Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-02-16

Editorial Correspondence Of the New York Tsibune.
W. ~ OF


WASHINGTON, Friday, Feb.s, 1856
A President of the United States for the en-
suing four years is to be chosen within nine
months ensuing and inaugurated within eleven !;
yet, outside of the narrow thongl, active and
influential circle of office-seekers, the subject
has as vet attracted but slight and languid at
tentiom hail this as an evidence that the
People are disposed to shorten the duration of
our auadrennial contests for President, wherein
/ think they evince good taste and good sense
One of Father Merriam's heated terms seldom
outlasts a week. and we are all tired enough
of it before it lets 90 of us why, then, should
we wantonly affliet ourselves with a Presiden-'
tial heat of six or eight months duration -
The waste of time, the damage to good hab-
its, the distraction of the popular mind from
more sautary themes, are deplorably obvious !;
and why could we not as well finish the eau
fass in two months as in tea / heartily wish
it were forbidden to nominate candidate for
the Presidency until after the 4th of July, or
to make a stump speech i'm behalf of one until
after haying and wheat-harvest. According
ly, if were any sort of O Known othing--
even of the bogus Ohoetaw stripe--I should
side with that section which wants the Grand
Council at Philadelphia to adjourn over Oh the
22d without making nomination. 1t is no
time now to open Presidential canvass
How can You expect to get up the steam with
fresh recollection of the mercury below zero
for days together? Better put the nomina-
tion over to May, at the earliest.
We hear good deal from New York of
George Law as candidate for the Know
Nothing nomination but if he have friends
Iar tbaxy GILL Mr. ElIImNra
would seem to be the favorite, though Messrs
Clayton, Crittcndcn, Bolts, VIM. r. Smith and
l.. d. Campbell have been suggested. But
Mr. Campbell is a Free-Soiler, and so stands
no shadow of chance No man has look
for the " National American nomination who
is not docile to all the exactions of Slavery
And so that the men be of the required stamp,
] think the platform on which they are mount
ed will be made as vague and inoffensiye as
possible At least, such is the tendency now
uppermost here. The wiser leaders will spare
no effort, grudge no condescenSion to avoid the
disaster of a bolt And yet it is possible that
the counsels of Southern Hotspurs may over
rule them.
As TO the Democratic National Conven-
ton at Cincinnati in May, it is plain that Gen
Pierce is as yet the leading candidate for its
Presidential nomination. Throwing New York
out of the account, think be has up to this
time as many Delegates elected as all his ri
vals lie is likely to have q decided majority
of delegates from the Slave States, though
Tennessee is reported against him and as the
Soft Shell Delegation from our State will
doubtless agree to 60 for him or for anybody
else who can secure their admission in prefer
ence to the Hards, / think an arrangement can
be made by which they shall be Admitted
and he nominated Still, the chances all run
against an incumbent, and especially one Of
whom the country is weary, and shall believe
in his denomination when reliably assured that
it has been effected Should the Hard Dele
cation from our State be admitted, Gen. Pierce's
prospects would be suddenly and deeply OBJ
scurcd, as New York's thirty five votes would
then count against him and for Dickinson,
while PENNSYLVANIA goes solid for Buchanan
and Ohio is scattered, but said to be princi-
pally for Douglas suspect MIR. Pierce's re-
nomination hinges on the contested claims to
represent New-York
As to the Republican conference at Pitts
burgh on the 22d inst, believe none expect
a nomination from it, and | do not perceive
the necessity of sending to it large and full
delegations from the various States. To form
the nucleus of National Organization, and
fix on the time and manner of concentrating
and declaring the choice Of the party for Pres
ident and Vice-Prcsident are objects which
thirty men could deal with as safely and wise
y as five hundred. presume many more dele
gates have been chosen from some States than
will attend at
AS to Republican candidates have heard
the names of Cows Chase and Seward, Mr.
Banks and Col. Fremont suggested in this con-
ncction, but none of them in such manner as to
indicate partisonshp or personal DEVOTION
Not until after the debates Oh Kansas which
are soon to convulse both houses, shall VIC be
ready even to guess who ought to be support
cd for President next Autumn No one as
pires to the nomination, but trust no one up
on whom it naturally devolves will feel at IL
herty to decline it Should events in Kansas
take the course which now seems probable, the
Republican candidates, if wisely chosen, will
nearly or quite sweep the Free States next No
vember Let u.s. then, calmly and vigiantly
watch the progress of affairs, guarding alike
against despondency and overwcening conf
dence III. g.
SHOOTING AFFRAY-On last Saturday night
a shooting affray occurred at the Key Stone
House, in Lancaster, Pa, which has caused
considerable excitement. Geo. W. M'Elroy,
Esq, his wife, and stepson, named Edison NJ