The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-03-23
Political News.

The New York Times Washington cor
respondent, writing on the 9Th, says the
editor of the Harrisburg Patriot, the GEN.
trail organ of the Pennsylvania Democracy,
is at Washington, and reports the Pennsyl-
vania delegation entirely uncommitted. He
is personally for DOUGLAS, and says he knows
of many Others like himself. He thinks
DOUGLAS will be nominated at Charleston.
1t is rumored that large number of infu.
entail Virginians have engaged quarters in
Charleston, with a view to operating for
DOUGLAS.
The Charleston Convention will vote by
otates, each State casting as many votes as
In the electoral college; but by resolu-
zion adopted at Cincinnati, the Convention
will be composed of twice as many delegates
as voters. Classified into Free and Slave
States, the former will send 366 against
24O from the latter. Beside these. the men,
bers Of the National Democratic Executive
COMMITTEE have seats on the floor of the
Convention, but no votes. They are thirty
three in number. Moreover it is customa-
ny to admit distinguished members of the
party to the floor of the house as a courtesy:
so that the Convention will be composed of
about ESQ members.
HE Delegates from Massachusetts to
the Charleston Democratic Convention.
and such as propose to be present at the
meeting of that body, in April, are making
arrangements to 60 in body. 1t is pro-
posed to charter one of the new steamers Of
the Baltimore line for the trip. 1t is IN
derstood that the Charleston hotel-keepers
have resolved to charge seven dollars per dan
for boarding during the session of the Con
venton
THE Republicans can harmonic on the
negro question-on one idea--but they can
not come to any agreement on the general
political principles which should be applied
to the government of the country. While
portion of the Republican press encourage
everything looking towards perpetuation
of the protective policy, Others 60 as en-
phatically for free trade. The New York
Evening Post, referring to the claim of that
branch of the Republicans favorable to pro-
tections, says:
To come in at this late day and tell us that
| we are pledged to the policy of the defunct
Wing party on the question of tariff, is, at
hnlI yv yJnIn OF TO ho,,
otto Democrats who have responded to this
broad call, and have left long cherished par
ty, in the midst of its triumphs, for the sake of
resisting the encroachments of slavery.
Inc American people have evinced their
settled determination that. whatever changes
may hereafter be made in the tariff, shall be in
the direction of free trade, and not its opposite
ANY political organization or accidental com.
binatlon ln Congress, which shall fool.hardily
contravene this determination, may RELY upon
it that their work will never endure longer than
until the next following Presidential election
shall afford the body of the people an opportu-
ntyto give legal efficiency to their will.
The Republicans are INDUCING in large
expectations of success at the next Presi~
Dental election. They forgot that their
organization, although strong in New Eng
land and few of the western states, has
but slim support in many of the free
states, and no existence whatever in a few of
them. 1t would be we'll for our ardent New
England Republicans to look little into
the facts and figures, and not to be sapguine
of Republican success. The New York
Tribune presents the following calculation
of the relative prospects of parties, which is
worth bordering:
l. We shall, with determined and united eff
fort. carry all the States which FreMont did,
thus giving us ia electoral votes to start with
2. We shall not get an electoral vote south of
Mason Il Dixon's line.
3. We shall not carry either California or Or
egon. They must be abandoned to the Demo
Gratis, who start with l27 electoral votes.
4. Kansas will not be admitted as a state by
the present Congress.
5. All the chances we have of electing Pre-
sdent will be before the people. If the cleo
ton is thrown into the House of Representa-
tives. we cannot possibly expect to have more
than fifteen states, and seventeen will be ne
cessary.
The whole number of electoral votes will be
1903; necessary to choice, 152. In 1856, we
carried neither Pennsylvania, New Jersey. lndi-
ana, Illinois nor Minnesota. With New Jersey
| G), Pennsylvania (2O, and Minnesota a., we
shall have the required number, and not one to
spare. If we carry New Jersey %, Indiana
| G3), Illinois Q1) and Minnesota a.. they will
| give US 149 only, and we lose the election by
three votes. If Kansas is admitted, then the
whole numbes will be 3O6-necessary to
| choice, l54 and without Pennsylvania we
lose the election by t,cO votes. 1t is quite evil
dent, therefore, that the great battle-ground
will be New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Minnesota.
and the southern parts of Ohio, Indiana and
Illinois.
This exhibit, it will be perceived, is not
very fattering show for Republicanism. A
contemporary, in commenting on the fore
going statement, says:
The facts and probabilities all indicate the
success of the Democracy. We start with 127
| electoral votes sure, as the Tribune admits
and we need only &c more to secure success.
New York alone is enough, SO is Pennsylvania;
| and Indiana and Illinois, with either New Jer,
sey, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Iowa, Wis
consio or Minnesota, will give US the requisite
number. There is, therefore, no good ground
for the Boosting of the opposition papers; it is
evidently employed only to keep up the cour
age of their followers, and to inspire them to
labor for their success at home.