The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-02-07

ten, fifteen or twenty millions to be provided for;
with the Homestead bill pending in the Senate,
which will, if passed, increase these deficiencies
to the extent Of three or four millions and with
some prospect before us Of the passage of .his
bill, we find powerful numerical democratic
majority in the House and in the Senate, upon
the most important recommendations of demo
cratic President, reduced to the ippotency of a
minority. And wherefore? Because of the con-
icting sectional and local cliques iuto which this
democratic party has been divided by the des
perate devices Of the various Congressional aspi-
rants and managers of the party for the Presi-
Dental succession.
We remember that upon this tariff question, In
the Presidential canvass of 1874, the Penusylva-
mia democracy secured the vote of that State to
their ticket, as it was charged, through their
local battle cry Of "Polk, Dallas, and the Tariff
of 1872" The tariff of 1885, however, told
different story, and having been carried by
the casting vote Of Mr.. Vice President
Dallas in the Senate, the act had doubt
less its full effect in turning over Penn
sylvania to General Taylor in ls4s. Since
that day the ''fush times" created from the gold
mines Of California and Australia, and the d.
version of the universal public mind Of the
country TO the exciting Issues raised upon the
slavery question, have operated to relieve the
national democracy Of this Pennsylvania test
question of the tariff But the expensive federal
legacies turned over to Mr.. Buchanan from his
last two predecessors in the White House, and
the crushing effects upon the financial world of
the general explosion of 1851, have now brought
once more the money question into the FORE
ground. And as the financial revulsion Of 1887
resulted in general coalition in 1910 against
the democracy in power which swept the country
like whirlwind, 40 now, from the revulsion of
1857, we have before us the accommodating ele-
ments of similar opposition coalition, and a
similar result in 1860.
AT this crisis, and with these contingencies
staring them in the face, we find the Southern
democratic leaders of both houses of Congress
cutting adrift from the administration
only basis of party reunion-and boldly de-
handing of the PROSTATE democracy of Penn
sylvania, upon revenue question, the sacrifice
of their most important domestic interests to
the Southern policy of free trade. This test has
never been SO distinctly presented to them be-
fore; but now, from the manner in which the
Pennsylvania representatives of both houses
have met this issue, there can hardly be
doubt remaining that "the last link is
broken" which has heretofore bound them
to the controlling Southern wing of the party
The question involved is simply this
Shall we in bill to increase the deficient reve-
nues of the treasury, adopt such specific duties
upon iron manufactures and some other foreign
imports as will afford some encouragement, in
the way Of protection, to our home producers and
manufacturers; or shall we, in this matter,
adhere to the exclusive interests of the
consumers of the South and West regardless
Of the interests of the manufacturing States? Or,
in other words, the question is: Shall we, the
Southern democracy, consent to any further
compromises on the tariff. Id order to attempt
the recovery of the State of Pennsylvania
which we have lost?
The answer, as we interpret it, from all these
Congressional tariff caucuses, controlled by the
Southern managers of the party, is: "No! Let
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and other States
further political assistance from the North We
must look to our Southern elections for the new
Congress. Our policy and our purposes are
directed to purely sectional contest in 1860
We want the balance ofpower in the House; aud,
failing in this, instead of avoiding, we rather
desire the ultimatum of Southern confederacy
Under our present federal organization, we of
the South have been reduced to dependent
minority. Under federal government of our
own, limited to the slave States there would be
honors and Offices enough for all our politicians,
and the means of protecting slavery by treaty
stipulations, and the means of territorial expan-
sion, which we can in no other way command"
This may perhaps, be too highly colored
picture of the present designs Of the Southern
leaders Of the democratic party. Let the future
settle the question. But in detaching themselves
from the administration in their difficulties with
the reckless African slave trade agitators aud
lawless filibusters of the South, these Southern
Congressional leaders of the democracy have,
we fear, accomplished already an irreparable
amount of mischief to the party as national
concern We fear, too, that from these tariff
caucuses will come the last little parcel which
breaks the camel's back; and that with the adj
journment Of this Congress the democratic party
will be raced TO the northern limit of Mason
and Dixon's line.
In conclusion, the chances of an extra session
are now as ten to one, and the new Congress, If
thus called together while 1t will afford the full
est justification of the President, will also furnish
the most favorable facilities for solid coalition
OF the opposition forces, and for the decisive dis
solution OF the exhausted democratic party.
PROGRESS OF Music IN THE UNITED
sTATEs'-The Cincinnati papers contain extend
ed ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of tho fac&ixzol "A