The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-04-21
Our Political Parties-A Drop Of Comfort for
the F0sl0rn Democracy.


the Fosl0rn Democracy.
Is there any hope for the forlorn democracy !?
Divided and subdivided into sections, factions,
clques and little wrapgling Presidential cabals,
as we now find this lately all-powerfnl party, is
there any hope of reuniting its broken hag
nents for the great battle of 1860? The pros
peot is gloomy, but there is yet hope. To- be
sure, there is split in the Pennsylvania camp,
rebellion in the Louisiana camp, Presidential
division and various local discor6s In the Vir-
ginia camp, and hostile cliques and hot quarrels
here, there and everywhere among the rank and
fle which seem to defy all the agencies of peace;
but still, upon Mr.. Calhoun's great saving cardi-
nal principle Of the party, "the cohesive power
Of the public plumber" there is hope for the
salvation of the party, and for its effective re
union in 1860.
1t must be remembered that ever since the
withdrawal of General jackson from the abso
luto command Of tho democratic party. the oppo-
sition party or parties have represented mo-
jority of the American people. And yet, since
the time of Jackson, the democracy have elected
four Presidents-Van Buren,, Polk, Pierce and
Buchanan-against two opposition Presidents
Harrison and Tor. We do not include Tyler
and Fillmore, elected as Vice Presidents. These
more numerous successes Of the democracy were
achieyed-frst, from union among themselves;
and secondly from the divisions of the opposition
Thus against Van Buren, the opposition vote was
FILTERED away upon several candidates. includ
ing Harrison, Webster and White. Thus, against
Polk, the opposition balance of power held in
New York by the ntislavery wings was thrown
away upon Birney, and thus Mr.. Clay was de-
feated But the most remarkable triumphs of
the democratic party were those of 1852 and
1856
In 1913 the democracy of New York aud other
Northern States were demoralized and cut to
pieces on the slavery question:; in 1851 the
whole Southern camp was disorganizcd and scpa-
rated into two hostile factions upon the compro-
mise acts Of 1850. North and South the party
thus remained demoralized aud split up till the
spring Of 1852. But the Baltimore Convention
of that year, upon the basis Of general amncs-
ty, and upon the nomination of man-an out
sder-nnoccnt Of any Of these intestine quar-
rels, conspiracies and cliques, cleared the decks
for victory which astonished all parties, aud
which involved the absolute destruction, death
and burial, Of the magnificent old wing party.
In 1856 the democracy entered the field with
a recorded popular majority, from the State
elections of 80 AS, Of upwards of three hun
bred thousand against them, and under the trc-
mepdous Northern pressure of poor Piercc's
Kansas agitation. But here, in Mr.. Buchanan -
the favorite son Of Pennsylvania and man
whose hands were clean of any contact with
that Kabsas-Ncbraska bill-the right man
was found for the reunion of the party,
ps far % IL could be reunited. Even Mr..
Buchanan, however would have been powerlese
against the opposition had they been combined;
but they were divided, as in 1886 and 1874 aud
1852, upon distractions, and principles, and
leaders, and candidates. And thus it was that
Mr. Buchanan was handsomely elected, with a
popular majority in the Union Of nearly four
hundred thousand against him.
From these refreshing examples Of the past
there Ia still hope for the forlorn democracy In
1860. They have shown, over and over again,
that they can be combined at the tap of the
drum by the cohesive power of the public plum
DER Place the spoils and plumber Of the Pre-
sidency before them, tell them the day of battle
is at hand, that union is their only chance, and
they will rush into each others arms like q band
of brothers, and, till the battle is over, will stick
TO their common cause like cobbler's wax. They
make terrible uproar, meantime, We admit, and
keep the country In hot water upon constitution
al questions, principles, State rights and such
things; but the great question Of the spols COM
prehends everything which good democrat
feels It to be his highest privilege aud hottest
duty to live for, labor for, fight for, and die for.
Upon this word of magic-thc "spoils'--depend