The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-12-26
This Crisis nth the Democratic Party-The
Prospect (Ur 1850.

This Crisis nth the Democratic Party-The
Prospect f1r 1860.
The great and searching political revolution,
which was commenced with the administration
of poor Pierce, has at length reduced the demo
cratic party to the very verge of dissolution.
The once powerful whig party was wrecked and
broken to pieces among the shoals and reefs of
the slavery question; and the formidable Ameri-
can party, which grew up into an overshadowing
national organization as in the course of single
night, persisted under the blaze Of the slavery
excitement as suddenly as Jonah's gourd under
the beams Of the MONDAY sun. The democratic
party. in its turn, is now reduced to the same
ordeal, and from all the signs Of the times. it
must suffer the same fate OF a radical and de-
cisive disruption.
The test, indeed, between the pro-slavery
ideas Of the South and the anti-slavery senti-
ment of the North, was very severely applied in
the election of 1856 and neither the personal
popularity, nor the conservative antecedents of
Mr.. Buchanan. nor the accommodating conces-
sions of the Cincinnati platform, would have
saved him from crushing defeat but
for the Intervention of Willard Fill
more as an outside opposition candi-
date. Thus Mr.. Buchanan was elected
as General Taylor was elected and as Mr..
Polk was elected, by the balance of power
which the other side threw away upon third
candidate; but, Notwithstanding the respect
able vote polled in the North by Mr.. Fillmore,
so narrowly did Mr.. Buchanan escape defeat
and so overwhelming was the combined vote of
the opposition forces. in almost every Northern
State, that the general result could not fail to
convince every Northern democratic politician
that, from another such contest upon slavery
not vestige of his party would be left standing
north Of Maryland and the Ohio river.
This view of the subject throws flood of
light upon the late Kansas coup d'sta of Mr.
Senator Douglas We cannot satisfactorily &C.
count for it upon mere personal disappoint
ments in reference to the administration, nor in
reference to the ingratitude of the fre-eaters of
the Cincinnati Convention. Selfpreservation
is the first law of nature, and the main plank
in the platform of every politician and with
every aspirant for political honors, charity
begins at home Last autumn, in Illi-
nois, the democracy, upon their State
ticket, with Mr.. Richardson, House
Chairman on the Kansas Nebraska bill.)
as their candidate for Governor, were sig
nally defeated; and Mr. Buchanan would have
shared in this defeat, but that the opposition
which was united upon the Governor, was di-
vided upon the President. The Fillmore party
were under the delusion that they could carry
the Presidential issue into Congress, If they
could prevent the election of Fremont by the
people; and hence the Know Nothing managers
cheerfully assisted in making an opening for
Mr.. Buchanan in New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Indiana and Illinois. The united opposition
could have. carried all these States, under the
tremendous pressure of theKansas excitement:
and Of this fact Mr.. Douglas and his Northern
democratic supporters and organs are fully
aware.
Hence, the first law of selfpreservation has
admonished Mr.. Douglas that he has gone as
far in his slavery concessions to the South as
he can possibly go, and that if he would save
himself at home he must take the back track
This is the solution Of his case, and all the
other considerations involved in it are subsi-
diary to this. From this point, then, let us
cast our horoscope for the future. We take il
for granted that Kansas must he admitted
rs free State: the passage through
the popular branch Of Congress of the Lecomp.
ton or any other State constitution as a slave
State charter, is out of the question. Assuming
that with the admission Of Kansas a. a free
State all Presidential relations between the
Southern fre-eaters and Northern democracy
will cease, and that from this point the party
will be divided into Northern and a Southern.
an ultra pro.slavery and an anti-slaveyy party,
what next
The Northern democracy will have their Prcsi-
Dental candidate; the Northern republicans will
have theirs: and the Southern democracy will not
only have their sectional candidate par excellence,
but they will most probably take good care to give
him Southern platform which will secure him
the solid vote Of the South. On the other hand
in the new departure, on the anti.slavcry tack.
Of the Northern democracy. they may divide
the Northern vote so as to defeat an election by
the people In this event the election will 90
into the House, where, under the rule, which
gives TO every State one vote and to each State
only one vote-New York or Florida-the South
will be able to elect their man, or to dictate the
terms of the election.
In the meantime we perceive that our South
ern propaganda OF Southern institutions are
actively turning their attention from Kan
sas, which is lost, to Mexico, Cuba, and Cen
trail America, which may be saved and abb
sorbed. There IL something In this con
nection most strikingly suggestive, in the appa-
rent ease with which Gen Walker in the South
mustered, armed, equipped, and sailed upon bis
late expedition to Nicaragua. Here in the
North We imagined he was upon FOOLS errand;
but our incredulity is at length removed. His
wonderful success in the South, in the collection
Of men and munitions, under the pressure Of
tb;e snano;al or;e;s Indicates vorv forc;blv tba