The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-12-03
Mr.. Crtttsnden the Preside ntial Question
Seward, Douglas and General Scott.

General mmittee OF this city the other even
ing, in announcing the mischievous consequences
of the slavery agitation, thus freely delivered
himself concerning the rotten party organiza-
tons Of the day. and their corrupting caucus and
convention machinery, TO wit
think that but for the discussions of parties the people
themselves would recty the grievances. Our govern
ment is founded upon tho supposed intelligence and caa
city Of the people for self government, and believe
fully, but such has been the OF events that but
little of this liberty is left TO the people From what Is
called Organization that is, 10 make mighty machine
by haoh great multitude Of the people % be controlled
and mo orthree are 10 mann9e me Interchangeable peoples
roce is mot beard think there should b. end to all th,
,besc icb' , - hs d so fails
to the ground believe gentlemen, that the old wings
could do nothing better than 10 propagate that sentiment
az believe the hearts and minds Of the people arc the
source Of all political truth.
The identical views we have been urging upon
the Independent people of all parties for some
time past. So completely have the people been
subjected to this miserable despotisn of party
machinery, that at this day two years in ad-
vance of the next Presidential election, we find
that many Of our leading party managers and OF
gans- democratic and opposition virtual
ly decided upon the caucus and convention no
limitations which are to exclude all others from
the contest.
OF the two dozen republican, de-
mocratc, American, Northern men, Southern
men, slavery and anti-slavery sectional and con-
servative-that are known to be in the field for
the next Presidency, the political accidents and
issues Of the slavery agitation have placed W. II.
Seward and S. A. Douglas in the most con-
spicuous postion-the former as the great anti
slavery champion of the republican party, and
the latter as the victorious leader of the Illinois
democracy On the one side. we are told that
the election of Mr.. Morgan az Governor Of New
York upon the platform Of Stewards Rochester
manifesto, is tantamount TO positive declaration
of the republican party in his favor, as their
standard bearer for 1860; and on the other side,
the accidental election Of a Douglas Legislature
in Illinois upon his ricketty hobby Of popular
sovereignty is accepted by his followers as al
most equivalent to his nomination by the
Charleston Democratic Convention. And while
the partisans OF Douglas will not recognise the
probability of any other man than Seward as the
republican candidate the devoted organs q
Seward seem to be equally confident that
Douglas will be their inevitable democratic
competitor.
Thus in the harmonious rejoicings OF the
newspaper organs, politicians and party mana
gers of both sides, the claims of all other candi
dates, of every party, are completely cas-, in the
shade by the paramount claims, respectively, Of
Seward and Douglas Neither the teachings Of
the past nor the delusions Of the present day,
nor the uncertainties OF the future, will be
listened to on either side Seward, we are boast
iugly told. must be the candidate Of the republi-
cans, and that there is no hope for the reunion
Of the democracy az Charleston but upon the
name and under cover Of the saving North
ern popularity of Douglas.
And what has either Of these men done thus
to oyershadow and eclipse the claims and pre-
tensions Of all other aspirants for the next four
years lease Of the White House. What is there
in the public history of Seward hat gives him
the precedence over all other men on the oppo-
sition side, as the man best qualified for the adj
ministration Of the affairs Of the general govern
ment In his history, ~ we Lave read ii, and
in his progress a. we have Watched him for the
last thirty years, We can find nothing beyond
the artful tricks and lodges OF a scheming po-
Itical demagogue
We find him commencing his political career
upon the sAti-masonic excitement raised In West
crn New York over dead body represented TO
be that Of one Morgan recanting and book
publishing Freemason. who had been mystori-
ously spirited away. From that day to this, upon
the ant-rcnt question, the liquor question. The
common school question, and upon all the slavery
issues Of the last quarter Of century, we find
this cunning aud scheming politician consistently
devoting himself not TO the interests OF the
State, nor to the prosperity and harmony Of the
Union but TO the demoralzing local partisan
and sectional excitemcnts Of the day, to the
single end Of his own political advancement
through the corrupt machinery Of the party
caucus and the Albany lobby. Such, reduced
within the limits of q brief paragraph, IL the re-
cord Of the public life and services of W. ii.
been abundantly compensated from the public
treasury, or from the Albany or Washington
lobby.
Nor docs the public career Of Mr. Douglas
furnish the necessary materials for more ex-
allied character Beginning his political life in
Illinois upon the stump, In those debasing ex-
pedicnts which appeal to the lowest instincts and
prejudices of frontier population, be has con-
sis,ently followed this r5ie throughout With q
stronger prediction for land jobl'ing than Sew
ard, the most prominent measure introduced
into tbe Senate by Mr.. Douglas, at the FIRST op-
portunity, was that famous bin granting the
area of a little kingdom Of the richest public
lands Of Illinois to the Central Railroad Of that
State, In that act. Douglas became the founder
Of the railroad land grabbing system, from which
the Treasury has suffered spoliations Including
all the railroad land grants from that day to
this) amounting TO many millions Of dollars
From this land grabbing system, too, the Wash
ington lobby. through is multifarous appliances