The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-02-19
Three Parties for the Next PIcsldency-The
Third Party and the Balance OF Power.

Third Party and the Balance OF POWoEs
From all the late and present movements of
the different party leaders and party managers
of the country, it is manifest hat we shall have
three national party conventions in 1860, three
Presidential tickets three great parties, doubt
full contest before the people, and, most pro-
baby, an election by the House Of Representa-
tives. A third party 10 no new thing in Pre-
sidential election; but the Intervention of new
practical, conservative party between the two
great existing sectionalized parties of the day
will be novelty which will render the cam
paign exceedingly interesting, and the issue ex-
ceedingly doubtful. Let us bring up the record
and see where we stand.
From the first decisive contest Of Gen. jack
son with John Quincy Adams in 1928, there
were but two parties in the country upon federal
politics worth noticing down to the cam
paign of 1874, when the separate anti-slavery
movement of the North, in carrying off the OPP
position balance of power in this State to
Birney, defeated Henry Clay and elected Mr.
Polk, the democratic candidate From this
staggering blow in the back the wing party
never recovered. To be sure, it carried the cleo
ton of l848; but then its candidate, Gen.
Taylor, though ga wing, was not an ultra-whig;'
and besides, that anti-slavery Northern balance
of power in New York, which, in 1874, had
given the Presidency to the democracy,
took it away from them in 1s4S, by
giving this State to Gen. Taylor. Martin
Van Buren,, smarting under what he considered
l. eLo hhxy% woo fvoo I,u fho Ro1
cratic Convention, both in IA and 4S, resolved
to be revenged; and, upon his Buffalo anti
slavery platform, as third party candidate, be
was revenged in the decisive defeat of General
Cass. And from that ugly blow in the back,
the national democratic party has been going
upon crutches down to this day.
And here we come to the most remarkable
turning point in the history of our political
parties Henry Clay, the great founder, leader
and embodiment of the wing party, was the
author of the compromise measures upon the
slavery question of 1850 But what follows?
Upon these peace measures of Henry Clay the
democratic ticket of 1852 was elected almost by
general reclamation, and that staunch old con-
sentative whig and distinguished soldier, General
Scott, on the same platform, came off with the
electoral vote Of only four States-two North
and two South. But why? Because, first, the
people were content with the peace measures Of
Mr.. Clay, and feared that in the election of
General Scott certain W. H. Seward would be
invested with the power to reopen the slavery
agitation; and, secondly, because the Webster
men and the Fillmore men were disappointed
and soured, and went over to the enemy, or
stood aloof and permitted the election to go by
default.
Thus the democratic party in 1852, in steal
ing the thunder of Henry Clay, destroyed the
party of which he was the founder,
leader and embodiment. From the ruins of
this party two new parties speedily arose-the
secret, sectarian, anti-P opery Native American
jack-o'-lantern party, and the sectional anti
slavery republican party. The former organize
ton at first threatened to carry everything before
it, and created such tremendous sensation from
its invisible machinery, its wonderful discipline
and astonishing power, that host Of the broken
down and over ambitious politicians of the coun-
try, whig and democratic, rushed into its secret
lodges --1 .anncils. and took such oaths as would
cause the Italian carbonari to shrink at sl~ read
ing of them. In 1854, however, poor Pierce, and
the sectional mischief makers of the democratic
camp affiliated with him in that disastrous
experiment, the Kansas-N Nebraska bill, stirred up
an anti-slavery revolt, which speedily built up
the republican as the overshadowing party OF the
North.
In 1855 Henry A. Wise gave the death blow to
Know Nothingism in his memorable Virginia
campaign. From that day this nativistic and
sectarian party rapidly declined, and in 1856,
upon the slavery issue half its remaining strength
bolted from it's national convention and its
ticket of Fillmore and Donelson. Thus crippled
it went into the campaign for the Presidency,
and tlus it came out of the battle with the soil
tary electoral vote of Maryland. Thousands of
good wings, disguised with the mummeries of
this dark lantern party, went over to the de.
mocracy and thousands of others went over to
the republicans who, upon anything like COM
mon sense and conservative principles, would
have chosen the third party in preference to
either the too strongly tinctured pro-slavery
democratic or anti-slavery republican camp.
. But experience teaches wisdom, and the sur
viving managers Of the impotent Know Nothing
movement have learned from dear experience the
rocks and shoals upon which that crazy craft was
foundered. 1t is evident, too, that they intend
to profit from the knowledge thus acquired. In
this they have every encouragement from the
factious discords and disintegrations of the de-
mocratic and republican parties The one has
become so intensely pro-slavery, and the other
go intensely anti-slavery in its character, that
there is no longer safe place in either camp for
the calm and considerate lover of the Union.
There is thus before us splendid margin for
new third party-not like that paltry balance of
power party of Brney in 1914, nor like that
factious Van Buren, movement of AS, nor yet
like that bigotted, riotous and impotent Know
Nothing exneriment of '56--but for a new con.