The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-03-23

passed endorsing the foreign and domestic policy
of Mr.. Buchanan's administration, including the
right of search question, the Cuba question, the
revenue and tariff question, and other issues
At the same time resolution approving in
general terms the official course of Governor
Packer was rejected by large majority, the
sting Of this resolution on both sides lying in
the fact that Governor Packer last fall, upon the
Kansas question, had conspicuously enrolled
himself among the anti Lecompton boilers Of
the party. The rejection of this resolution was
thus bold movement to bring he democracy
Of Pennsylvania to decisive test between the
bulk of the party supporting President Buchanan
and these anti-Lecompton boilers of the party
who syn-pathise with Governor Packer, and the
first result is before us in the following call of
boilers convention
DEMOCRATIC STATE CONVENTION
The democratic citizens Of Pennsylvania invited 10
assemble in State Convention Mt Harrisburg Wedncs-
day. the 18th day of April 1862 to consult upon the pro-
prety of adopting measures to vndcate the fame
and principles of the democratic party outraged and In
suited by convention assembled az the State Capitol
the l6th March;
To resist the high handed attempt of federal sim
nistratlon to dictate political creeds to the people;
To protest agans! the Of consolidated federal des
potsn UPON State sovereignty and state rights;
To assert the great principle Of popular sovereignty
and non Intervention well in the Territories the
Intervention by Congress with slavery the
Territories and Intervention by the federal Executive
with the franchises of the people Of the States;
To endorse the old fashioned creed OF the democratic
party repndated and tramped under foot by men claim
ing to represent the party
This savors very strongly Of open rebellion
1t may be that the late Convention acted I'M
wisely in refusing an act Of amnesty to Gov.
Packer and his ant-Lecompton followers We
cannot undertake to say whether free pardon
upon the Lecompton question, coupled with a
treaty of peace and Of cooperation upon the
Cuba and financial policy Of the President, would
or would not have harmonized these distracted
democratic factions of the old Keystone State
Perhaps the experiment would have failed; but
there are many shrewd politicians who will say
that the experiment should at least have been
tried Dealing with the matter, however, as we
now find it, we are led to inquire: what is the
real meaning Of this boilers convention, and
what will most probably be the consequences to
the democratic party, local and generals
1t will not be denied that the election of Mr.
Buchanan in November 1856, to the Presidency
turned upon the local Pennsylvania October
nary examples Of democratic harmony, ZEAL
energy. organization, discipline, activity and
liberality, ever exhibited in any political cam
paign, that decisive October election was carried
in favor of Mr.. Buchanan by the slender ma
jority Of some two thousand votes upon poll
rf 1o1c d. a,,,It l1,1
the question upon the Presidential ISSUE How
stands The matter now? Pennsylvania re-
covered by the opposition last fall through the
rebellious course of the anti-Lecomptonites Of
the democratic party, must be reconquered by
this party before it can expect to enter the cam
paign of 1860 with any prospect Of success.
But just at this critical point we are con-
fronted with this call Of the popular sove-
reignty' rebels for separate State Convention
on the 18th Of April-a movement which may be
considered equivalent to the continued occupa.
ton of Pennsylvania by the opposition in her
next October election, and by majorities perhaps
as decisive as those of October last. The ques-
ton next recurs: what will these democratic
boilers gain from this result The answer is
that they expect thus to compass the balance of
power against the Southern fre-eating democ-
racy in the Charleston Convention. A small fac
ton thus in Pennsylvania may be competent to
say to the party at Charleston: Nominate our
man, or adopt our popular sovereignty platform,
and we will give you the vote of Pennsylvania;
refuse the one or the other concession, and we
mill oiv No fbn houoGt IF oun{1nr 30
split like that of Is4S."
In this view of the matter this call for this
State Convention Of the Pennsylvania democ-
racy opposed to the Territorial policy of the ad
and SO on, is nothing more nor less
than significant preliminary movement of the
faction concerned for 1860. Upon this point
too-as it is universally understood that
Mr.. Buchanan, in no event. will be a
candidate for the succession, and as It Is
among all parties generally believed that
some Southern ultra roslavery and free trade
man will be nominated at Charleston-the intel
ligent reader, upon these premises, will be at no
loss to discover the next step in the programme.
1t will be the separate organization of the "popu-
lar sovereignty" democracy Of Pennsylvania
aud the North upon ticket of their own, which
may result in the election of the black republican
ticket by clean sweep of the Northern States.
In any event, this movement Of the Pennsylvania
deserters for separate democratic organization
nos leaves scarcely visible loopholc of escape
fc 'ho distracted and hsjointed democracy in
.SGU.
The ireacherous and rebellious courses of
Northern and Southern democratic leaders in
the late refractory and disgraceful democratic
Congress have brought upon the party this
gloomy state Of things. Mr.. Buchanan's domestic
and foreign policy, had he been cordially sustain
ed by the democratic majority in each house Of
Congress, would have consolidated the party
throughout the country. But the bad faith and
reckless folly of one clique upon the Lecompton
question, Of another upon the Mormon army ap-
the filibustering question, &C., and
Of another upon the revenue and tariff policy of