The new era., 1860-04-19
The Great Question.

The Great Question.
An able communication appears in
the Tribuns headed "Survey of the
whole Subject" 1t is written in a spir-
it, calm, thoughtful and pacific, and
with an ability we have seldom seen
surpassed in any newspaper article
The writer would draw the attention of
the party t. the danger of nominating
at Chicago any man who is not able to
command the electoral votes Of PennsyI-
vania, New Jersey, and Indiana, and at
least some support in some Of the South
ern States. We copy one paragraph
from this letter. 1t appears to us to be
full of truth and significance. We may
be mistaken; but we ask our friends to
pause on these interrogatories little,
and then answer them each to himself:
These persons naturally ask themselves, what
will be the state Of things, supposing Mr. Seward
or Mr.. Ctase, or any other Republican of that
type, be chosen President OF course he will
uOt HAVE leCeiFcu q VOte soutn OF mason ana DlX-
sons line. Is there not, then, a gulf, dark and
dangerous, opened wide betwee en- the North and
South, along that hitherto nominal division
Will not history, then, have finscrlbed the awful
words " Division of the Union,'' in our national
annals and even on our national map? find shall
the Republican party dig this gulf'
find what will be the situation Of an .Ajminis-
tratlon under such President? The Senate will
certainly be against him perhaps, and | should
DrOhahlV ale oft x,or
Is beneficent legislation likely 10 flourish in such
state of things fire we likely TO have peace,
and quiet, and prosperity 1t will be contended
that the Government only represents the North,
and the South will cry out against it. find will
not the spirit of Disunion thrive under such irr-
alton and provocation
Now, think there many, very many Re-
pubcans who will reflect in this wise, and who
will not vote for any candidate, who, it is clear,
cannot carry a single Slave State, or have a fair
electoral ticket, out Of the Free States. 1t is not
safe to follow those who
marrow the mind,
lind give up TO party what is meant for mandkind
For our own part, the views implied
in these questions are in entire cores
pondence with our own. We therefore
endorse them with our whole heart.
Our Choice.
But there is another question prelim-
mary to this. Would there be the least
reasonable hope Of the election Of Mr..
Seward or Mr. Chase if nominated p
According to our political arithmetic,
which, we are free to admit, does not go
beyond fuxions, no pronounced Repub-
lican like Mr.. Seward, Mr. Chase or
Mr.. Wade. can by any possibility
achieve triumph at the present time.
Everything is against the hope of such
an event. The events Of the past year,
such as have most influenced the popu-
lar feeling, have all conspired to destroy
it. During the storm, sectional feeling
both in Congress and at the south hoped
to triumph. 1t was bold, audacious, de-
fiant. 1t assailed the Constitution
itself 1t profaned things the most sa-
cred, and scoffed at associations and
memories held ever dear since the Rev
olution. A calm has now succeeded.
The public mind is for the most part in
a state. of rest. In this every patriot
rejoices, and for its indefinite continu-
ance every unselfish heart in the repub-
lie will not cease to hope and labor.
In this state of public feeling it is evil
dent that no leader of a party can sue
ceed whose public acts have a section
al bearing, or who is not himself rep
resentatlve of the conservative element
which is to control the coming Presiden-
tiai election We might just as we'll
look this matter in the face first as last.
We must face the music. We must do
it now when it will profit, else we shall
be forced to do it when it is too late.
No straight Republican, so called, can
carry Pennsylvania. Indiana, and Hi
nois. The whole tenor, tone, and i'm
port of the press, for the last six months,
it tseems to us, have been sufficient to set
tie this question in the minds of the most
impracticable.
The aid of -Schwarz, Haskin, Rey-
nolds, Adrian-in fact the entire anti
Lecompton element are indispensable.
Remember the struggle in Congress
over Sherman. He was a thoroughly re-
preventative man of the Republican party
He was what we term in these days
pronounced Republican, man of mark
and ability withal-of high character,
with qualifications eminent for the post
10 which he aspired. What was the
result OF that contest, with the Republi
cans in body on one side, and the op-
position on the other Every anneol
to the patriotism, prejudice, feelings and
passions. Of the peoples Representative
proved unavailing. And it was not ii,
forty days and almost forty nights had
been spent in exciting and fruitless dis
cussion not till Mr.. Sherman withdraw