The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-06-16
rLe Prudential Cliques OF the Democracy
aud ite Charleston Convention.

iLe Sresdenlal CHques OF the Democracy
and ihe Charleston Convention.
Il is great mistake to suppose that the pre-
sent controversy between our socalled hard and
sof, democracy of New York, in reference to the
Charleston Convention, involves nothing more
than pitiful squabble for the public plumber.
The spells of the succession may be the para
mount and exclusive idea with both these fac
tons; but there are other issues, causes and
questions at work on all sides, which threaten
the precipitate dissolution at Charleston of the
democratic party into two hostile sectional
camps.
The primary object of our soft or Albany Re-
gency clique, is the absolute control of the New
York vote at Charleston, which they can GER
tainly command through State Convention
| under the engineering of Dean Richmond & Co..
of the State Central Committee. The object of
the lards is that balance of power which they
may secure at Charleston by the election of the
delegates under the single district system; for
under this plan they could probably elect FIVE,
eight ten or twelve delegates of the thirty-fve
to which this State is entitled AS the controlling
idea in this matter on both sides, it has been
given out that each of these factions is working
for special Presidential candidate, Daniel S.
Dickinson being the champion of the hards, and
Horatio Seymour the pet Of the softs.
But the real issue between these ocalled hards
and softs lies between Wise and Douglas-Wise
as the champion for 1860 Of the Fernando Wood
faction, and Douglas as the anointed favorite of
the Albany Regency and Tammany Hall. The
game of Fernando Wood is to carry down the
Northern democracy to the great Southern wing
of the party under Wise; while the game of the
Albany Regency and it's affiliations is to dragoon
the Southern democracy into the support Of
Douglas or his Northern platform on the slavery
question.
The results viii probably be-frst the cleo
ton of a solid Douglas or squatter sovereignty
delegation from New York by State Conven-
ton, under the management of the Albany Re-
gency; secondly, the election of Wise pro-
slavery delegation by another State Convention;
thirdly, the acceptance of the Wise delegation
at Charleston, or that halfandhalf recognition
which drove the Van Buren, free soil faction into
open rebellion in 1S4s. In the next place we
may expect similar rebellion in 1860; and thus
it will be seen that the meaning and the drift of
this seemingly childish quarrel among our New
York democracy in reference to the Charleston
Convention may be reduced to the final dissolu-
ton Of the democratic party.
In fact, the party which was saved from the
very jaws of destruction by Mr.. Buchanan in
1856, has since been practically destroyed as a
national organization, through the efforts of its
Inscriptions leaders to rule or ruiz the admins
tration, upon which the preservation of the party
depended. In thus abandoning the common cita-
del of their strength, the various clques and
factions of the democracy have been turned over
TO the mercy OF the common enemy; and worse
still, to those intestine quarrels which dispense
regular army into the miserable factions of a
guerilla war.
MIR. Buchanan, meantime, remains as 90 calm as
asummer morning" And why not? He has
done his duty, not only to the country, but in be-
half OF the national reunion of his party. He
mas discovered, too, that where the party may
prove iaithless in the essential business of his
administration, ne may rely upon that patriotic
balance OF power which the opposition have thus
lar volunteered upon various important mea-
sures "Treason has done its worst arains.
him. He has weathered the storm. He stands
erect His way is clear before him, and as With
the expiration Of his official term, be will have
nothing more to ask of politicians or parties, he
can have nothing more to fear. To be sure, the
democratic party in 1860 may be scattered to
the sour winds Of heaven, and the Presidential
election may involve us in all the revolutionary
excitements a sectional scrub race: bat Mr..
Buchanan. reading The future from to- lessons Of
the past, may still feel easy from his confidence
! in 4" the sober second thought of the people,"
Te discover a. present, n re !e71a'7-~ :gth: