The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-07-13

We have shown, and the country has seen,
how the great democratic party of the Union
has been dsorganized and shattered through
the action of democratic representatives in the
last session of Congress. The Washington
Union points to the triumphs achieved by the
administration, and argues from them that the
party is compact and united. We, from the
same grounds, maintain that these successes
only chow the high position occupied by the
administration, and the justice of the policy
pursued by it. The New York Tribune, on the
other hand, accepts our position as to the de-
moralization of the democratic party, and hugs
itself with the delusion that the republican
party has not drifted upon the same quicksands,
but that it presents to day all the elements of
united, compact, vigorous and healthy political
organization.
In that, however, the Tribune is as far astray
as is the N. The republican party is hardly
lees dis0fganized than its great rival. Its
representatives in Congress made, to be sure, q
spasmodic effort at the commencement of last
session to unite all their discordant elements
with Know Nothinss and renegade democrats,
in presenting front of opposition to the ad-
ministration on the Lecompton question but
in order to do 80, they had to stultify all the
principles Of their political existence, and vote
for admitting Kansas either as slave State or
as free State. After that, what force or power
can republicanism have as an anti-slavery
organization? And as such alone has it
had any vitality at all. If Giddings, and
Lovejoy, and Bingham, and Stanton,
and Colfax, and their confreres from New
England and the West, have deliberately eaten
up all their declarations of hostility to the ex-
tension of slavery, in voting for the Crittenden-
Montgomery bill, how are they to expect the
abolitionists of Ohio and Illinois and Indiana
and Massachusetts, to vote for republican candi-
dates? Why, tits clear that the acts of the re-
publicans in Congress were even more calcu-
lated to disorganize and shatter that party
throughout the Middle and New England States
than were the acts of democratic members to
ruin their party. The truth is that both parties,
as distinctive organizations have fallen into
mutual ruin, and have obliterated the points of
difference that formerly existed between them;
and candidates for political Office stand better
chance now of being voted for on their indi-
vidual merits than from any consideration
having its origin in party humbug or party
machinery. Even in this State-the central
State of republicanism leaders of the
party are at heads and points in the prelimina-
ries for the next State convention.
This is condition of things for which the
country has to thank the firm and sagacious ad-
ministration of MIR. Buchanan, founded, as it
was, not upon party grounds, but upon conside-
rations of high national policy. No greater
blessing could fall upon the community than
the humiliation Of those rotten, corrupt and
debasiDg combinations got up under the desig-
nation of party for the purpose of helping i'm.
beetles, rogues and scoundrels into offices of
trust and honor. If these combinations should
be wiped out, as they promise to be, it will be
owing partly to their inherent rottenness and
corruption, but chiefly to the national non
party policy of the present administration.
The Tribune speaks already Of replacing repub-
licanism with another party, the chief element
of which is to be the labor of the North. Well,
some substitute may have to be found for the
decaying fungus which sprung up out of the
amalgam of Americanism and abolitionism: but
it strikes us that labor party will hardly
answer. A labor party cannot be sectional, as
republicanism vast must be national, as
democracy is. Labor at the North is dependent
for its existence and vitality on labor at the
South. The two can never be made distinct nor
placed in mutual antagonism. Our manufactures,
our ships, our commerce, all our prosperity, are
indissolubly connected with the industry of the
South; and when our philosophic neighbor has
to fall back upon the idea of rendering the two
interests hostile, II is evidence of the desperate
condition In which he finds himself placed by
the impending dissolution of the republican
party. For our part, we should rejoice with
an exceeding great joy to see political combine
tons which have no distinctive merit in them
selves and which ore only got up for the benefit
of q handful of miserable Office holders, Office
seekers, and Office mongers completely wiped
out Of existence; and If the desertion of demo-
cratic members of Congress, the qualification of
republicans, and the national policy of the ad-
ministration combine to produce such result,
we will welcome II a. contamination most
devoutly to be wished.
THE DtyTY OF THE TAxpAyEps bave Ia