The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-02-18
Opening Of tho Presidential Campaign
CSrcuses, Conventions, Cabals, Intrigues
and Oifliciuus.


The National Council Of Know Nothings
will assemble today at Philadelphia This
will be The first meeting after the proceedings
in Congress where the members of the Order
proved their ability utterly to disagree, but
exhibited no signs of being able to stand upon
a basis broader than that occupied by the
abolitionists themselves. 1t will now be de-
volved upon the Council to determine whether
their party shall hold national convention
at Philadelphia, on the ed instant, to nomi
nate candidates for President and Vice-Presi-
dent Of the United States. 1t must be con-
tessed, in view of the radical divisions of the
Order, as exhibited in Congress on the vote for
Speaker, that there is necessity for national
deliberations; and this necessity is at once 50
urgent and SO immediate as to leave no room
to question the propriety Of the meeting de-
signated for the 22d instant, as fair discus
sion will exhibit the utter futility of all con-
ventions of the kind, their fraudulent tenden-
cies and demoralizing effects.
The republicans negro worshippers) hold
their convention at Pittsburg on the same day.
They, too, facitiously call it national conven-
ton, though it is based upon schemes avowed-
ly sectional, excluding fifteen States of the
Unionfrom the body, and representing only
miserable troublesome minority of the balance.
The democracy meet in national convention
on the I'd of June. In view of these prelimi.
nary man9uvres it is we'll to recur to the con-
vention and caucus systems.
On the 23d of February, $685. under the call
of the Hon. Stephen R. Bradley, q democratic
Senator Of the United States from Vermont,
caucus, composed Of the republican members of
both Houses Of Congress, was held in the city
of Washington, for the purpose of nominating
candidates for President and Vice President.
This was the initiation Of what is now demo-
minated the convention system. Mr.. Bradley
assumed to act by virtue and sin pursuance of
powers vested I'M him. There were ninety
four members present-Mr. Madison receiving
the nomination over Mr.. Monroe, his principal
competitor. 1t was the peculiar friends of the
former who conceived the idea of thus present
ing him as the choice of the party. Mr. Mon.
roe's friends regarded the movement as alto
getber anti-republican in character, and calcu-
lated to subvert and to prostitute the true pub
lie opinion of the country. They were outsiders
at the time, and great efforts were made to
induce Mr.. Monroe to denonnce the caucus;
but it had been bitterly assailed by the sur
wing elements of federalism, and his denun-
citation would lead him into their ranks, and
compel him to share the odium which attached
to their political ideas. Mr.. Monroe had, there
FORE no alternative but to submit, and to fall
into the ranks of the democracy, which had
thus established an intermediate estate
between the constitution and the people.
1t was, therefore, unfortunate that, in the
initiation Of the caucus system in this coun.
try, the only solid means of resistance to its
usurpations was in the hands Of aspirants for
the Presidency. 1t gave to Congress, in fact
and not to the people, the power of selecting
the President. 1t aggregated into great CEN
trial. irresponsible and self constituted tribunal,
all the local machinery under which members
Of Congress had been elected; and transferred
from the people the actual power of selecting
their highest officer in the federal administra.
ton. 1t was natural enough that it should be
so; but it is uncomfortable how such system
it has borne to the country.
The next Congressional caucus was held in
1872 OF one hundred and thirty-th three demo.
cratic members, eighty-two attended this meet
ing. In this body Virginia had as many dele
gates as New York, Connecticut, Massachu-
sets, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Yer
mont Dewitt Clinton suffered his name to
appear before this caucus as candidate
against Mr.. Madison; and such was the
tyranny Of the men composing it that Mr..
Clinton was utterly prescribed as dem LA
tic politician, because he submitted bis name
to the consideration Of what was classed as q
deliberative body.
Perhaps in the whole history Of conventions
there is to be found no instance to compare at
all with the prescription of Mr. Clinton for
thus daring to thwart-not exactly that, but to
interfere at all-with the edict which had gone
forth from the leading politicians of the coaa-
try re.nominating Mr.. Madison. The caucus
itself is thus proven to have been mere forn
having no executive powers, and entitled by
the structure Of political affairs at the time to
70 earthly discretion in reference TO its nom
inees. Dis AJnroe was a Virginian, and it was
then e. .s has been ever since, that the Old Do
minion eontrived to preserve the moral eney-
ergies Of her leading men into compact
union. Here Mr.. Monroe declined to be q can.
didate in opposition to Mr.. Madison, not be-
cause ne approved the principles upon which
the latter was nominated but because he was
afraid to meet the penalties to result from Of
tending the caucus by which he, Mr.. NJ. was
placed in nomination-precsely those penal
ties that were visited go mercilessly upon De.
Witt Clinton.
In 1916 another Congressional caucus was
held. The republicans or democrats, had one
hundred and forty-one members, one hundred
and eighteen of whom united in the roeet;po