The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-08-15

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Course OF Our Happy RevoIution-The
Results in the south Point to the Duty
OF the North.
The great features Of the present political
campaign are beginning to stand out with a
distinctness that even he who runs may read
them, and comprehend the tendencies of the
deep and all pervading revolution which is
working itself out in every section of the
Union.
For nearly twenty years parties have been
without any great political issues. The policy
of the government in finance and material de-
velopement was settled in the struggle of giant
intelects which commenced soon after the IT,
auguration of President Adams, in 1924, and
which for three Presidential terms ranged the
advocates of conflicting interests and ideas with
a sharpness that left no room even to imagine
the existence of third party. The democratic
policy triumphed, and its antagonists dissolved,
confessing that the theories for which they
had 30 long battled had become obso.
lete ideas. Without q strong opposition
to concentrate its energies and its aims, 1t Was
natural that the democratic party should
become degenerate. Its triumphant organiza-
ton passed into the hands of minor capacities,
with only private and selfish ends to serve and
for the last dozen years their corruption has
offended the sense of ell right minded men. A
temporary reaction, few years since, gave a
sudden vitality to the Know Nothing organiza-
ton; but the proscriptve sentiment which
animated that movement was utterly distssie-
full to the American heart, aud its party
organization sank with the same rapidity with
which it had risen.
In this state Of things the browning act
Of the rotten and corrupt democracy was con-
summated. The Kansas Nebraska bill, with its
repeal of the Missouri Compromise, and its
formal introduction of the moral question of
slavery as a political issue, was the fruit of the
petty minds that controlled the democratic
organization. Its results soon began to be
seen. Instead of giving living issue and new
life to worn out party organization, 1t
fostered the impracticable and worthless aims
of set Of ultra Southern politicians.
and disguised the common seuse Of
the people North and South. Professional
politicians and demagogues in the North, Of the
same petty calibre in stateemanship with the
Southern party wirepullers, seized the occasion
in order to turn 1t to their own profit moral
propaganda, based on the question Of slavery,
but embracing, also, temperance, womsn's
rights. and host Of isms, WAS preached from
pulpit and platform In every Northern commu-
nifty. Slavery, stigmatized as great moral
evil and sin, as the sum Of all villanies," was
made the object Of o political crusade, and three
thousand clergymen entered the political Geld
rs agitators in the campaign Of 1856. The mo-
raj sentiment of the masses, In the absence of
any real political Issue, was stimulated to fana.
ticism as q motive In political action.
This movement eliminated In 1859 with the
John Brown raid In Virginia In the course
Of its development Spooner had demon
strated how the constitution could be made
an abolition instrument, and every slave
liberated by babeas corpus Helper had
published his handbook Of incendiary re-
volution; Lincoln had proclaimed in Ili-
nois the "irrepressible conflict between
the North and the South, and Seward had pro.
nounced at Rochester bis brutal and bloody
manifesto. John Browns raid awoke the con-
servative sentiment In the North to a sense Of
the danger that was imminent, and the reaction
commenced. The Helper candidate for Speak
er Of the House was defeated when Con-
gress met Seward returned from Europe.
and, accedine, for a time. to the clamors
of his conservative friends, delivered In
the Senate q speech recediug from the
brutal and bloody positions be had assumed
at Rochester minor leaders made concilis-
tory speeches In and ont Of Congress, and
deprecated the violence Of Su,aner and other
plre and simple abolitionisr: the fanatics wore
derca ID In the local elections Of Rhode Tsiaod
and Wisconsin. and brought to the verge OF
defeat In Connecticut. and finally Seward Wa
rejected at Chicago ~ too radically revolution
airy. although Lincoln, q still more radical revo
lu,ionist. was foisted upon the unwilling dele