The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-02-05

The NORTHERN NATIONAL Know N0THNGS ON
THE EPEkKERsHIP-A xosr LAxENrABLx Coll
APsE.-For nine weeks we had lsbored under
the idea that the Fuller party Of Congress-
Northern and Southern members, were national
men, all Of them sound national men; but
this was mistake. We had supposed, from
the first week in December to the first week In
February, that these Fuller men were SO rigid
ly opposed to Mr.. Banks, upon principle, that
they would accept any reasonable compromise
from the democrats, in order to defeat the cleo
ton of the candidate of Seward, Giddings,
Weed and Greeley-but this was delusion.
The nationality of these Fuller men was limit
ed to Fuller and to the North. They lacked
the moral courage to cross, at q venture,
over Mason and Dixon's line, and az far down
as South Carolina, with their boosted nation
atty. Theirs 10 the responsibility for keeping
the House disorganized for nine weeks, and for
the election Of Banks ct last, with the alterna-
tive Of his defeat in their banda
When the democrats set aside their frst candi-
date-Mr. Richardson-andn nominated Mr.. Orr,
the complaint of these national Fuller Know
Nothings was that Mr.. Orr stood upon those
obnoxious alien features of the Nebr aska BILL
which are wholly out Of the question with the
American party, and consequently they could
not support him. There was some consistency in
this objection, and we spoke of it accordingly
at the time. But when the democrats, with or
without the consent of Mr.. President Perceive
care not which-dropped Mr.. Orr, dropped the
administration, dropped the Nebraska bill, and
laid aside all mere questions of party in taking
up Mr.. Aiken of South Carolina, man as near
to absolute neutrality between national demo-
Gratis and national Know Nothings as any man
in the House, and an anti-administration man,
to boot the last excuse on the part of the
Fuller men for the election Of Banks was taken
away.
While the clerk was calling the final vote on
Saturday, Mr.. A. K. Marshall of Kentucky,
(supposing it all right congratulated his
American friends, saying "they had fought .
good fight and had conquered There was no
democratic candidate in the field with An often
sive platform. Performing his duty as q
patriot, not as q partizan, he voted for Mr..
Aiken" We are not, therefore, surprised at
the chagrin of Mr.. Marshall, on the announce.
ment of the election Of Mr.. Banks. The six
Fuller men, including Thomas R. Whitney Of
New York and Jacob Broome of Pennsylvania,
who stuck to Fuller, when their votes for Mr.
Aiken would have defeated Banks, are respon-
ible for the result.
And what is the result to the American par
ty? It is a definite Congressional division Of
it into two hostile sectional factions. Not q
solitary Northern Know Nothing voted for
Aiken-not one. Thus the vote which elected
the Speaker discloses to the "South Ameri
cans" 30 called, the lamentable truth that in
Congress, at least, their nationality as party
is limited to the south side Of Mason j. Dix.
on'a line and the Ohio river; and that their
Northern brethren, even of q national type,
incline to fraternize rather with Giddings of
Ohio than with the Marshals of Kentucky.
The question which next recurs is, how is
this condition Of things to be mended at the
Philadelphis National Councils of the 18th
and 22d of February The work there to be
done is the practical reorganization of the
American party throughout the Union, or it's
ormal dissolution among the sectional and
local factions and loose materials Of the coun-
try. The result Of the late struggle at Wash
ington admonishes us to prepare for the latter
alternative. They may, perhaps do better.
They cannot do worse. We shall see.