The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-07-31

lively and decisively into the work of our Presi-
Dental elections, as Northern political balance
OF power. In that year Mr.. Clay, although in
sentiment an andslavery man. was regarded by
the abolitioniss as Southern apollo
gist Of slavery, and upon this test some
fifteen thousand whig votes in this State were
thrown for Birney, the anti slavery candidate
for President, whereby the election was decided
in favor of Polk, the proslavery democratic
nominee. But upon the same general issue the
tables were turned in 1913 against the demo
cratic party by the Independent free soil Buffalo
organization, with Martin Van Buren, as their
Presidential champion. Thus, by The. division
of the democratic vote of this State, General Cass
was defeated, and General Taylor was elected
President. And it is not the least singular fea-
ture of that election that the line which was
then drawn by Van Buren, through the centre
of the democratic party of New York has
never been obliterated, but will account for
the line drawn through the democratic party of
the Union at the late Charleston and Baltimore
Conventions.
In 1862, upon the platform of Mr. Clay's COM
promise measures of 1850 there was an over
whelming reaction, North and South, in favor
of peace upon the slavery question Under
this conservative reaction the old whig party
was prostrated and dissolved, and the anti
slavery agitators, it was hoped, were rem
dered powerless for at least twenty years
10 come. But in 1854. Messrs. Mason, JEFF.
ferson Davis, Atchison and Douglas, of the
United States Senate, and poor Pierce hit upon
that desperate Presidential and new slave State
experiment, the Kansas Nebraska bill and
from that day to this hour, the aroused and FIVE
times multiplied antislavery legions of the
North have been steadily advancing towards
the White House, until their occupation of it on
the 4th of March next appears to be an inevita-
BILE event.
The simple truth is, that this contest is be-
tween the anti-slavery sentiment of the North
and the pro-slavery sentiment of the South. 1t
is the " irrepressible conflict" proclaimed by
w. ii. Seward but it will not result, as he
has proclaimed it, in making all the States free
States or slave States. Far otherwise. The
most probable result will be the withdrawal of
the bulk of the slave States from the Union,
sooner or later, peace or war. But it is posi-
BILE that this conflict may be prolonged until
there shall appear a party strong enough to
maintain slavery within the Union not only as
recognized by the compacts of the constitution,
but upon that high moral ground that as exist
ing in the United States, negro slavery is right
is good and proper, divinely ordained insti-
tuition.
Upon this fundamental issue the republican
party now have all the advantages on their
side. Hence the solidity Of their columns, and
hence the distractions and divisions among the
conservative and pro-slavery forces opposed to
them. But under popular government like
ours, such Southern institution as this of
slavery can never be safe until public opinion
in the North shall have been trained at least so
far to recognise 1t right and good as to let it
alone. VIII that day ever Gomez We know
not but we know, for we see, that this Presi-
dental contest, for good or evil, is the begin
ming of the end