The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-02-21
Tho Prudential Campaign-A Third
Party I'm the Field.

F8Tty IN tho FI01Os
On another page we publish very curious
document: it is the manifesto of the nucleus of
a new third party which has taken the field for
the succession to the Presidency, and calls
itself constitutional Union Party" This
address is issued from the federal capital by
the Central Committee, headed by the name of
John ]. Crittenden, of Kentucky, and bears the
date of Washington's birthday, in order, we sup
pose to add to its effect. 1t announces the nten-
ton of the Executive Committee, at some future
day, to call national convention in Phla-
delphia, to nominate a candidate for President
and to organise campaign in opposition alike
to the republican and democratic parties. Yet
cisely the same as that Of the democracy. Its
cardinal principle" is declared to be-
To remove the subject of slavery from the OF
party politics. and leave to the independent control Of
the States which exists and to the unbiased action
of the judiciary all obstacles from the due and
fugitive slaves guard and enforce the supremacy OF
the laws by an impartial and strict administration
respect the rights and reverence the Union Of the
States the vital of present peace and prosperity
and the sures guarantee Of future power and happiness
Whether there are to be any other principles
enunciated than those enumerated, the commit
tee leave to the Convention to determine,
but add that they know of emo platform more
acceptable to every true patriot than the
Union, the constitution and the enforcement of
the laws"
This is precisely the conservative ground
occupied already by the democratic party, and
the new party, consisting of the remains of the
old wings and the debris the American orga-
nization, calls upon "the people of the United
States to abandon democracy and support
itself, because it has adopted the very princi-
pies proclaimed by the democratic party.
Now, it will occur to every rational mind that
this new organization is more likely to damage
than to aid the cause which it is its avowed
object to serve. The object is the same as that
of the democracy, and it is plain that the best
way of accomplishing it is by uniting both
forces together against the>common foe,
instead Of dividing their strength and turning
their Weapons against each other, which would,
perhaps, result in the defeat of both, and
the triumph of the anti-slavery revolutionists,
whose sectional position and whose ultimate
designs are thus described by the Central Com
mittee of the new party
As indication Of the character Of this struggle Of its
the significant fact that convention has been called by
Of these parties to select candidate for the Office Of
% % - tire S ns nou
are excluded.
This description of the republican party is
true and is rather under than over the mark.
Then the necessary logic of its construction"
ohould ood tho now portv IN olIv itaolf with tho
democracy, whose object is to overthrow these
black republicans In their black and foul at
tempt to seize upon the reins of government
upon asectional, disunion issue, and by meansof
ian organization which excludes fifteen States of
the Union" The democratic platform is ma
tional, and not sectional, and declares for
the equal rights of all the States; and
this equality and fraternity is the sum and
substance of the platform of the third party,
whose organization, therefore, can have no
other effect than to draw away votes from the
democracy, and so weaken its strength that re-
publicanism, both black and red, may achieve
victory, whose result to the two other parties
and the country at large may be well expressed
in the old Latin words uG rictis-"woe to the
vanquished"
The South can take care of itself, and will
vote as unit; but it will require the united
strength of all the conservatives, of every shade
| of politics, to defeat the republicans in any
Northern State except, perhaps, Oregon and
California, which only count seven electoral
votes. There is no other State north of Mason
! and Dixon's line of which it can be predicted
with confidence that it will be carried against
the revolutionary legions of black republi-
canism; so that 127 electoral votes are all that
can be calculated upon to stem the advancing
| waves of the Northern horde of keebooters
| But l54 votes are wanting; and if new party
| is going to split up the conservative strength
| of the Middle States, the chances are that the
necessary balance of twenty seven votes cannot
be obtained. Here, for instance in our own
State, the republicans and democrats are very
nearly balanced, as appeared by the result of
the last election. But let second conservative
party take away even q small portion of
democratic strength, and the State will un-
doubleday 60 black republican. But let the
conservative elements unite, and the State Is
won for the constitution. Now, upon the State
of New York the result of the election and the
fate Of the Union may depend. Its thirty-nve
votes, with the one hundred and twenty Of the
Southern States, would be more than sufficient
to elect q constitutional President, and over
throw Seward and all his higher law " host.
Or take Pennsylvania, in which the democratic
party were defeated at the last election by
some $4,000 majority. BY rallying all the ele-
ments Of conservatism In the coming conflict,
the State might be won as 1t was in 1856. But
divide them, and inevitable defeat is the result.
Yet upon Pennsylvania may hang the destiny
of the country. Its twenty. seven votes, with