The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-04-06
The Imte Scattering Elections-1he Drift OF
the Political Currents OF the Day.

The Imte Scattering Elections-The Drift OF
the Political Currents OF the Day.
The republicans have made o clean sweep of
Connecticut, including her four members Of Con-
gress. With similar result in Minnesota, this
party will, most likely, be able to command the
organization of the next House Of Representa-
tives for we presume that there can be no doubt
of the election in Rhode Island. At all events,
we think it may be safely said that with this Con-
necIcut election the popular branch Of the next
Congress has been lost to the demoralized demo-
eracy; and this too when the election of the next
President may possibly be thrown into Congress.
| Simultaneously with this clean sweep of Con-
necticut (Which we respectfully submit to the
special attention Of the Secretary of the Navy,
our Geographic advices inform us that the repub-
lcans have carried the State of Michigan by over
10000 majority, including gain of over 800 in
the city of Detroit; that the republican candi-
date for Mayor in the city of st. Louis has been
elected by plurality Of $500 over his demo-
cratic opponent, including the election of the
whole republican city ticket; that the same
thing has occurred in Cleveland, Ohio; and that
walked up from the dust, and given the democra-
| cy regular dressing. This is chapter of dis
asters in the presence Of which we can derive
| very little democratic comfort from the general
result yesterday in Brooklyn.
What does all this mean? 1t means that the
| great democratic party has gone to wreck aud
ruin. and that the opposition, as sure as fate,
| bo1l nj oil in hon
Had the leaders, managers and Presidential
| cliques and factions OF the democratic party
possessed any thing of the saving article of COM
mon sense, they would have profted from the
| Presidential election of 1856, in which they
escaped destruction as by a miracle. The loss
of nearly all the Northern States, and popular
minority in the vote of the Union of nearly four
hundred thousand, should have taught them the
absolute necessity of harmony and cohesion on
| The basis of Mr. Buchauan's administration. In
stead of this, however, the most damaging con-
spiracies and rebellions the most vicious hostili
ties and combinations, against the administra-
ton and the party, have arisen within the lines
of the democratic camp.
| Upon the platform of the great peace measures
of Henry Clay, of 1850, the democracy in 1852
carried the Presidential election by an electoral
! majority without precedent since the time of
Monroe. The great wing party was thus lite
rally extinguished, and the democracy held I'M
disputed occupation of the country. But that
| desperate Presidential electioneering expert
ment, the Kansas Nebraska bill, in the second
year of Pierce's administration, resulted in the
| IL 81
tives. II revived with tenfold bitterness, the
Northern slavery agitation. It substantially
reduced the democratic party to Southern Sec
tional organization, and created an overshadow-
ing Northern sectional opposition party. With
this division of parties upon the Kansas Issue in
1856, the Southern democracy would have been
overwhelmed but for their conservative national
| position of Willard Fillmore.
| But the impressive lesson involved in this cleo
ton was lost upon the selfish, reckless and I'M
scrupulous leaders of the democracy. They
would rule the administration of Mr.. Buchanan,
or ruin 1t, at all hazards. In various shapes,
aud upon various pretexts, compromising every
prominent measure, foreign and domestic, of Mr.
Bucbanan's administrative policy, these disor-
| ganizing leaders, aspirants and managers of the
party, in Congress and out of Congress- since
the day Of his Inauguration, have been playing
this suicidal game against the President lie
has not been vanquished-his administration has
| not been shaken from its course-but the party
has been broken to pieces. From the experiences
| of The last Congress- Mr.. Buchanan may feel per-
| fectly easy regarding the next. Under the con-
| troll ola positive opposition majority he cannot
possibly meet with more vindictive and factious
| resistance to his recommendations than that of
| the late democratic House of Representatives.
| On the contrary, responsible opposition ma
| jority will have every incentive to avoid fac
tous course of hostility to the wise and seasonal
| bic measures of the administration.
| Thus, in any event, the administration il &C.
cure; but alas we fear it is all over with the late
| invincible democratic party. Shorn of half its
strength, and with the remnant of its forces de-
| moralized and broken up into wrangling cliques
and factions, and under the general control of an
impracticable Southern ultra pro-slavery corps
| of managers the wreck Of this once all powerful
party is drifting into purely sectional position.
That It will take the field in 1860, reduced to an
intensely sectional faction, there can hardly be
doubt. That it will thus be routed, horse, foot
and Dragons, by the republican anti-slavery
party Of the North, is certain, unless the saving
intervention of third party shall change the
issue of the fight.
| Meantime, we perceive in the defeat Of the so
called Personal Liberty bill in the Massachusetts,
Legislature, and in the rejection of several pro-
| positions of similar character in our own Legs-
lature, the other day, that the republicans, with
an eye to The loose conservative materials of the
North, are disposed to drop the extreme pro-
| Uropo,uo ne Tho Dcchoetar Map;footo opI 70