broken up and abandoned-we confess that the
democracy Of the North have been demora allied,
divided aud defeated by the free soil spoils
policy Of Mr.. Pierce, and that they can never
be reunited except upon some new man and
some new platform; but at the same time we do
not agree with our Charleston extrG mist that
there ia nothing to be expected from this new
American party. On the contrary I'VE think
| it will yet prove itself reliable Union party,
safe and sound upon the slavery question,
and oil o her issues We presume that all rea-
sonahle men in the South will be content with
the doctrine of non Intervention in their domes-
tic affairs we understand this to be the ma
tonal programme Of the Know Nothiugs. It
the South can have 10 confidence in such q
platform, then, indeed the day for national
party has gone by and the approaching Presi-
Dental contest must be between sectional par
ties and factions divided by Mason & Dixon's
| line. II it has come to this, secession as.
sumes palpable shape, and the dreaded con-
tingencies of disunion rise before us in the bold
| relief Of thunder clouds overshadowing the
| setting sun.
| That the crisis before US is full of peril, is
evident to all ey es-- that the South have reason
| to feel anxious and sensitive concerning their
future safety in the Union, cannot be denied.
| But we do deny that all the conservatism of
| the North has been absorbed by this new cru.
| SADIE of the anti-s]avery societies. We MAIN
| tain that there is leaven sufficient in the Know
| Nothing camp, and among the people, :" to lea
ven the whole lumpXto purify the govern
ment, TO vanquish all seditious factions North
and South, and to restore the ancient harmony
! between the two sections.
| 1t was the Dying declaration of John @. CAL
houn that there could be no peace with the
| North and no safety to the South without a
balance or equilibrium of power to the weaker
section In at least one branch Of the federal
Legislature. Mr. Calhoun was right. The
great difficulty to the admission Of California
was that it destroyed this equilibrium Of power
in the Senate, and gave the preponderance to
the North Now, IS it Is manifest that there
can be 10 security to the South if this Northern
balance of power in the Senate be further in
creased, it becomes q matter of necessity that
hereafter, on the admission OF another State TO
| the North there shall be another added to the
South. Hence the importance of this Kansas
Nebraska controversy in its faal settlement,
to the South and to tie peace Of the Union.
In view Of future policy of this character,
We think there are Union principles and mase.
rails sufficient in this new American organize
ton to pave the way for its accomplishment.
But, if il be true that there is no party ia the