The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-05-25
President Making-rhe Troubles OF Our
PennayiYnnia and NexY York Hullflclans.


Pennsylvania meets at Harrisburg to-day for
the purpose of determining upon the policy of
the party in the business of their October State
election. A letter which, in this connection,
we publish from our Harrisburg correspondent
will further enlighten the reader upon the sab
ject, Including not only the difficulties of the
Pennsylvania Americans, but the perplexities Of
the republicans and the divisions of the de-
mocracy there. We dare say that the proceed
ings Of this American Convention will be limited
to the terms which they are to demand of the
republicans in the nomination of their State
ticket, &c. on the 9Th of June, in reference to
the spoils.
Lis the meantime, there is not much in reality
to choose between the distractions aud divisions
of the democracy on the one side, and the
troubles among the republican politicians on the
other, in these two most important Presidential
States Of New York and Pennsylvania If our
New York democracy are threatened with
another split in the matter of choosing their
delegates to the Charleston Convention, our New
York republicans are by no means comfortable
with the prospect before them Of W. II. Seward
as their Presidential candidate. They know that
Seward will unite against him all the old Fill
more Americans and old line wings, and they
have reason to fear some disastrous assertions
on the part of that heavy detachment of Van
Buren, free soil democrats which in this State
contributed 30 largely to swell the vote of
Fremont.
It appears, too, that in Pennsylvania that
extraordinary fusion of the two factions Of the
opposition and the anti-Lecompton boiling de-
mocracy of last November slpired with the oc-
casion which created it, a that the Peoples
party Of 1858 is resolved again into the three
separate factions of republicans, Americans and
boiling democrats. The Chevaler Forney, as
we are informed, is resolved that his estate
rights democracy" shall maintain their position
as an independent organization. On the other
hand, it seems that Gen. Cameron (notwith-
standing ali that has been said of the entente
cndole between him and Seward) is still en-
deavoring, in his own behalf to hold tight
rein over both the Pennsylvania republicans and
Americans. Perhaps this American Convention
hands of Cameron, and perhaps the Republican
Convention of June may result in a positive
quarrel between the tive factions upon the
spoils or the negro question, or upon both the
negro question and the spOils
Our correspondent, in the premises, very
broadly hints that trouble is brewing among the
Pennsylvania opposition elements upon the
question of slavery. The Seward leaders and
camp followers are resolved upon bold and
positive anti-slavery platform; but the Ameri-
caus and more moderate of the republicans are
disposed to soften down the slavery issue 80 as
to make en- opening for general opposition
coalition in 1860 North and South. The reso-
lutions of the Pennsylvania Republican Conven-
ton of june therefore, will go very far to deter
mine the strength or weakness of Seward in that
quarter, and the consequent drift of the old line
wbig and American elements. In the meantime
the Virginia election may operate to strengthen
these Pennsylvania conservatives against Seward
and his po-slavery republican confederates and
their followers.
Thus it is manifest that notwithstanding the
dilapidated condition of both the New York and
Pennsylvania democracy, the name, the princi
Piles and the pretensions of W. a. Seward
are any thing but bond of cohesion among the
opposition factions of these two great States. If
nominated to-day for the next Presidency, with
the election to come off in August, Seward, in
all probability, would lose both New York and
Pennsylvania with any respectable conservative
democrat opposed to him, because of the loss of
that large body of opposition men who cannot
be induced or dragooned into the support of
that abominable programme Of a perpetual war
against Southern slavery until it shall be
exterminated.
We may safely conclude, then, from the pres
sure Of the antislavery republicans in favor of
the nomination of Seward and from the divisions
which his name has created, and will only serve
to widen in the opposition ranks in New York
and Pennsylvania, that bad as are the splits and
States they are in reality not worse than those
Of the opposition factions. On both sides the
politicians are completely befogged, and the
chances of union and harmony on either side
will depend as much upon the events at Wash
ington of the year before US as upon the events
of the past five years of the Kansas agitation.
Thus, with the summoning of the. contrasting
parties to the field in 1860, we may have a very
great change in their relative positions and
strength, and thus, under the favorable auspces
of the times and Of Mr.. Buchaaan's vigilant and
sagacious administration, the broken and dis
pirited democracy may reappear in the fight a
solid and united army.
We do not expect much Of this Harris
burg American Convention; but the very fact
of such Convention, in connection with all the
other independent American movements of the
day, broadly foreshadows that inevitable third
party in 1860 by which the republicans, in 1856,
upon the slavery issue, we're defeated.