The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-09-07

rial Of society the mass of the people Of both
&c ctions have patriotism enough and common
,ense enough TO avoid and deprecate everything
tending to civil dscord. 1t isnot the people who
are to be blamed. 1t is our corrupt, rotten, i'm
beetle administration. 1t is Franklin Pierce
with his unsteady and pmposeless backing and
fling, advancing and retiring, appointing a
Governor one day and superseding him the
next issuing one sett of instructions to officers
now and anon issuing an opposite set
1t is he who is to be blamed and Jefferson
Davis with his steady, malicious, unchangng
idea in view--the making slave State Of Kan
sas. The one had not the resOluteness to prevent
civil war. With the other the motto was, Kan
sas slave State, or the Union shattered to
pieces" What deep, damning execration do not
both deserve, and will not both recevel Until
this administration be hurled out of power, ii is
impossible to say where all this may end.
But not only must power be taken out Of the
hands of those who have SO disastrously misused
it, but it must not be suffered to fall into the
hands of those who are pledged, by their adhesion
to the Cincinnati platform, to pursue the same
course ofpolicy. The Kansas question has become
the great, the absorbing question on which the
Presidential election turns. Mr.. Buchanan is the
representative of the system which, in the effort to
fasten slavery on that Territory Vi e. aymis has
placed one section Of the republic in antagonisIn
to the other, and has inaugurated civil war OF
the most menacing character. Mr. Fremont is the
representative of the opposite idea-the idea
which would protect the citizens of every portion
of the Union in the exercise Of their inalienable
rights. Between these opposing ideas and their
champions lies the contest. Mr.. Fillmore is
nonentity, and his party but the ghost Of an alb
surd chimera. He OF it need not be taken into
consideration at all. The only effect they can
have is to weaken Buchanan. Between Buchanan
and Fremont-between the lawlessness which
would crush out civil liberty and the firm rule
which would protect 1.-THE people of this repub-
lie are now called on to choose.
In the meantime let the wise men and good
of the whole country frown down every attempt to
engage them in this mad sectional struggle. Let
their motto be, The Union Of these States-now
and for ever-one and inseparable.''
TAKING GREAT MEMS LIVES BY New Pro
cEss.-During the past two or three months we
have seen two or three lives Of Fillmore one or
two of Buchanan, and six or seven biographies
of Colonel Fremont. The books about Buchanan
and Fillmore are dull harmless, sleepy affairs
they will do nobody any good nor harm, for that
matter, except that the poor booksellers and
printers who have got them up on speculation,
will find themselves injured. The so-called lives
of Fremont. with one exception, are execrable
they are beyond example the most atrocious at
tempts at murder that we have ever seen in the
way of biography. There has been one written
by Mr.. Bigelow, and another by Mr.. Upham
We have looked into these volumes, and really
cannot conceive that it would be possible to pro-
duce anything more calculated to injure and
weaken the candidate. Bigelow dives into the
most absurd and ridiculous researches, raking
and scraping up all sorts Of private matters, APP
rarently for the purpose Of giving material to
the enemy for the very events upon which
lave been based at least one-half the personal
assaults which have been directed against Colo
Ell Fremont, have been first given in this book.
Blockheads should never be politicians, particu-
arly among an intelligent, thinking people like
hose Of this country.
The only life Of Fremont that was necessary
was issued in small pamphlet of twenty or
thirty pages The history of Fremont for the
past fifteen years is portion of the history Of the
country, and there was no necessity Of digging
into the remote past as Master Bigelow has done.
poking away after every ridiculous event that
may have taken place in his childhood,
as If mining for fossils or excavating for the
most salient points in the private life of an
Egyptian mummy. If Colonel Fremont be elect
ed-and he probably viii bet will be in spite
Of the harm done him by his foolish biographers
and because the great lineamcnts Of his history
are wildly impressed upon the history Of the
country. His private affairs are Of not the slight
est importance to the country; neither are bis
private religious views. His public career Is
found in the history Of his country. The people
are familiar with it; and from II they have
learned that be has the vigor, ability, energy.
talent and honesty to iii the Office for which he
has been nominated. That IL sufficient TO make
him safe in the position he has assumed before
the people Beyond that, his biographers have
acted like simpletons. They have been merely
purveyors OF scandal for the miserable defamers
Of the opposition, headed by the Brothers Brooks.
Of this city. Colonel Fremont is the representa-
tive Of the great national principle Of popular
sovcrcgnty-that the people shall determine their
own institutions, without military intervention
On that principle he has taken the field, and on
the endorsement Of that by the people alone de
ponds the result.
The GRFAT PEABODY REcEPrIov.-The pro-
jccted reception TO I've given to George Peabody,
the famous American banker, is not only making
wonderful excitement in this magnificent metro
nolis hut IL also awakening the most energetic