Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-08-15
from the New York Herald !

from the New OTk defdiQ
THE PROSPECT OF LINCOLN'S ELECTION
THE DUTY OF The OPPOSING yCANDI-
DATES.
The election of Abraham Lincoln as our next
President is now generally conceded to be inevta-
BITE. To be sure the republican party, which can
not command an electoral vote in the Southern
States is minority party in the Northern States,
and with the concentration of the forces opposed to
it. this party could easily be driven from the field.
But while it is united like Macedonian phalanx,
the superior numbers of the opposition are divided
into several hostile camps, apparently more intent
upon the destruction" of each other than upon the
defeat Of the common enemy.
The Douglas organs and orators, right and left,
are denouncing the Breckenridge ticket as the dis
union ticket the party supporting it as the South
ern diSunion party, and Mr. Buchanan is charged
with being mere instrument OF mischief III the
hands cf the Southern re-eaters. On the other
hand the organs and orators of the Breckenridge
faction repudiate Douglas as trickster and trail
tor, and semi-abolitonist playing away his hopes,
his fortunes and his lowers into the receiving bas
ket of the republican church. Mr.. Douglas, mean
timr is his travels here. speaking to hosterous
company of serenaders, there to the curious popu-
ulation of country village and Eext at 4 Yankee
cambake, and everywhere, an all occasions and
for all diseases of the body polite advertising and
recommending his patent medicine of popular or
squatter sovereignty to the people
Next there is the Bell Everett or "thc old gen.
tlemens party" very conservative party, cutting
in and cutting out, combining with opposing
Douglas, or Breckenridge or beth, as the occasion
may seem to demand. in this place. that place. and
the other. They woull be thankful, too, for the
support of the republicans, where such support
would be useful-that is in the border slave States
and they doubtless expect to get it here and there
in default of republican electoral ticket
Now, with these three parties or factions in the
field, dividing the forces opposed to the republicans
into three separate armies, exhansting their ammu
milton against each other, foollshly negotiating
impossible combinations, there is nothing in the
world to prevent the republicans cutting them all to
pieces as the first Napoleon cut up the divided for
ces of the Ausrians at Rivo. 1t is sheer nonsense
to talk of any other result with the present divi
sians and dispositions of the anti-rerublcan forces
We cannot believe that there ten men in
hundred thousand who can read newspaper who,
under the circumstances and party movements of
the day, anticipate any other result than Lncon'S
election.
With the union cooperation of the popular
elements opposed to him. he could be defeated; and
in view of this union or cooperation. we have
thrown ont the suggestion of n National Convention
in New York of the independent conservative peo-
pie, without distinction of party. But such large
bodies move slowly. This convention would take
time if undertaken at ALL and time is precious.
There is shorter and more practical method for
accomplishing the end in view. til the withdraw
al of the three tickets of Breckenridge and Lane
Douglas and johnson, and Bell and Everett, from
the field, and the adoption of single ticket upon
which these three parties may unite
But how is this to be done? Not by party eau
cuses or conferences. No! If left to the respec-
tive friends" of Breckenridge Douglas and Bell,
no arrangement of this kind would be made if the
election, for their accommodation postponed for
ten years. But there is way whereby this scheme
of fusion may he contaminated, and it is very sim
pie Let Messrs Breckenridge and Lane, Douglas
and johnson, Bell and Everett meet together in a
little convention OF six, or, if they would rather
have it, seven; let them take in General Houston,
and let them agree among themselves to withdraw
from this canvass, and recommend joint stock
ticket to the people including candidate from each
Of the two great sections of the Uncn and Lincoln
may be defeated
We assume that with each of the seven men aforc-
said party is nothing; personal diSappointments
prcjudiccS and sacrifices are nothing; and the empty
h,iSks Of party distractions are nothing, weighed
in the balance against the Union. We take it for
granted that they are patriotic men, and have sense
enough to and to know that the election Of Lin
coin will put the Union in jeopardy at once, and
may speedily destroy it. They all know that the
fixed purpose, the lone idea of the republican
party is to root ont slavery not only from the Ter
ritories, but from the United States. The seven
distinguished candidates aforesaid know that Mr..
Lincoln is pledged to this programme; that he be-
leves in it that he is an honest man, ard reso-
lutte man. and will not he diverted from what he be-
cves to be his duty. until the backward step may
be too late to from dissolution All this is
plain as day light.
Furthermore, Lincoln's election, with his new
programme, will inaugnrate new epoch and new
order of things under which all these outside can
ddates leaders and parties Of tins day will be sub
merged. Consequently. if Breckenridge and Lane
Douglas and Johnson, Bell and Everett and I1ous-
ton would he heard of after this election, they will
move now, as we have indicated, to turn it in the
right direction to save the day.