The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-10-30

Tbs Presidsntt Coussst-Extrao.dtnaFy
mssastions anu Pfeseh Positions OF the
PsrxaAs anu Csndi dates.
The chsSges which have taken place in the
relative positions of the Presidential candidates
shd parties during the last six months are the
most extraordinary on record The shifting Il
public opinion so often in 30 short space Of
time Is without precedent 10 the history Of
the country, and shows that everything is IN
rerEtd, and that instability and revolution are
Characteristic of The times. From all the indi-
can, ls at the South IL seems evident that the
chances OF the Bell party are gone, and that
ne,i Their be nor Dougae will get a single electo-
raj vote there white every Southern State will
concentrate upon Breckenridge as their rsllying
point and centre OF union. This was not the
prospect three or four months ago. The history
and canses Of the change, embracing other mu-
t,tions in the relative positions OF parties, are
cnviors and Instructive.
When the Bell and Everett party organized
last tpfing, they called themselves Unioa
party but were regarded as old fogies behind
he age. They had no distinct issue TO
present to the people They were con-
servatye. Ike the democracy, and had no
other cem upon the public attention. But
wben The Charleston Convention was held aud
mad broken up In q split of the democracy,
then the hopes of the party were greatly ex.
cited, and they nominated Bell and Everett,
respectable old gentlemen like themselves.
They made little Roadway, however, till after
The action Of the Chicago Convention, in reject
ing Seward. created a similar split in the repub-
lean party. but not to the same extent-s
breach which was greatly widened by letters
dictated OF written b. Mr. Seward after the
Convention, assaiiing Horace Greeley aud by
GIeeley's letters in reply, and the comments
of Thurlow Weed. and the abolition press and
confidence 10 The Bell party. The wound in
The republican parry WAS filmed over TOR q
TIME but not completely healed. Meantime
the Democratic Convention met again az B.id-
more, and there the split was made permanent
The Bell men were In ecstacies. aud, as the
elections in North Carolina. Kentucky aud Ala
bara showed, they MADE great progress at ths
South, while fhe democratic party was cut up
there, owing 70 ia oan insane discussions and
the public disgust Douglas appeared to have
some large fragments adheriDg to him, and as
if be had good chance of one or tgo oonth-
ern States AT the North the Bel, p srty never
made any advance but at the South they gained
ground BY the divisions b 9th In the republican
and democratic camps. We're it not for these
their organization would never have amounted
70 anything Bat change was about TO come
over the spirit OF their dream. The elections in
the Northern aud Middle States took PLACE.
First came of the election OF Maine which
used to go democratic, but which nov gave its
reserve vote to the republicans, endorsing their
policy. This had considerable effect at the
South Ia driving the people to extremes there.
Breckenridge gained. Bell lost ground. aud
Douglas was overwhelmed in the South But
many Southern men said they relied still upon
the Middle States, and would not give the mat
ter up. Next came the elections of Pennsylva-
MIA, Indiana and Ohio. In all of these revou-
tiorary anti slavery black republicanism tri-
umphed, and the consequence was that the
v hole South was fred with excitement, and, in.
stead Of dividing it's support between Ball and
Breckenridge, IL declared almost unanimously
fer Breckenridge alone, for two reasons-frst,
because he was the representative Of the ex-
IRENE party at the South; and secondly, be-
cause IT was necessary for their own safety in
he impending crisis that the people Of the
Southern States should become united among
L. lx.xs
me policy and one front for the enemy.
The republican elections have produced this
result. and this on the other hand alarmed the
more cautious Of the republican leaders, who,
like Defrees and Corwin, came out with de-
saying that they were not abolition
sts, but conservatives This change Ia the
wind produced corresponding change, but in
the opposite direction counter current in the
republican party. The abolitonist element in
he Middle and New England States took deep
nmbrsge, and will 90 for Gerrit Smith on the
9Th Of November-tbus taxing away go large
portion Of the republican vote that Lincoln
may still be defeated.
The total result Of these different changes Is,
hat Lincoln may be overthrow; and IL he
hould, then Breckinridge would 70 to the
House Of Representatives with the votes Of the
United South, while Lincoln would have nearly,
put not the whole. North; Douglas would 90 in
bird on the list, by Northern votes; and Bell,
who cannot get An electoral vote, North or
south, would be necessarily excluded. Thus
Bell and Douglas would exchange relative
,ositions, as a short time ago II was estimated
hat II was Douglas and not Bell who would bs
In the race. II IL evident, there
ore, that had the Presidential election taken
place before the late State elections In New
England and the Middle States. the result
would have been very different from what is
Tow calculated.
THE CrrY AND County Nox~ArFoxs.-The