The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-05-17

which his own professions and declarations have
excited.
The New York Dsmocracy-The sauabble
for the Spells Of ls6O,
Our democratic readers of the hard shell fac.
ton will find among the miscellaneous matter
Of our columns to-day an interesting article
from the Leader (soft SHELLY on what it calls the
Last Dickinson Caucus" meaning the recent
| extraordinary secret State Convention of the
hards at the Astor House, in reference to the an.
pointment of the New York delegates to the
| Charleston Convention.
The Leader is spirited weekly paper, under
the editorial management of our County Clerk,
John Clancy, who has thus two strings TO his
bow-frst, the duties of his Office, and second,
the duties of the metropolitan organ of the soft
shell faction He thus, for the present, occupies,
with his weekly journal, position of some dis
advantage as the antagonist of the Daily Macs
the vigilant champion of the hards But, by
and-bye, from the profits and perquisites of the
soft shell regency of the Central Railroad aud
lobby combination Of Albany, the Leader may
possibly be expanded into daily paper Mean
time, as Sir Lucius O'Trigger has it, this SQUAD
bic between the factions for the Charleston Con
vention and the spoils Of 1860 ''is very pretty
quarrel as it stands"
Mr.. Clancy charges that ''siace the rejection
of the bogus delegations representing the Dick
inson interest, by the State Convention of last
year, the outside politicians who have disOrga-
nized the party in this State" having failed to
obtain "any recognition from the democracy
they have outraged aud injured, nov seek,
by means of private caucuses and mysterious
meetings to give their feebleness an air of
Importance and strength" but that with
out foothold in the regular organization, not
recognized by the Central State Committee,
unable to gain admittance to any Conven-
ton, we cannot understand what is to be
eventually accomplished by these ridiculous
caucus intrigucs.' Finally, as all these small
intrigues will end in smoke, Mr.. Clancy thinks
that Mr.. Dickinson and his friends may give up
all hope of bis being selected by the Charleston
Convention"
We also incline to the opinion that Mr.. Dick
inson is permanently laid on the shelf but we
have scarcely higher estimate of the chances
at Charleston of Horatio Seymour, the especial
pet Of the softs. They may, through their ''regu-
lar organization having all the wires, ropes
and pullies in their hands, send compact un.
mixed regular soft delegation to Charleston;
but this will not prevent the presence of another
delegation representing the hards. In the mean
time, therefore, we may count upon division of
the party camp into two belligerent factions
but let not the republicans be too confident tina.
this division will extend to the Presidential cleo
ton.
In the contest of 1913 the New York democra-
cy were divided upon principle, sharply de-
fined issue upon the slavery question: but now
the only issue between the hards and softs is the
spoils of 1860. The Charleston Convention may
settle this business as it was settled in 1882 and
thus the two factions may again be harmonized
In the interval each will put forward all its ener-
gies to make good its claim at Charleston
from its muster roll, and thus between these ri.
valries OF the hards and softs the New York de-
mocracy, when rccombned ia 1860, may be
found stronger than ever before
The softs contemplate the appointment Of the
State delegation to Charleston through The agency
ofthe approaching autumnal State Convention of
the party, over which they will undoubtedly hold
the control. The hards demand that this ap-
preaching State Convention shall be limited to the
business Of our November State campaign aud
that the Charleston delegation shall be elected
by the several Congressional districts, each for
tself. The softs will most probably refuse this
concession and thus our next fall election may
go by default, as did the last, to some extent.
But still, upon "the cohesive platform of the pub
lie plumber the divided New York dem 1cracy
may be reunited, and they may recover the State
in 1860 as in 1874 and 1852.
And why not? The existing dissensions and
divisions of the New York democracy being all
about the spols, upon the basis of the spols they
may be composed. Not go the divisions among
the opposition factions, here and elsewhere.
Their divisions are upon conflicting principles,
upon which there can be no accommodation.
Thus we safely predict that there will be at least
two opposition parties In the field in 1860, as in
1886, and in the meantime the whole budget of
our political affairs may undergo such changes
and transformations as will place the democratic
party OF the Union in position to recover-in
reunion upon Slr. Buchanan's sound aud relia-