New-York daily tribune., 1859-06-03
rux HARD AND SOFT FIGHT.

" Old Gusrd." BY a Secret Circular, receatly
uublishad in our colunns, summoned - the true
aspd lo1sl Democracy OF the State " to a codnc'l
ofu,, At tbr Astor House, where they met aeouple
OF days sIpce. The terms OF this oo'lgerenf mani
feststion indicate that that portion OF the Demo-
.r,c1 which hiss lever faItered in uphodins tae
hammer Of the party" "a direct blow at the
R,rnhurner Sofa, and eide thrust at the Huaker-
sottsl. il not going to surrender to Mr. Csgger
and bis followers without a sharp struggle. The
noint low in dispute between the Hard and 5 1T
f,ct,ops seems to be as to the mode of choosing
delegates TO tn. Charleston Convention -~hetaer
by State Conve or by Congr ,ssonI Dis
tticts-the former being the Soft and the atter toe
H,rd more. Both sides quote ample precedsnts
and he pre- ,e ieuts as 10 usually the csss in such
ouaIrels, seem to be about as numerous one way as
the other.
What gives sharpness to this old quarreljnst now
for the fight is of many years standings that
Mr. Daniel s. Dickinson ia a candidate for nomi-
nation to the Presidency by the Charleston Conven
ton. His numerous friends in this and other
States think his success not only possible, but
probable; ard they feel quite confident that ii be
fail in obtaining the first place. he can have the
second for the asking; prorided he can exhibit
fair srvny of delegates from his own State. Now,
il so huppens, that what Mr.. Dicknson's friends
think of his prospects for the fret or second place
on the Democratic ticket in 1860, Dir. Horatio Sey-
mours friends think Of his-thoush they do not
speak out as openly yet, as do the friends OF Mr. d.
This quarrel has another phase. The SoftS are
determined, whatever becomes of Mr Seymour
and bis cbances, that they will put an effectu, and
final stopper upon thc lons-cherished Presidential
aspiration. of Daniel s. DickiIson. 1t is claimed
by them-apd indeed, theIe can be little doubt OF
the fact-that if the delegation to Charleston is
chosen by the next Strte Convention, 1t will be
packed sgsnst Mr.. Dickinson; whereas, it it is
elected by Congressional Districts, be would un.
que stonsbly secure large minority aud might. :"
kls more ardent supporters insist obtain majority
of the delegation So far buck as 1852, Me. Marcy,
powerfully aided by q secret coalition with the
Barnburpers, and sustained by bis Hnuker pres-
tige, was able TO cary only working majority OF
the Districts, against Dickinson-tbe former OBJ
tanning nineteen and the latter fourteen 1t is true
the delegates reached Batimore-mainly BY the
rare tact Of Horsrio Seymour, and the modifying
m.nipnlsticns IN Of Marcy. Dickinson's supporters
believe that he can be successful IN this
fight than be was in that, provided the contest ID
en- the same feld-the districts.
Should the battle be fought there, Mr.. Dickinson
expects aid from very remarkable qusrtrr- Inc
coalition betaeen the BarDburners and cer'ain
Uupkers, in 1851, whose eldes :-bOrn ohspriog Was
the 'Stft" faction wss never heartily approved by
John Van Buren. Still more distastefal to him
VAS the barsain with Marcy iu 1852, the leadIng
aricle Of which Was that Marcy WAS to become ths
coalition CAT didste for Presidential nomination
by the Baltimore Convection. The Pruce Of Lilo +
depwsld bad the s.gaciiy to suspect Gf he did not
actually see) that copartnersbp between the
Barubu,ner fiction aud Marcy. Seymour, Str,ker,
aud the men If that schooi, would be severe blow
TO his influence with the party. Ifhe doubted then,
bis doubts have long since r'peped iuto bitter con-
victions. This c,paI tpershiD broke up and dfusei
that distinctive Radical Democracy" of which he
was then the orator, the guide and the idol. Ii
deposed him from the leadership OF the anti Con.
servstve wing of the party. 1t placed the dom
mating standard in the bands of Marcy, close De-
bind whom stood Seymour, ready to grasp ths
bsnrer when he r.linquisbed it. The subsequent
removsl # Marcy to the State Department left the
facile, adroh plausible, fluent, popular Seymour 10
position to struggle for the leadership of the Sofs,
then occupying the vantage ground of the Admins
trstion party 10 tie State His skill, sssdnity aud
blsud mani ers were more than match for the
erratic witty, haiLfellow well-met Prince John
Seymour lee the party, while the Lindenwald ora
tor became mere brillisnt skirmisher on the out
posts of the battlefield.
To go back Il. 1852. Foreseeing the doom that
awaited him, Van Buren w. mean the younger OF
that nsme), made a bold stroke to break up this
Marcy coalition, and reinstate himself at the head
Of the Radical Democracy When the dtstric,
delegates to Baltimore met at Albany in the Spring
Of 1852. to choose two State Delegates, Marcy
(who nominally had majority Of course de-
msnded the selection of two fast friends Of his for
those important positions. But majority Of this
msjorlty happened to be Barnburners. John Van
Buren proposed to checkmate Marcy BY form
ing a coalition on the spot with Dickin-
sons friends in the delegation. and electing one
Barnburner delegate (to wit, John hmsel0, aud
one Dickiuscnite. The Bsrnburoers cogi.sted
the DickiDsontes medita'ed, the Prince entreated
He came just near enough to success to be badly
beaten. But, If Dickinson could then have fore
seen as clearly the fate that awaited him, as Van
Bnren did the destiny in store for him, the pro-
posed counter coalition would not have failed
From that hour, the star of the young Prince