The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-09-30

people OF this age make up their minds on all
the political issues Of the day from other
sources. The campaign journalism, once 90
influential, has no longer any power with them.
The speed Of our railroads and the universal
use Of the telegraph as disseminator Of poll
teal intelligence have done away with that
style of electoneering The public fully under
stand the fact that all the campaign papers aud
documents are got up by partisans who dis
tort the facts to suit their own ideas. The day
for circulating John Does and Richard Roe's
speeches, and the twaddie of our partisan Con
gressmen, is passed. Those parties who attempt
to keep up that kind Of business are behind the
age in which they live, and do not understand
| the condition Of their own country, and prove
themselves unqualified to grapple the issues Of
| the day. Let them close up their establish
| ments and go at some legitimate business,
where they will have an opportunity to inform
themselves upon the political problem Of the
day and they will soon find themselves, not
only wiser men, but with better filled purses.
The Campaign FestivaIs-The Grand
willie.
Having given to the campaign festivals Of the
Lincolnites, the Brec kinridgers and the Douglas
democracy liberal ventilation through our
columns, we are glad to diversity still further
our political entertainments this morning in
the publication Of racy description Of late
grand Bell-Everett basket dinner, or picnic,
near Nashville, Tennessee. II was beautiful
affair, and handsomely done in every parti-
cular. 1t was evidently public Southern de-
| monstraton, from which the Prince of Wales
ard his suite would have returned with an en-
arged opinion OF the capacity OF our popular
institutions to develope the essential elements
OF intelligence, law and order, decorum and re.
fnenent among the great body Of the people,
and in the midst Of the institution Of slavery,
if yoc please
What old democratic politician is there now
who does not suffer al involuntary fear and
trembling in recalling the grand universal log
cabin and hard cider jubilee Of 1Sf0s Never
before from the world anterior to the food
down to that campaign, was there anything to
compare with il in any country under the sum-
never since have we had q Presidential canvass
To touch it in its mighty professions and oil
their picturesque accessories of frontier cos
tunes, customs avocations, implements and
means Of transportation, giving to the whole
country. from birdseye view, the aspect Of o
triumphant crusade ofnomadic Tartars. 1t was
the first general breakout Of the reaction from
that heavy financial pressure which eliminated
;u fLo ;Er IF
gan to recover from that shock, the popular
mind rebounded into fun and folly, just as the
people OF England, when relieved Of the gloomy
Puritanism Of Cromwell's Commonwealth, hail
ed az a deliverer "the merry monarch" without
stopping to estimate the expense.
But it seems Ont these national political car
nival, are periodical, like the seventeen year
locusts; Tor uvw, In tAil wonderful year of
grace 1860, we have something Of repetition
Of the memorable saturnalia Of $780, though on
q smaller scaIe, ana unuer the garueriug cloud
Of disunion. But the people, according to the
politicians, are intensely interested in this ex-
traordinary contest for any prominent speaker
Of any party, anywhere, on any subject. at any
time, can command an audience which they
measure by the acre, and count upon o basis Of
numbers which, II followed up by the census
takers, would give these United States popu-
lation of three hundred millions OF souls.
liz the peculiar party organizations Of the
campaign, the republican Wide Awakes, Ia
numbers, discipline and activity, bear away
the palm. But they are nocturnal, like birds
Of evil omen, and their whole appearance 10
suggestive Of the funeral ceremonies Of the
Union. They have suddenly sprung up like
great organized army, and there Is delibera-
ton and concert Of action ia their movements
altogether different from the spontaneous up
risings Of 1910. These Wide Awakes have
been carrying the whole Northwest before
them. having, Il Is said, in some instances teace
rails enough il single procession to enclose a
ten acre Geld.
Farther South. barbeeues, CT vast accur1ula-
tons Of provisions and whiskey, prepared In the
primitive style Of the backwoods, are the or
der Of the day, among all parties. The dis
ciples Of Mr.. Douglas recently gave Us at
Jones Wood, in this city, q specimen barbe-
cue, OF which an OK roasted whole was the lion
of the occasion, although the Douglas was
the principal orator. But the affair even with
the extra garnishment OF lager bier, was
failure, simply because Manhattan Island Is not
adapted to such rustic entertainments.
On the other hand, this Bell-Evere.t basket
dinner, or political picnic, near Nashville, ap.
pears to have been complete success, In
GLIDING that indispensable element to picnic,
the beautiful, the transporting-in fact, IS
Mr.. Mcawber would say, woman. She was re-
presented by thousands. Among the party
companies Of drilled men in uniform present
were the Union Guard the Bell Stars, the Bell
Ringers the Bell Rangers, the Bell Highland.
ers and the Bell Greys, from which II would
appear that in the South. "a in the North, our
political parties are tending to tina, omincus
roro,r,;o,aru a.ar NJ r,ilitarv organic ations