The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-12-30
The Republican Party and It's Pros
pects-The Reserved Conservative Vote
or the North.

pects-Ine heaorveO COnscrVaUAve SOte
OF the North.
The return of W. Fl. Seward from his recent
travels in Europe, Africa and Asia very natu-
rally recalls our attention to the republican
anti-slavery party, Of which he is the great
apostle, and to its prospects in our approach
ing Presidential election.
Mr.. Seward will soon discover that during
his absence abroad there have been some re-
markable events at home, and that these
events have brought about popular reaction
on the slavery question, against which it will
be perfect folly on the part Of the republicans
to adhere to "the one idea' of his Ro.
chester manifesto-the abolition of slavery.
Indeed, we think he will also discover.
before many days have passed, that there
is very strong desire and purpose among
some of the republican managers again
to set aside the author Of said manifesto,
on the ground Of availability. But in any
event, whether set aside or taken up as the
republican candidate, we apprehend, from the
present aspects Of the political field, that Mr..
Seward and his sectional principles will again
be the defeat Of his party, as in 1862 and 1856.
Some Of our Southern lre-eating politicians
a dis n the EVENT. Of Black repub
lican President in 1860, and are dis
posed, meantime, to give up the contest in
despair. They have made up their calculations
upon the following basis:-That the republican
party, since 1856, having held fast to the States
which voted for Fremont, and having beaten
down the democratic partNin two successive
elections in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and
having divided and crippled the democracy of
Indiana and Illinois so as to render the acqui-
sition Of those States an easy matter, the repub-
lican managers have the game in their own
hands, and the result is foregone conclusion.
This, however, is q superficial view Of the
subject. The Northern elections Of the last
two years have gone by default. Over half a
million of voters are held in reserve-a hun
dred thousand and more in New York alone.
The bulk Of this reserved vote is conservative,
and is beginning to manifest itself in Union
meetings, in denunciations of Brown, Helper
and Mr.. Stewards "irrepressible conflict" 1t
is a reserved vote, holding the balance of pow
err and awaiting the organization of the party
movements Of the day. New Jersey and
Pennsylvania are afoat, the States which
decided the election of 1866. The oppo-
sition party of New Jersey is only fu-
sion for local purposes, between the republi.
cans and Know Nothings, upon a truce which
has now expired. The same may be said of
the peoples party Of Pennsylvania. 1t is a
loose coalition of odds and ends, organized for
local purposes, and wholly inapplicable for
the larger necessities Of a Presidential cam
paign.
Detached from the conservative Know No.
things and old line wings Of New Jersey and
Pennsylvania, the republican party is reduced
in those States to paltry faction. But how
are these discordant opposition elements to be
combined at Chicago? There's the rub" We
fear that the task will be found as impractical
BILE as that of fusing the Lecompton and anti
Lecompton democracy and South Americans
upon a common candidate for Speaker. The
Chicago Convention will most probably go
just far enough on the back track to disgust
the radical abolitionists, without going far
enough 10 satlSIy the CONSERVATIVE opposition
elements Of the Central States.
As matters now stand, this reserved North
ern popular vote of over half million is await
Ing the order OF battle for the succession
Upon the broad national platform embodied in
the name Of General Scott, the bulk of this
vote might at once be secured to new
national party; but from the dilly-dallying and
shilly shallying Of Know Nothing executive
committees and old line wing executive com.
mittees, in the work Of organization, we begin
to suspect that the mass of these floating popu.
lar elements will be left to foat into the demo-
cratic or republican camp. In this view Of the
subject, the Charleston Convention, in Selling
and appropriating the democratic UNION game
Of 1852, may recover the ground they have lost,
and carry the election.
But to do all this new democratic captain
will be necessary, as well as new platform.
No outstanding, hold-over candidate, no Sec
tonal agitator, no rebellious Presidential aspi-
rant, VIII answer. lie must he a new man, and,