The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-12-08

THE VIRGINIA EEcTORs AND THEIR LATE Ex-
IRA SPons PRoCEEDNGs.-We published yester-
day despatch from Washington giving US the
Electoral College Of Virginia, in recommending
ex Governor Floyd to Mr.. Buchanan for place
in the new Cabinet. We have since received
fuller explanation Of the trick. There are two
sets of democratic leaders in Virginia, as in
some other States The first may be called the
old Bourbons represented by Senator Hunter,
Extra Billy" Smith, and most of the others of
Faulkner. The other set may be called the Bo-
napartes, Of which Gov. Wise is the Napoleon, and
the Richmond Junta are his marshals, Governor
Floyd being pet favorite, conquered from the
chiefs Of the other side within the last twelve
months Everybody knows that when Mr.. Blu
chanan goes to Washington the first delegation
that will call upon him will be the Virginians.
They will claim this precedence as their right.
1t is to be supposed too, that, there being no OBJ
iections put in, Mr.. Buchanan will be apt to lis
ten 10 their cabinet suggestions and adopt theif
cabinet man. Governor Wise has, therefore,
proved himself sort of Napoleon Oh small
scale, in his coup dttat Of the Electoral College.
Floyd was his man, because Floyd was himself
one of the College. Thus the Bourbon set in
Congress have been anticipated and the chances
are as ten to one that Wise will win.
In general view this coup d'et is a striking
illustration Of the spOls proclivities of the mo-
dern Virginia democracy. During the campaign
they threatened most furiously to break up tn"
Union, to raise grand army for the conquest OF
WashiDg ton, to rob the treasury, and steal the
public archives, if Fremont should be elected
and they should be cheated out Of the spols. The
South Carolina freeateIs pursued similar
course of threats in the event Of Fremont's
election. But there is something at least to adj
mire in the chivalry and consistency OF the South
Carolina disunionisis. Spells or no spoils, they
still proclaim disunion as their great ultimatuw.
Upon this abstraction they fight with the faith OF
believers and with the consistency Of fanatics.
But our modern Virginians, as disunionists, are
mere scare crows-regular Peter Funks aud
mock auctioneers. Marcy's fundamental idea is
tbers-the spoils, the spoils- anything everything
for the spois- Hence their late fuss aud fury OF
dsunion has subsidized into soothing appeals to the
South Carolinians to be calm, to be considerable
10 remember that it is only good behavior now
th at can secure the spoils.
Governor Wise is the proper chief Of these
Virginia spoilsmen. His whole family, if we mis-
take not, have been for good many years sup
ported out Of the public treasury. Now he has
a special political family to look after, of his own
peculiar ret. In addition to Ex-Governor Floyd,
Tor the first cuts of the roast pig there are the two
editors OF the Richmond Enquirer, each Of whom
considers his disunion services as worth the mis-
sion to France, Madrid, Vienna or Constantine
pie. The smaller fry Of this family will proba-
bly, require the establishment Of new executive
department, and the creation Of a new batch of
clerkships to accommodate them. What pity
If the part OF Hunter or Faulkner under Mr.. Bu-
chanan should be the role which Daniel S. Dickin-
son las played in New York under poor
Pierce.
We must look after these Virginia democrats.
They can't all expect to get everything; but, hit
or Mrs. there must be no rebels am eng them.