The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-06-18

ended-that is in making Kansas free State
With this fact before US, and with the fact thai
| by the year 1860 there will have been at least
three, and perhaps four or FIVE new free States
admitted into the Union and most probably no
new slave State, we cannot account for the
sanguine expectations of our anti slavery agi
tators In reference to 'the aggressions of the
slave power" We take ii that when the com
bustibles are exhausted the fire must go out,
AID that we cannot have in 1860 a return o.
that anti-slave,y panic which swept over the
North like wbirlwind in 1856.
Returning however, to the main question OF
party conventions and convention platforms,
what can they do in 1860 which cannot he done
as we'll, Or better, without them? II is perfectly
certain that, with all the efforts of desperate
leaders ard factions and oliques of the demo
| cracy to break down Mr.. Buchanan's admins
tration, as disclosed in the present Congress
the party, demcralized as it may be, will
be compelled to stand upon the party platform
OF his foreign and domestic policy. They can
no mere evade it than could Van Buren, evade
the responsibility Of General Jsokson's inan-
cial experiments. On the other hand, if there
be any Of the principles Of common sense among
the opposition camps, they will readily per-
ceiye that their platform of union and action
must be the platform Of opposition to the ad-
minisiration and its financial results. This
policy Of the opposition can be comprehended
AID adopted without gambling caucus Of
Office seekers; and in regard to the candidate
| of this or that party, We dare say that he will
stand Gut in sufficiently bold relief by the year
1860 for oil practical purposes, in advance of
any so-called National Convention.
We bold that it is not enough that the popu.
lar vote should determine the election of this
or that Presidential candidate; but that the
popular sentiment, and not caucus of
spoiismen aud Office seekers, should determine
bis nomination. To this end we maintain that
the largest liberty should be exercised by the
people and by the public press in the discussion
of principles and the claims of Candidates of
every party and section; and that, in this view,
the public journal which surrenders the princi-
pie Of independence to the uses of party Jug
glers ceases to be the organ of On independent
public opinion. The Tribune we apprcbend,
would do better in holding the choice OF its
candidate for the succession subject to the high
est bidder "till November or December, 1852"
than in passively awaiting the office-gambltug
nomination Of party convention in 1860. For
our part, henceforth as heretofore, if we can
not set aside these juggling conventions we
shall persist in flashing them into submission to
the public sentiment they may assume to repre-
sent. We cannot consent, on any terms or for
any candidate, to play second fiddle to the
caucus jugglers and gamblers Of any party.
The RECENT CONGRESSIONAL LOBBY INvEsrr-
GATIoNs.-Two journals, the very autipodes of
each other in party politics-the Washington
Union and the New York TriJune--have come to
"a happy accord and agree like brothers upon
the subject Of the late Investigations by Con-
gress into the private machinery Of the Wash
ington lobby. They both pronounce these in
designations as involving an oficious one
sided and impudent intermeddling with
private rights and private affairs. Good
for you, Masea Greeley. Very good for
for you, Mr.. Wendell Did they pinch him
rather hard on the public printing "Are you
there, Old Truepenny?r Still, we have noticed
that in touching the sore place on horses
back he is apt to vince under it. We think,
too that the lobby investigations of Congress
from time to time, beginning with the Galphin
and the Gardner claims, have done world of
good In checking the rapacious rats and mice of
the lobby, and in saving the public bread aud
cheese and the public lands. The only trouble
Is that these committees Of inspection ferret out
too many Of the lobby rats and mice to be
palatable TO the rest Of the tribe.
But, for the people at large, what food of
light was thrown into the dark holes and cor
ners of the lobby by the Colts pistol patent in
vestigation /; what O catalogue Of interesting
facts were brought out in the Mattesou disclo-
sures Of the last Congress, including that thou
sand dollar draft. Lastly, the "free wool" re-
searches Of the late session have been most
remarkably successful in developing the patent
safe games and the operators therein of the
lobby. Matteson's proposition for the $4,000
deposit with Massa Greeley the $500 fee of
the journal Of Commerce free WOOL; Thurlow
Weeds 5000 (statistics); the Chcvalier webb's
petition for house rent, and oysters and cham
payne for lobby dinners, NO. (say $50 0O0);
what should we have known Of all these curiosi-
ties of the lobby but for this inquisitive con-
mittee on 'free wools' BY all means, there
fore, these lobby investigations should be kept
up. Without them, II is very evident the lobby
rats and mice would soon undermine the Capt.
tol. Keep at them never mind their squeak.
ing, but smoke them out.
Tur SLAVE OrIoARcuy The anti-qlavarv
journals and orators are continually talking
about the terrible slave olgsrcby of the South,
and the prodigious power which they exercise
over the general government. Who constitute
this slave oligarchy! There are in the Southern
States about 100000 Shareholders and 100000