Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1860-09-01
New York Correspondence.

certain things Of the day, is the political
currents, like the channel in the Upper
Mississippi, one night is sufficient to pro-
duce change enough to turn the steamer
that is ploughng her waters, to some
other portion of the river. THIS it is with
the political river, upon whose bosom is
now floating five or six Presidential
crafts, including fat-boats and scows.
A few weeks ago the high pressure
steamer "Fire Eater" was proud,
ploughing its waters, with every pros
pect of clear sailing ahead; all of sud
den there came a freshet, carrying with
it an immense quantity of sand, COM
pletely b.ockading the old channel and
forming a new one on the other side Of
Ballot Island. The pilot Of the "Fire
Eater" not dreaming but that every
thing remained in its former condition,
fdlowed the old path and soon found the
Fire Eater" stuck fast in sand bar,
unable to eAtlicate herself, the quicksand
filling in around her SO rapidly that she
was even unable to retrace he. steps.
10 the meantime the two steamers,
"Uuion" and popular Sovereignty"
came putting along, the pilots being men
that understood the nature of the under
current, turned their vessels to the other
side Of the island and had clear sailing,
meeting with no distractions whatever,
and are now sailing together, making
rapid Roadway amongst the shoals and
qucksands of the stream. Occasionally
the steamer ~ MON" meets with an OBJ
struction, when all hands on board the
craft popular Sovereignty" turns to
and help her out Of her trouble; few
hours elapse when the steamer "Pop,la'
Sovereignty" comes in contact with
sand bar, and the "Uoion" craft pays
her debt by helping her over the diff
Guilty.
Having left the high pressure steamer
Sire Eater" on the sand bar almost a
total wreck, those two steamers are
rapidly gaining upon the clipper ship
"I,repressible Conflict and are now 10
a fair prospect of passing her before the
head of navigation is reached. Already
there has mutiny commenced on board
the clipper SIR. pressiblc Conflict its
motley crew Of black, white, green ard
gray have commenced quarreing like
cats and dogs. They have become dis
satisfied with the colors under which
they are sailing, one party insisting
that they shall pull down the Niger and
hoist the protection flag, bat the oppo-
site faction insist that their motto shall
be "Free Trade and fee negroes" 1t
is now believed that many of the crew
will desert the ship, and, between the
/. quarrels of the two factions, no one will
observe the rapid changing in the cur
rents, or give to the pilot the word OF
danger, and he unconsciousy will steer
= her into bed of quicksand, leaving
c the race to be completed by the ~ uion''
and the popular Sovereignty" crafts.
One popularity of the navigation Of
this political river, is the fact tn at every-
e body expects sudden changes in the
= channel, yet the captains aud pilots Of
r the several crafts pay but little attention
to those changes and 90 steaming along
/, until Their own buIl-headism brings them
against snag that makes their vessel
o almost wreck.
Il The race between these Presidential
crafts is becoming interesting and as one
8 by one is laid up on the quicksands OF
e the stream the others put ON extra steam.
The clipper "Irrepressible Conflict
}. anxious to distance all of her competi.
. tors at the commencement of the race
b has used her most combustible fuel first
: and is likely to run out long before she
: reaches her journsy's end. Her on.y