New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-02-11
FROM FLASHING TON.
PRPSIDENT-MAK1NG.
,ondence of The N. Y. Tribune.


WASHINGTON, Friday Feb. :, 800.
A President Of the United States for the ensuing
four wears is 10 be chosen within nine months ehsu'
inc and inaugurated within eleven; yet, OUTSIDE oil
.he ,o,ro,v though active and influential circle OF
o;ce.seekers the subject has as yet attracted but
.Iiobt and langid attention. hail this as an evl'
dence that the People are disposed to shorten the
duration of our auadrennial contests for President,
wherein think they eyince good taste ana good
sense. One Of Father Merriam's " heated terms
seldom outlasts week, and we are all tired enough
of il before il lets go Of u.s. why, then, should we
yantony afilict ourselves with Presidential heat
Of six or eight months duration The waste OF
time. the damage to good habits the distraction OF
the popuar mind from more salutary themes, are
deplorably obvious; and why could we not as well
finish the canvass in two months as IN ten
heartily wish II were forbidden to nominate can
didate for the Presidency until after the 4th OF
July, or to make stump speech IN behalf OF one
until after having and wheat-harvest. Accord
inolv if were any sort of a Know Nothing-eyen
of the bogus Choctaw stripe-l should side with
that section which wants the Grand Council at
Philadelphia to adjourn over on the 22d without
making nomination. 1t is no time now to open
Presidential canvass How can you expect TO get
I'm the steam with fresh recollection of the mer-
cury below zero for days together Better put
the nomination over to May at the earliest.
We hear a good deal from New-York of George
Law as candidate for the Know-Nothlng nonllna-
ton; but if he have friends here they are very
still ones. Mr.. Fillmore would seem to be the
favorite, though Messrs. Clayton, Crittenden,
Bolts. Wm. r. Smith and L. D. Campbell have
been suggested But Mr.. Campbell is 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 ofthe required
stamp think the platform on which they are
mounted will be made as vague and lnOitenslve as
possible at least such is the tendency now upper
most here The wiser leaders will spare no effort,
orudge no condescenson to avoid the disaster of a
bolt And yet it is possible that the counsels OF
Southern Hotspurs may Oyerrule them.
As 70 the Democratic National Convention at
Cincinnati in May, it is Slain that Gen. Pierce is
as yet the leading candidate for its Presidential
nomination. Throwing New-York out Of the ac-
count, think he has up to this time as many Del
egates elected as oil his rivals. He is likely to
have 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 go for him or for anybody
else who can secure their admission in preference
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 re-
ably assured that it has been effected. Should the
Hard Delegation from our State be admitted, Gen.
Pierce's prospects would be suddenly and deeply
obscured, as New-York's thirty-fye votes would
then count against him and for Dickinson, while
Pennsylvania goes solid for Buchanan and Ohio is
scattered, but said to be principally for Douglas.
suspect Mr.. Pierce's denomination hinges on the
contested claims to represent New-York.
As to the Republican conference at Pittsburgh on
the 22d inst, believe none expect nomination
from it, and do not perceive the necessity of send
ing to it large and foil delegations from the various
States. To form the nucleus of National Organ
izaton, and fix on the time and manner Of con.
centrang and declaring the choice of the party for
President and Yice-President, are objects which
thirty men could deal with as safely and wise
ly as FIVE hundred. presume many more delegates
have been chosen from some States than will at
tend
As to Republican candidates have heard the
names of Cows. Chase and Seward, Mr.. Banks and
Col. Fremont suggested in this connection, but
none Of them in such manner as to indicate parti-
sansbip or personal devotion. Not until after the
debates on Kansas, which are soon to cOnvulse
both houses, shall we be ready even to guess
who ought to be supported for President next Au-
tumn. No one aspires to the nomination, but
l trust no one upon whom it naturally deyolves
will feel at liberty 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 us, then, calmly and vgilantly
watch the progress Of affairs, guarding alike against
dependency and oyerweening confidence. II. G.
STFA MSHIPS AND OCEAN MAILS,