The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-07-17
The Decay OF Our Old Party Organizations
and Their I'll ctnOn TacIicss

and Their Ell sctuOn Tactics
Like everyt else in this world Of changes
and transformations, our political rites have
limited existence. They rise, flourish, run to
seed, fall to pieces and disappear. Thus our old
federal and republican parties, which arose from
the conservative germs of our war Of indepeu-
dence, and from the radicsl'populsr ideas of the
first French revolution, entirely faded away with
The second election of President Monroe, when
it was declared that we were "all republicans and
all federalists" Thus 1t happened that with the
dsbandiDg of those two old parties there was
free and Independent scrub race in 1924 between
Jackson, Adams, Crawford and Clay, and as
there was no election by the people, the issue
was thrown into the House Of Representatives
upon the three highest candidates on the vote
of the electoral colleges-t0 wit: Jackson, 80;
Adams, S4 Crawford, Al.
But though Henry Clay was thus constitu-
tionally ruled out, his partsans held the balance
of power in the House. They exercised it, too,
in favor Of Mr.. Adams, and elected him. The
supporters Of Jackson were highly indignant at
this coalition and its results, and when, Ia the
PRONUNCIATION of the new Cabinet, Mr. Clay ap.
peared as Secretary Of State, cry of "bargain
and sale" was raised from one end Of the country
to the other. Col. r. NJ. johnson, Of Kentucky,
is reported as having said that it would be
the duty of the people to put down an admins
tration thus corruptly elected 'even if it were as
pure as the angels in Heaven" Upon this idea,
and in behalf of General Jackson, the organiza-
ton of the present democratic party commenced.
Thus, in 1928 the contest was narrowed down to
two candidates Jackson and Adams--the plat
form of the friends of the former being that al
legged bargain and SALE" "retrenchment and
REFORM" and, more powerful than everything
else, the battle of New Orleans.
sold Hickory" was triumphantly elected, and
in the contest for the succession from the
general policy Of his administration, especially
upon the United States Bank question, the demo
cratic party, and the opposition or whig party,
under the leadership of Henry Clay, were def
nitely organized. But the popularity of Jack
sons war upon the bank monster carried every-
thing before it, and he was re- elected by
greatly increased popular and electoral vote
The old wing party, however, with varying for
tunes, including its successful campaigns of 1910
and lS4s, maintained the field until 1852, when,
paralyzed and disorganized by the Northern
slavery agitation, it was crushed to pieces and
swept away.
Two new parties arose from its ruins-the
American or Know Nothing, and the Northern
republican party; but between these Northern
anti-slavery republicans and the Southern pro-
slavery democracy, the Know Nothing party was
pulverized in 1856, as between the upper and
the neither milestone. Thus the only general op-
position organization to the democratic party at
this time is the republican party aad it is limited
to the North; but, ON the other hand, to
such extremes has the democratic party been
carried on the South aide of the niger question,
that 1t has been reduced to minority
in almost every Northern State. Thus the
broad national characteristics of the Jacksonian
democratic organization have been 30 completely
absorbed by the niger question, that that great
old party only now exists in the empty name.
plished its mission, and run to seed, it is falling
to pieces under the universal law of dissolution
and reconstruction
A final dissolution may thus be anticipated
at Charleston. from the pressure nf this negro
agitation; for, reduced to the simple issue of the
propagation and expansion Of slavery, the already
dismantled and lettering fabric of this exhausted
party must fall to the ground. And go it hap.
pens that this very national convention system,
under which this democratic party came into
power, has been the most active instrument in
the work of its destruction. These national con-
ventions have been guilty of such scandalous
trickery and corruption, and have rendered the
party nomination 30 entirely subject to the
chances of a thimble rig, that Governor Wise and
Senator Douglas have each resolved not to sub
NIT to the convention at Charleston, but that the
convention shall submit to Wise or Douglas, and
in its submission to either the other has resolved
upon rebellion.
This movement, we apprehend, will be the fin
shiDg stroke to this old rotten and ricketty
party machine, and to the similar machine of
the republican camp. With the destruction
of the democratic machine at Charleston there
will arise the necessity for another convention.
with view to the amalgamation of the demo.
cratic elements of the North and the conserva.
tive opposition elements into new party; and,
in anticipation of this necessity we would sug-
gest New York as the place, and the fret week
Of September, 1860, as the time, for this grand
Northern union convention. At all events, with
the destruction Of the convention machinery
which brought the democratic party into power,
and which, democratic and opposition, has
ground out our Presidents, good. bad and indif.
ferent, from that day to this; with the breaking
up Of this machinery, we say, it will be super
seeded by better systemic wit: system of in
dependent candidates. and an election BY the