The New York herald., 1864-10-19
The Pc:iiicnt EIUddie in This Me-


The Pe:i,icnt rIuddie in Thts Me-
nopoias.
Political affairs in this city are daily bscom-
ing more and more mu ID OF There are some
dozen factions in the heid with their can
didates, and fair prospect Of half dozen
more springins up before election. Both OF
the principal part es are split into hume rous
clques, wrangling with each other. and that,
too in Presidential campaign. when it would
seem that the general interest in the campaign
would crowd out all local and minor differ.
ences. AS it now stands, the county ticket
nominated by Tammany is the only one that
looms up above this confused mass and
promises us any hope whatever.
This state Of affairs ia the result Of
the selfish operations OF some of our polt;-
cans, who care moth ng for the general
interest if their own ends can only be
served Ben and Fernando Wood have been
the chief instruments in bringing about this
general political Generalization throus hout the
city. They were both q few years since
disciples of Tammany, but, finding themselves
in minority there, and unable to accomplish
their personal purposes in that party, they
boltcd and started new organization. Through
this Fernando Wood managed to get himself
electedMayor, and after several attempts he sue
ceeded in securing recognition by the demo-
cratic party Of the State equal to that of Tam
many. These successes encouraged the dsap-
pointed politicians not only in Tammany TO or
ganize parties of their own, but 1t has extended
even to Woods Mozart Hall, and also to the re.
publican party A general disntegraton has
started in all tho parties, and secession
appears to be the rule of the hour not
only among the democratic factions, but in the
republican party. Every man who cannot
carry his point with his party immediately
starts of and sets up for himself and COM
mences regular warfare upon his former po-
ltical associates. We're it not for the effort Of
Tamnany Hall to reorganize and place itself
upon its former popular basis, the muddle in
local affairs would not furnish us CLEAN of
hope.
The Woods, by continuing this policy, finally
succeeded in electing themselves to Congress.
The moment that Fernando took bis scat there
he tried to get the whole country into the same
muddle. Following out the records left by
Vallandigham and his associates at the extra
session. he, with Ben, labored to get the demo-
cratic party in Congress into the same disor-
ganized and confused state as existed in this
city. Their course on the war soon placed the
democratic portion Of the House of Represen-
tatives at ioggerheads, until they nearly de-
stroyed the party all over the country. Had
they taken hold Of the prosecution of the war,
united with the conservative republicans, and
forced Lincoln-who Las proven himself totally
incompetent to manage ito conduct it in a
constitutional and q more efficient manner,
the democracy might have been to-day the
party of the country. But in pursuing their
disorganizing course the imbecile administra-
ton Of Mr.. Lincoln was left to pursue its sys-
tenn Of fanatioism, profigacy and recklessness,
leaving US now, with the approach Of the end Of
his term, disheartened with the prospect of
being forced to endure his misrule and mis-
management for still another four years. Had
they pursued the opposite course the doubt
which now hangs over the chances Of Mcclellan
would have never existed, and his election been
rendered . matter of certainty.
The folly Of any faction OF the democracy in
trying, directly or indirectly, to elect the two
Woods and their secesh associates to Congress
in this city, whom in the recent preliminary
elections their colleagues of the same stripe
have ail been defeated, must be apparent to
everybody. II certainly cannot secure any
good result to the party at large or add to
the chances Of the election Of General McClel-
Ian in November.