The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-06-18
The Baltimore Con ventfoa-Its Compost
ton and Attendan t Dangers.

The Baltimore Con ventioa-Its Compost
ton and Attendant Dangers.
To-day the adjourned Charleston Convention
meets at Baltimore, and the eyes of the whole
| country are turned towards it, TO see If the po-
! liticans who compose and manage 1t are equal
| to the occasion, which requires them to lay
| aside their personal preferences for the safety
! of the common good.
The crisis is great one. From one end of
the country to the other-in every city, village
and hamlet-the true majority of the people
desire that the government shall be saved from
the control of the abolition fanatics aud dema-
gogues that have made common cause to Sc
cure possession of 1t. The destructive tenden-
ces of the ideas they have proclaimed as the
rule of government are universally acknow-
lodged, and all hope to be saved from the terri
bic ordeal. Safety lies in the union OF the ma
| tional sentiment against the revolutionary as
sault, and this union is rendered to all appear
ance impracticable by the personal contests Of
| ambitious aspirants, and their disputes
| on abstract differences which have little or no
connection with the great issue before the people.
While they are quarreiiing for ONCE aud spoiis,
the great mass of the community are learning
to hold them in the contempt they merit for ig-
noring the common interest In their short
| sighted greed. From this state of things there
Is but one possible result to be obtained If the
clques persist In their discussions, and that Is
the division of their own partisans and the
withdrawal from the support of all Of them by
the honest national sentiment of the country.
This gives the election to Lincoln by default
and the division Of the elements opposed to
him.
Our Baltimore and Washington correspond
ents concur in stating that the dissensions which
marked the Convention at Charleston are to be
renewed at Baltimore. Resolutions aiming at
men and not at principles are to be introduced,
to widen existing breaches and to increase the
present feeling of partisan bitterness New bar
gains and new treacheries are to be combined,
and the final severance Of the democratic
organization is to be consummated Such
conclusion to the Convention that
meets to-day at Baltimore will give
something like the following returns from the
Presidential election in November, as will be
clear to every man who has watched the varia-
lions of the popular majorities during the last
twelve years. A split in the democratic party
will give to Lincoln, besides the acknowledged
black republican States, the doubtful ones of
New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Indiana
and Illinois. The running Of two democratic
tickets in the South would give to Bell, by
plurality, the electoral votes of Maryland,
Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia,
and probably Virginia. Houston would carry
Texas, and Southern sectional candidate might
possibly receive majority in South Carolina,
Florida Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and
Arkansas. This leaves, rs a matter for conten-
ton between four Presidential candidates, the
States of Missouri, California and Oregon.
Here we have the matter in nutshell, and
it shows how utterly absurd are the quarrels
which the cliques are keeping up between
themselves. They look at everything with pas
sion, and their judgments are blinded even to
the immediate circumstances Of their own
position. The extreme Southern men will
not see that the action of their con-
stituents in sending them back to Bal
tmore, instead Of supporting the Rich
mond idea, Is rejection of their sectional
ism. The delegates from the acknowledged
black republican States will not recognise the
fact that If they drive of the South and thus
lose the prestige Of their national character,
they never can hope to obtain a majority In
their own States. In the Central States the de-
mocratic politicians well know that their only
hope lies in the nomination OF q national candi-
date, and hence their readiness to bargain with
the extremes, and to cheat them all If they
think the winning chance lies elsewhere The
fact is, sectionalism can never prevail in this
country, either North or South, If the national
sentiment Is left free to combat il; and the only
danger the country now incurs Is the triumph
of the Northern abolitionists through the divi-
sion of their opponents.
This Is the work that Is now being performed
for them by set Of greedy, selfish and short
sighted political once hunters who have sue
ceeded In obtaining control Of the Convention
| by q vicious system Of party organization.
| There is not a single element of popular
! freedom in the present mode Of party
! construction. A few Office holders or office
seekers, in the guise Of General Committee,
call for primary party elections, and appoint
their own inspectors thereto The polls are
opened In some low groggery, and surrounded
| by q few hired bullies and shoulder-hitters,
| and after a few hours the inspectors make
| their official returns TO the General Com
mit,ee. In conformity to the arrangement this
body had already prepared Thus, ward
or county convention Is packed, which goes
on packing. according to the will Of the
managers, until the last point OF national
convection, like that at Baltimore, has been
reached While the system was new and it
details were unknown to the public. Il worked