The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-01-09

Sasin oetter request with rather more doing Corn was
quiet, while prices were unchanged. Pork dull and
lower for immediate delivery; mess was sold ats
ST So and old at $l6 co. new prime at s13 rs $l3
3d. and for spring delivery at SIS Is SIS So Lard was
firm Sugars were firm, with sales Of about 100 500
hhds. New Orleans at exc Ike and about 800 400
boxes, part at &c. ssc and part at p. Office was
quiet The stock Of Rio was much reduced; 400 bags
Maracaibo were sold at p.t Freights inactive and
engagements light, while rates unchanged
The Reelection OF Senator Douglas-The
Northern Anti-slavcry Break In the Demo-
cratic Party.
The reelection of Mr.. Douglas to the United
States Senate is one of the most significant poti-
cal events of the day. It is an event which in
wolves something more than personal triumph
of Mr.. Douglas over his enemies. and something
deeper and broader than new lease of power to
Z" the Little Giant" as member of the demo-
cratic party. In o word his reelection is an
event which confirms, establishes and perpetuates
that anti-slavery break in the democratic party
which, commencing with the agitation of the
annexation of Texas, eliminated, in the late
Northern elections, in the complete overthrow Of
the democracy from Maine to Minnesota
The Presidential election of 1874 turned upon
the annexation Of Texas; and, as the boldly
proclaimed and unequivocal advocate of the
scheme Mr.. Polk was elected. It is generally
believed however, that an unfortunate cleo
pioneering Alabama letter or two from Mr..
Clay, leaning towards annexation, lost him those
fifteen thousand anti-slavery votes in this State
which were given for Birney, and upon which
fla al al Io1 Mr
manned silent during the canvass, he would, in
all probability, have received those votes or the
most of them and would thus have been elected
President, in securing the decisive electoral vote
ofNew York. But the entering wedge which has
at length split the democratic party in twain
was driven in at the Baltimore Convention which
nominated Polk. The majority Of the delegates
in that Convention were elected as Van Buren,
men; but Van Buren,, like Clay had written,
few months before, an antiannexation letter to
an inquisitive North Carolina correspondent at
Raleigh. That letter brought up the Southern
wing Of the party against him, under the lead Of
Robert j. Walker; and under the ingenious con-
trivance of the two-thirds rule, Van Burens
majority was overcome, and he was set aside to
make room for Polk, a Southern and annexa-
ton man.
But STILL in hopes of another trial in 1S4S,
Van Buren, and his New York partisans-Silas
Wright at the head of capitulated and CO.
operated decisively in behalf Of Folks election.
On the eve of his Inauguration, 1s45, the Texas
annexation resolutions were passed, embracing
two propostions-that of the House, for direct
annexation regardless of consequences, and that
Of the Senate, providing for q preliminary
diplomatic settlement with Mexico, and giving
the President discretionary choice. Senator
Benton and other Van Buren, democrats be-
lieved that President Tyler would pass this
important matter over to his successor; and we
have Benton's positive authority for the state
ment that Polk would have adopted the diplo-
matte alternative. But although the bill be-
came law on the last day of Tyler's term, he
was resolved to go out in blaze of glory; and
so, under the favorng shades Of night, he posted
off special messenger to Texas, with the direct
proposition of annexation, and thus the first
serious business of Folks administration was the
war with Mexico.
Thus this anti-slavery leaven, which was in
troduced into the party with Van Buren's
rejection in 1914, was aggravated and COM
plicated by this unexpected proceeding Of
Tyler; for it was charged to Calhoun, and
the Southern ultra pro-slavery wing of the party
acting under his counsels Thus in 1s4S, with
the nomination of General Cass at Baltimore,
the Northern democratic, Van Buren,, anti-Cal-
houn, antislavery faction were ripe for rebellion;
and hence the Buffalo anti-slavery ticket and
anti-slavery platform, under which Van Buren,
defeated Cass, and made that first positive anti
slavery split in the Northern camp, of which this
reelection Of Mr.. Douglas is the last and most
momentous Development.
We know that in 1852, upon the Compromise
measures of Mr.. Clay the democratic party car
ried their candidate almost by reclamation. IT
was because the wing party had finished its
career, and could no longer be held together.
But that fatal experiment of poor Pierce and
Douglas-that disastrous Kansas Nebraska bill
re-opened the old sore which had defeated Cass.
and from which Polk escaped as by the skin of
his teeth. And the consequences are before us.
A terrible Northern ant-slavery reaction instant
ly followed and the first result was an opposi-
| ton House Of Representative, and the second
Northern anti-slayery Speaker Next came the
Presidential election Of 1856; and although from
this contest Mr. Buchanan slipped into the White
House between two opposition candidates the
Northern popular vote of that campaign sounded
the death knell of the old national democratic
party. Eighty thousand plurality for Fremont
in this State, majority Of seven thousand in
the staunch old democratic county of st. Law
renee, and similar opposition gains in other
counties. betrayed an anti-savery rebellion
among the Northern democracy equivalent to a
political revolution.