The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-05-15


lion Of next fall, for the nomination OF caudi-
dates for State officers, the question of the
Charleston Convention shall not be introduced,
but shall be postponed until after the State elec
ton, in order that, in the work Of that election,
the democracy may present an unbroken front
to the enemy.
Second-That neither State Committee nor
State Convention called for other purposes has
any power to appoint delegates to the Charles
ton Convention, but that the right belongs to
the people of the several Congressional districts
and that the plea of the committee (soft), that
unity In this matter is essential to strength, is
the plea of despotism, unknown to democracy.
The hard committee are to report to another
meeting Of this wing Of the party on the
2lst the answer of the softs to these pro-
positions. If rejected, 1t is understood
tina the hards will keep aloof from the
sot.s in the State Convention and election,
aqd leave them to their fate. Tins II will
he seen hat we have here the direct issue
upon wi ich the New York democracy are to be
reunited or redivided in our State election OF
November. If united, they may possibly carry
the State; if divided, they are certain not only
to suffer crushing local defeat In November,
but split which will repeat in 1860 the terrible
lesson Of 1848.
According to the Albany Alas-Aryw, the law
of precedents is decidedly in favor of the election
of the Charleston delegation in the lump,
although there is no fixed law upon the subject.
In the National Conventions of 1886, 40, IA,
and sc, New York was represented by delegates
chosen in the lump. In l848 State delegation
from New York and district delegation were
both admitted; but between these two stools,
Van Buren, and Cass, the party fell to the ground
and the opposition carried the Presidency. Iu
1862 the State Central Committee directed a
choice of districts; but in 1856 both sets of dele
gates were chosen by State Convention.
Thus, it would appear that the State Central
Committee (soft) may prescribe either the one
mode or The other. If they adopt the Convention
plan of electing the Charleston delegates in the
lump, the softs will be able to elect solid dele
cation of their own men; but if they adopt the
Congressional district plan of electing by the
people, the .hards will get, perhaps, some eight,
ten or twelve of the thirty. three Congressional
district delegates leaving the two delegates repre-
senting the State delegation in the United States
Senate to be elected either by State Conven-
ton, or by the party Of the State at large. The
6rst plan has its temptations to the dominant
softs, which it will be very hard to resist; but
the second plan is enforced from the other side by
the still more powerful inducements connected
with the reunion of the two factions The com.
promise thus offered may restore the State to the
party as in 1852, while the scheme of the softs
will inevitably throw all the fat in the fire as in
lS4S.
Never before have the universal democracy
stood upon the threshold of Presidential contest
so horribly cut up, distracted and divided into
squabbling cliques and factions as they now stand
All combined, the last Presidential election exhi
bits them in popular minority Of nearly four
hundred thousand. Thus they have no ground
Of hope for 1860 except in cordial reunion
among themselves; but thus reunited, from the
favoring circumstances of the times, they may
recover their position and remain mas tiers of the
government. The first essential to general
democratic reunion is the fusion of the factions
of New York. The hards have offered their ulti-
matum. The answer of the softs may enable us
at once deciavely to say whether the democracy
have or have not a ghost Of chance for the next
Presidency.