The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-02-18

very promising man. MI. OIey Onero0 ros0-
luton not to make any nomin Ation. II was
the purpose Of Mr.. Clay to break up the caucus
sy stem and secure the selection Of unpledged
Presidential electors by each State; but the
caucus decided to make nomination, and Mr..
Monroe was the nominee over Mr.. Crawford,
who received sixteen out Of nineteen votes Of
the State of New York, while Pennsylvania
voted thirteen for Mr.. Monroe to five for Mr..
Crawford.
Thus having first secured Mr.. Madison by
bonds of personal interest, and subsequently,
Mr.. Monroe by like tenure, the power of the
caucuswas regarded as cafe, and its inaugura-
ton as permanent element in American poll
tics secured. It was a new institution, en-
bracing all the active politicians who, besides
the advantage OF vast reduction Of numbers
in fixing the precedence and promotion of in
diyidnals, thus secured the absolute control of
executive appointments 1t is easy to see that
the politicians became the actual constituents
Of the Executive. They nominated him, and
he was indebted to them for his position.
Strictly speaking, the President was bound to
regard them as the rightful controllers Of the
patronage of his administration.
From this point of view we are enabled to
see the origin of Congressional interference
with and control of the public Offices and Of
their absorption, to great extent, by men,
bers of the two houses. The election of Mr..
Monroe produced peculiar calm in all our
political waters. The war had just ter mi
mated, a new impetus had been given to every
branch of industry, men readily found employ
ment, and for eight years Of his administra-
ton there was little active political effort in
the country. Meanwhile, the Congressional
caucus had been bitterly assailed, and had fall
en- into general disrepute. But it was not easy
to eradicate an evil which had borne such
fruits to the thousand politicians of the coun-
try; go in the place of the Congressional eau
Gus, State and national conventions were sub
stituted in 1924, and delegates chosen to the
latter, purporting to derive their authority di-
rect from the people.
1t ia manifest, if we consult the history of
this new phase Of political management, that
twas simply jumping from the frying pan in
to the fire. The conventions, as organized,
were no Improvement upon the old caucus sys-
tenn. It was only making delegates by the au-
thority that intrigued members of Congress
into nomination, instead Of comforting the
power directly upon the members of both
houses. 1t is thus seen to be, in fact, even
more remote from the people, and without Sc
curing any thing like the responsibility and
character that attached to the old system.
There was undoubtedly certain degree Of re-
spectability and credit in meeting of the re-
representatives. Of the people--certainly more
than in promiscuous assemblage of delegates
selected by State conventions. In either case
troll the people in the election of their highest
officers. AS an example of this, we may refer
to the nomination of Franklin Pierce, who was
little known to the country, and who was made
President wholly by the machinery of party.
1t is thus seen that all the prominent fac
tions have adopted the convention system as
medium for selecting their candidates for Pre-
sident and Vice President. 1t would be Gu
rious work to trace out the demoralizat alton of
American politics from 1908 to the presen!
day, and find that the machinery of conven-
tions was the chief cause of the decline of our
political morality; and yet it is doubtless so.
One of it's most obvious effects is seen in club
bing together all ovor tho country a corps of
leading politicians, who undertake to carry up
public opinion from town to county, from coun-
ty to State, and from State to national conven-
tions. 1t is the most perfectly drilled body Of
men in the Union, and although there are
many who are deceived and cheated, the re-
wards are definitely assigned according to the
service performed. So perfect was this work
arranged by Mr.. Van Buren,, and SO accurate
were all the details fixed, that it was said Mr..
Flagg, the present City Comptroller, could
give You the name of every man who would
vote the democratic ticket in each town and
school district of the State, and point out the
rewards to be distributed, and the recipients,
IN case of success in the elections. Such have
been the failures, the short comings, the frauds
the debasement of all classes, growing out of
past caucuses and conventions, and such the
disgust of the public at their fruits, as to
leave but little room to doubt that the year
1856 viii close the whole system. and place it
amongst the fossils Of American politics.
One OF MARcY's DIPLOMATIC FEATs-We
publish elsewhere copy of q treaty of CON-
MERGE and amity, drawn up by Mr.. Wheeler,
our Minister at Granada, and signed by the
legitimist government Of Nicaragua. The
treaty bears date June, 1865, and was sigued
before Walker arrived ia the country he hay
ing reached Realejo late in that month
The history of this treaty iz very simple. As
our relations with Nicaragua were daily grow
ing more delicate and intimate, Mr.. Marcy
sent AIr, Wheeler to Granada to make a treaty
The legitimist party then held Granada, and
Mr. Wheeler recognised their government The
treaty was done between Mr. Wheeler aud the
legitmist commissioners, whose names arc
affixed to it. When Walker surprised and cap
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