The New York herald., 1864-09-16
The Presidential Issue-The Pennsyiva-
MIA October iEiection.

The Prcsidential Issue-The Pennsyiva-
MIA October iEiection.
As goes Pennsylvania In October so will 60
the Presidential election of November. We
are drawn to this conclusion from the results
Of the recent State elections, and from ell the
signs of the times in connection with some of
our most prominent political landmarks Of the
last half century.
Pennsylvania, from her central position and
her important electoral vote, has always
welded, through her local October election,
a potential influence over the Presidential re-
suit. For instance, in her October election OF
lsiS the whig party was successful only by
the paltry majority OF some three hundred
votes but it was go far considered conclusive
that, in the next or November national contest,
General Taylor carried the State by fifteen
thousand, and the November vote in other
States was in like manner more or less af-
fected. In October. 1882 the democrats car
ried Pennsylvania by majority Of twenty
thousaud-a result which was followed in No
vember by the annihilatiou of the old whig
party. Its history as q national organization
ceased with that contest.
The opposition elements against the democ-
racy were then drawn of between two new
parties-a bigoted Know Nothing and fanati-
cal abolition organization. Their common in
terest however, was the defeat of the demo-
cratic party, and by complete fusion in the
Pennsylvania October election Of 1856 Ere
mont would doubtless have been chosen Presi-
dent in November. But the Know Nothing
| factions were in the market, and the Chevalier
Forney, then Chairman Of the Pennsylvania
Democratic State Central Committee, 10 levy
upon the party capitalists Of this city, at the
New York Hotel. succeeded in raising a fund
sufficient to buy up the popular balance OF
power from the Pennsylvania Know Nothings;
and thus, by the scanty popular majority of
some two thousand. by which that State was
carried in October, from the moral effects of
the result throughout the country, Buchanan,
| in November, was elected President.
BUT that October misfortune to Fremont was
not altogether due to the New York election
eering fund raised by Forney. Mr.. W. II
Seward was lukewarm supporter of Fremont,
and Thurlow Weed was then, as now, the good
| man Friday Of Seward. They and their
confidential retainers permitted Penasyl-
vania to be lost from their jealousy of Fre-
mont Two hundred thousand dollars on their
side would, doubtless, have overtopped For
ney, defeated Buchanan, and STAYED of this
terrible and disastrous rebellion, notwithstand.
ing the threatenings Of Henry A. Wise How
now stands the case in Pennsylvania, For
ney, Seward and Weed are all on the side Of
President Lincoln. But Forney is not 80 en-
thusiastic for Lincoln as he was for Buchanan.
Seward is occupied at Washington and Thur
low Weed has dwind!ed down to worn out,
superannuated lobby jobber, of no further ac-
count to any candidate or party. Mr.. Bel
mont, then, in Pennsylvania has a golden
opportunity offered him for splendid financial
flank movement against the shoddy republi-
cans. looking to the decisive advantage of
democratic victory in the Keystone State in
October. We guess that the copperhead peace
deserters from the Chicago candidate can be
bought and that good lot of the other float
ing elements of Pennsylvania, as usual, are in
the market.
In any event the issue is not between the
platform of the Baltimore Shoddy Convention
and that Of the Chicago Shent-per- -shent Cou-
veutiOn; but it is between the two opposing
candidates-Lincoln and Mcclellan. Substan-
TALLY, in reference to the paramount question
ofthe war, they occupy the same ground, and
it remains to be seen whether the democrats, in
being restored to their Union and war plat
form Of 1862, with Mcclellan, will be enabled
to recover the ground they have since lost.
The Pennsylvania October elections will solve
this problem. 1t must be remembered. bow
ever, that in the October election of that State
Of 1862, which the democrats Carried by three
thousand FIVE hundred majority, there was a
deficiency in the popular vote Of the State OF
nearly hundred thousand, which, being
brought out in 1868, gave Gov. Curtin, repub-
lican. majority Of fifteen thousand.
This is the majority which the friends OF
Gen Mcclellan will have to overcome in Penn
sylvania in October to secure fair prospect o;
success in November. There is. meantime a
fair field in that State for all the spare cash Of
Mr.. Belmont and all the active campaigners
Of the Union democracy.
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