The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-25

Cpfee was quiet and sales limited Freights were firm,
with moderate engagements at full rates.
Presidential Nominations-The Conven-
tion VS.. the Congressional Caucus Sys-
tenn.
Some Of our Southern democratic cotem-
pola aries are beginning to ventilate the two
thirds rule under which their regular can
didates for President and Vice President are
nominated by the National Convention of the
party. The journals in question have thus
discovered that the democratic Southern States
which have become almost the sole reliance
of the psniE, may be overruled in the Charles
ton Convention by a tw0-thirds vote chiefly
made up of opposition States. Against this
equality in the Convention, of States which
have never cast democratic electoral vote for
President, with those States which have never
cast a vote against the party, the central
organ of Governor Wise in Virginia earn
estly, and We think justly, complains, and
seems to be driving at some such new rule as
a majority vote of the democratic States in be-
half Of their Presidential ticket.
And why mott Why, in democratic Ma
tional Convention, should New York, an OPP
position State, be allowed to weigh down the
votes Of Virginia and Georgia. Why should
Massachusetts and Vermont be allowed to
overshadow Alabama and Mississippi, when
we all know that in the practical results of the
| election the first named two States are as GER
| tain to 60 against the democratic ticket as the
| last two are to support it, Or why should
| Ohio, in a purely democratic arrange
ment, be permitted to neutralize the COM
bined vote of Kentucky and Tennessee?
| These questions cannot be answered. They
establish the justice Of these Southern COM
| plants against the two-thirds rule. But the
remedy limited at by the Richmond Enquirer
| points to very uncertain way Of reaching the
difficulty. 1t will require majority of the
Convention to repeal this two-thirds rule, and
supposing that Mr.. Douglas should have a
Northern majority Of votes in the Convention,
his party might agree to set the two-thirds rule
aside in order to secure his nomination by the
simple rule Of majority.
| ANY attempt, therefore, to modify the two
| thirds rule in the Charleston Convention will
be dangerous experiment to the Southern
| States. If they 60 into the Convention, they
must be content to adhere to the rule as it
stands. But why 60 into the Charleston Con-
| vention at all (? We are not aware Of any law
compelling the democratic party to await and
abide the issues Of that Convention. We be-
lieve that the Cincinnati Convention of 1856
Convention of 1860 should be held at Charles
ton; but as the Cincinnati Convention was a
mere assemblage of irresponsible politicians
and spoilsmen, we cannot imagine how their
DEGREES can be considered as binding anybody
or anything Certainly, from the way in
which most of those law-making politicians of
the party have conducted themselves since Mr..
Buchanan's election, and especially in reference
to the Charleston Convention, they are only
entitled to the scorn and contempt Of every
honest man.
We say, then, that the honest men, and espe-
cially the responsible Southern managers Of the
democratic party, are under no obligations to
the Cincinnati Convention, and that its proceed
ings to bind the party in its future action are
all stuff and nonsense. The responsible repre-
sentatives of the democratic party in both
houses of Congress may speak with some au-
thority upon the subject They have thus the per-
feet right to supersede the Charleston Convention
by Congressional caucus nomination of the
democratic members of the House and the
Senate. This, under Mr.. Jefferson, was the
original system introduced into the old repub-
lican party, until that party, and the remains
Of the old federal party, were divided into four
separate camps, upon as many different candi-
dates, in 1924. A scrub race followed, and an
election q. O. Adams) by the House. In 1928
Jackson and Calhoun became the ticket Of the
then new democratic party by species Of
spontaneous combustion throughout the coun-
try; but in 1882, for the special benefit of Mar
tin Van Buren, for Vice President against Cal
houn, the present system Of National Conven-
tons was fairly inaugurated.
This system, having been dragged through
| all the demoralizing and debasing trick
cries, treacheries and juggling contrivances
which the wit of seedy, greedy and unscrupu-
| lous politicians could invent, has fallen into
disgrace The very men heretofore the most
active in these Conventions are now the most
suspicious Of this one appointed at Charleston,
because they know from experience that neither
promises, principles, honor nor truth will there
be allowed to stand in the way of the
spoilsmen who shuttle the cards. But