Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-10-18
Political spesula,ious and Remarks.

The late local elections in Pennsylvania,
Ohio. Indiana, Iowa and Minnesota, unim-
portant aud iudecisiye as they may be re-
garded touching the m0mentous question of
the next Presidency, are pretty conclusive
upon three points. At all events, we draw
from them the following important conclu-
sion:-
First-That the democratic party Of the
Northern States Is in that melancholy condi-
ton Of sick man which affords no symptoms
OF convalescence.
Second-'rhat the late great American, or
third partyof the North, has disappeared and
ceased tn exist; and
Third-Thut henceforward, to the close of
the Presidential campaign of 1860. there
will be only two parties in the North-the
republican and the dcmocratic-and that in
to the one or the other of these two parties
all tn" loose materials of the North, with
some trihing exceptions, will be absorbed
Upon the first point-the melancholy pros
tratlon of the Northern democra"y--ycry lit
tie Is needed 10 explain the causes and char
actcr OF the disease. 1t may be traced Ia
that death Of cold" which the party con
tractcd from that desperate Southern PreSi-
Dental experiment OF Douglas and Pierce in
lS54-the repeal of the Missouri Compro-
mise. The instantaneous and rwhelming
Northern revolution which followed that re-
peal will explain the whole mystery. The
violent and impracticable movements of the
Southern pro-slavery democracy in the way
of retaliation have only contributed fresh fuel
to the fire from that day To this.
Under this terrible pressure from both
sides, the democratic party in 1886 would
have been crushed to atoms but for the saw
ing interposition of Mr.. Buchanan. 1t was
rescue rs from the very jaws of destruction,
and II lesson which should have taught
something of wisdom to the various factions
and leaders of the party. But instead Of
this they commenced the game of rule or
ruin with the new administration from the
day il came into power: and 50, while on ac-
count of these taithless and rebelious leaders
and cliques, the democracy of the North
have been beaten and trampled down,
from the lakes Of Maine to the lakes Of Min
nesota, the democracy of the South have been
degraded to Il mere sectional faction upon the
zone idea" of slavery.
Our second consideration-th disappear
ance Of the late great third party of the North
only dnrkcns still more this otherwise SUIT
ticiently gloomy prospect to the demoralzed
democracy. The materials Of this late third
party, upon the broad. general and practi-
cal issues Of the federal government, are the
natural allies Of the republicans. 1t is only
upon Stewards "irrepressible conflict" with
the South that they have hitherto stood aloof
as separate opposition camp. But now, as
the republican party appear to be disposed
to rcpudiatc the extreme ant-slavery plat.
form of Seward, and as the American party
has died natural death, the bulk Of the
loose materials of the latter will be absorbed
by the former; Tor such are the manifesto
tons OF these October elections.
Thus, with the people Of the North diyi-
ded between two parties in 1850. instead OF
three. as in 1856, we may say, from the
Northern elections Of the last and present
year, that in every Northern State this side
Of the Rocky Mountains the democracy will
enter into the contest as demoralized mi
nority party. How they will emerge from
the battle is another question; but, from the
general drift of the tide of these October
elections the dullest politician cannot tal! to
perceive, that an opposition President may
be elected in 1860 without the electoral vote
Of solitary Southern State.
To this complexion of our political affairs
have we been brought by that desperate
Southern electioneering experiment of Doug
las and Pierce in 1854, the Kansas Nebraska
bill, and its appendages Of sectional agitation:
The democracy Of the North are Frustrated
and broken up by one sectional party, while
the democracy OF the South are themselves
reduced to a mere sectional camp. Between
these two sectional parties there yet remains.
however, conservative opposition Southern
party, and it will prove, we hope, lucky
accident which at this crisis has given this
conservative party the balance Of power IN
the new Congress. Here We recognise the
nucleus of great national opposition coall-
ton: and in this we may possess the only
safeguard against sectional collision which
NAV fend the Union into fragments.
These October elections may contribute to
max. the Seward engineers of the Republi-
can camp somewhat overbearing in the mat
ter of the House organization; but bold and
firm front on the part of the Southern oppo-
siton party will not only enable them to de-
eide the House organization, but to divert
the republican party in 1860 from sectional
disunion conflict TO grand national Jubilee.
like that of lS40.-N. T. Herdii.