The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-08-05
Progress or the New Revolution-Signs or
. Southern Conservative Reaction.

From the scanty returns received OF the North
| Carolina election, we cannot form q definite
| opinion as to the general results; but the
figures before us are, nevertheless, sufficient to
show that the democracy if not defeated. have
been pretty roughly handled by the Believe
| rett Union party of that quiet conservative old
Southern commonwealth. There is something
very significant in the reported gains of the
Union party; and if In anything like the same
ratio they hold good upon the full returns, then
we may calculate upon Bell and Everett carry
ing half dozen Of the most important Southern
States.
Such are the indications of our first reports
from North Carolina; and it must be remem
bered that in this late contest the democracy
were united. The election was apparently I'M
touched by the divisions of the party upon the
Presidential issue. But to morrow the State
elections Of Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas and
Texas come off, and in the two most important,
if not in all of these States, the Presidential i'm
broglio among the democracy will seriously az
feet them and will probably turn over Ken
lucky and Missouri into the hands of the Bell
Everett party.
In Missouri they have to elect Governor, a
whole delegation to the next Congress, and one
to I'll the vacancy in the st. Louis district for
the present Congress, and members of the
Legislature. There are four candidates for
Governor in the ZELDA Breckenridge demo-
crat Douglas democrat, a Bell candidate, and
a republican. In 1856 the democratic majority
in the State was near 10000. But in this con-
test there will probably be ten or fifteen thou
sand opposition votes thrown away upon the re-
publican candidate Against the solid vote of the
democracy the Bell candidate will thus perhaps,
have $4,000 plurality to overcome. But the
democratic vote will not be solid. 1t will be
divided between their two candidates, and from
present appearances it will be so divided that
the Bell candidate for Governor will be hand
somely elected.
In Kentucky the contest will be for the
Clerk Of the Court Of Appeals, an Office Of
importance in that State. There are two
democratic candidates-one, the regular no.
minee "a Breckenridge mani, McClarty the
other an independent Douglas candidate,
pronounced a bolter (Bolliug); while the
opposition are united upon General Leslie
Combs, a distinguished politician of the Henry
Clay school, and popular old soldier of the
war Of 1912. A Breckenridge democratic jour
nal upon this subject says:-"The few Douglas
journals in the State are out in favor Of the
bolter; but we would not be surprised TO see
the most Of the Douglas men Of the State cast
their votes for the Bell candidate, thus making
the result doubtful In 1856 the democratic
majority for President was 1000, but if the
Douglas movement were to reduce 1t to mi.
nority of larger figure it would not be very
surprising.
In Arkansas the test will be for the Cover
nor. Here, too, the democracy are divided be-
tween a Breckenridge and Douglas candidate
against the united opposition. But as Ia 1856
the democratic majority was 1000, or more
than one third of the whole vote of the State,
It is hardly to be expected that this majority
will be overcome, even II the Douglas men
should unite upon the Bell candidate, as it is
suspected they intend to do.
In Texas, as the Douglas men have no organi-
zation Of their own to work upon, they will pro-
badly cooperate with the Bell party, but with
out any practical results most likely; for Texas
Is one of the cotton States to which Mr.. Douglas
and his partisans are indebted for their dsap-
pointments at Baltimore and Charleston The
danger to Mr.. Breckenridge lies in the FIRST and
second tiers Of the Northern slave States, in
Guiding Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North
Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri;
and all these be may lose in November, should
the results tomorrow in Kentucky and Missouri
be against him.
The apparent drift OF the political current in
North Carolina, in connection with the COM
peting Douglas tickets In Kentucky and Missouri,
justify the conclusion that these two States will
be carried by the Dell.Everett party. In this
event all the other States which we have indi-
Gated may be counted for Bell and Everett in
November. Nor will the effect Of the loss of
Missouri and Kentucky TO the democracy stop
here. 1t will react upon the North, and In this
section 1t will give vigorous impulse to the
Bell-Everett party, from the encouraging pros
pect Of carrying the election into Congress, and
for the chance too, of having their candidate
for Vice President the second highest on the
list
In this event. should the House fail to elect. as Il
certainly will, from the three highest candidates
for President, we know what will follow.
Should there be no election of Vice President
by majority Of the whole electoral vote, then
the two-only the two-highest candidates for
Vice President go to the Senate; and should
they be Hamlin and Everett the latter, of
course, will be elected the Vice President, who
will become the President In default Of an
election by the House.
We await further returns from North Carroll
ma, and the issue In Kentucky and Missouri
There is evidently conservative reaction at
work among the people Of the Southern States,
and we may have such manifestations to this
end within a few DAYS as will inspire all the