The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-05
The Presidential Question-The February
National American Council ut Philadelphia
-Decl.iye Action fts Manifest Policy.

The Presidential Question-The February
National American Council ut Philadelphia
| Decisive Action fts Manifest Policy.
On the 22d day of February the conserve
| tive American party are to hold their National
| Council ct Philadelphia, appointed for the
nomination of their ticket for the Presidency.
This assemblage yill therefore be an important
one, iRasmuch as }tis designed to lead off with
| the American nominees in the entries for the
sweepstakes of the great Derby day OF next
| November.
In this view, we publish this morning from
| On intelligent Know Nothing at Cincinnati al
earnest appeal for ticket at this Philadelphia
February Council, and in behalf of the selection
Of olive Oak George" as the man most availa.
BILE for the independent organization, policy
and purposes Of the American party. This
appeal will be specially interesting, and may
be particularly useful at this crisis to the dele
| gates appointed or to be appointed from the
different States to the Philadelphia Council, in
enabling them to give shape and consistency,
| nationality and unity to their transactions.
Leaving the letter to speak for itself,
and for the favorite candidate Of the writer,
We have simply few observations to make
touching the policy OF the American rty upon
the question of a nomination or no nomination
at this February National Council. Let it
here, however, be distinctly understood that
the New YORK HERALD, in this campaign, will
adhere TO tie uniform independent line Of ac-
tion. 1t has not been, is not now, and viii not
be hereafter, the policy of this journal to be
come The instrument of any man or any party;
but, of the several tickets which may be in the
field, that which We shall consider as best
adapted to meet the wishes of the solid Ameri-
can people, in upholding the constitution and
the Union, and in advancing the power, pros
perity and glory Of the republic, at home and
abroad, will be our ticket for the succession.
There are vide differences of opinion exist
ing among the leaders Of the American party
upon the question of nomination at this
February Council. The friends Of Live Oak
George" whose minds are made up that an
available man is the great desideratum, and
that platforms are hut :carecrows and hum
bugs, desire the nomination of their candidate
at once, because they believe he will at once
form the nucleus for the rapid reorganizatisn
stantial, tangible and living embodiment of
their principles. IN the extreme South, on the
other hand, the Know Nothing leaders and or
gans generally are opposed to a nomination in
February, and are for waiting the movements
Of the democrats and black republicans before
taking any decisive steps for the campaign, in
the hope that some div arsions, accidents, incl
dents and lucky chances may thus occur
which the third party may turn to good adj
vantage by stepping ii behind and cleaning
up the refuse Of the field We incline, how
ever, to the opinion that the true policy OF the
Know Nothings is to make their nomination
at this February Council, and to select man
whose history IS not compromised with the
corruptions the schemes, the disappointments
and pipclaying antecadents Of any branch of
either Of the old parties Of the country-such
e man, for example, as will be the representa-
tive, in himself, Of the new party, its new
prime iples and PLATFORM and its nationality
and consistency with fuch nomination.
The democrats Of Congress have proclaimed
the platform Of their party for 1856 The
party are rallyiDg together upon it through
out the country. The Seward abolition league
will meet in a sort Of informal general con-
vention at Pittsburg on the 22d Of February.
at which we presume, their plan of operations
will be sufficiently shaped out to bring
all the rags and tags and odds and
ends together, representing the impacable
abolition and free soil fanaticism OF the
North. in the meantime. the squabble in
Congress for the Speaker has drawn the line
OF demaIkatlon there between the three par
ties concerned, and has left the conservative
national Americans Of the House In a rrinori-
ty so small that unless something be done in
season to strengthen it, it may be FILTERED
away between democrats and black republ-
cans, together with the party it represents
throughout the country. To strengthen this
minority, then, in Congress, and to give their
partya nucleus upon which they may rally
and organize in all sections al distinct. he
mogeneous and Independent Presidential par
ty, We should say that popular candidate
from this February Council is the very best
thing that can be done.
But there will also be required some radical
amendments and excisions of rituals. and con
stitutions, and cercmonials at this February
Council, without which, as the Know Nothing
candidate, not even the personal popularity
Of Gen. Jackson would suffice to compass
the formidable task Of carrying the Prcsiden-
tial election Of next November Again, if the
forty or fifty thousand democrats in this State
who have joined the Order, or who have CO.
operated with II IL our State elections since
-. :. j. /. ...a--. :. w.. I'm Ia.HJ, !. !