Washington sentinel., 1856-03-29

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| National Convention at Baltimore in 1852.
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EsE- We clip the following from the New
York Herald, and cannot too highly commend
its just criticism upon the action of some of
the States in bringing forward favorite sons for
the high office of President, who if known at
all beyond the limits of the State, are known
only for mediocrity and absence of any quail
fication for the position. When such nomina-
tions receive no echo from beyond the border
of the State that made it, as is always the
case, the State must feel humiiated, and the
iavorite son be anxious to hide himself from the
public gaze When will such petty trifing
with the great Democratic party cease:
After the nomination and election of General
Pierce, it is difficult to see who is not qualified
for the Presidency. That was "levelng
process or, rather, it was Marat's scythe Of
equality doing its work with fatal vengeance
1t cut off the heads of Cass and Buchanan
and left those statesmen with proportions even
below those of General Franklin Pierce Ex-
perience, it seems, is of little value, and the
| game is to be played over again on scale
even more elaborate than in 1852.
| Everywhere, easier than in politics, may re-
medies be applied TO obvious evils In the
social and religious world, the public mind is
vigilant in the detection of errors, and active
in their removal. In the United States we
seem to have started with the idea of having o
perfect machine-a kind of perpetual motion
indestructible and selfsustaining. We have
not advanced peg since the Revolution, in
| the theory OF free Government while 1t is OBJ.
vious we have retrograded in purity of Ad.
ministration, in love of country, and generally
in political morality.
Much of what is evil in our system has grown
out of the caucus and convention cabals, by
which, in fact, the country is governed. The
most serious and alarming retrograde we have
made is seen in the presentation by States of
their small men for the high Office OF President
Of the United States. Talent, patriotism and
distinguished service having been exchanged
for ayailability-having been prescribed as
useless material in the hands of our political
machiniSts-the ranks Of those who may aspire
to the Presidency have been correspondingly
enlarged. Indeed, it is easier to find and
count the men who do not deem themselves
qualified, aud enter claims for the executive
functions, than those who do.
But there are, also, with the main chance,
collateral advantages resulting from the formal
presentation of State Presidential asprants Ii
| fills the list with persons thus made prominent,
and each of these, in the event of a triumph OF
the party, becomes peculiar and authoritative
exponent Of the wishes aud opinions Of the
politicians Of his State Ii is to be expected,
too, that unusual consideration will be paid by
the successful man 10 the wishes Of his rival in
the convention. In many instances the latter
is the only consideration moving the State to
put forward its man.
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and debauch our elective system and 10 reward
political gamblers and their false pretensions,
none will question. il is the soul Of the whole
doctrine Of avaiabilty-a consequence Of de.
parting from the rules Of honesty in the selec-
tion Lf persons to gil the highest Offices in the
nation. The veriest dolt in the country may
be made available in moments Of excitement,
under the tread-mill operation Of the conven-
tion. Availability is trick which, like the
prophet, is not without honor, save in its own
neighborhood. il is said that the public mind
in the United States is always accessible, always
open 10 conviction, always wise in its iudg.
menis. Ii is neither. 1t is nearly closed in
the canvass, aud at such times It's judgments
are practically without either wisdom or value.
For instance, the Democracy have called a
convention at Cincinnati There will be col
lected at that point, on the first Of June, a
thousand or more politicians, almost every one
Of whom will have some axe OF his own to
grind Meanwhile, those very men will have,
or perhaps have already, presented a half
dozen or more Of their small local politicians
as candidates for the honor Of a nomination
These various cliques holding special control
over the delegates, will have the power, when
combined, to name the candidate; and they
will combine precisely when they shall have so
arranged the whole matter as to secure TO
themselves the absolute dispensation Of execu-
\ tive patronage. And this is called the action
and the choice Of the people,
! Mr.. Buchanan, Mr.. Cass, Mr. Douglas Mr..
/ Hunter, and perhaps Mr.. Pierce, will be prom.
inent before that convention. Will the selec-
ton be made with view to the qualifications
OF these persons for the station Of PRESIDENT
Will experience, patriotism, long and faithful
service, eminent fitness, high character, and
unauestioned fidelity to the Constitution and
the Union, determine the choice7 Will the
peace and harmony Of the country be consult
ed? Will the little knot Of politcions who
control State delegations forego their power to
bargain man into a nomination and them.
selves and their friends into Officer If so, for
once at least, the convention system will have
accomplished that which the people would al |
ways accomplish If left to themselves.
The most fatal power now to be seen in the |
present plan Of conventions, is in the local |
State cabals. Men are by them thrust forward |
as special instruments-boasted up to the dig |
nifty, in fact, Of Presidential candidates. who |
have not shadow Of reputation, and who are
known only in their States as tools Of design
ing men. They may be Senator'S, Ministers
abroad, or members Of Congress, but such dis.
tnctions, in these times, rather show the poll
tician than the statesman.