The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-08-16
TUESDAY. AUGUST i6, 1854.
THE CHICAGO CONVENTION.


There is evidently q great and growing
Holicitude among the people as to the result Of
the coming Presidential election. Two candi-
dates are already in the field, and 1t il yet un-
certain how many more may be nominated
before the canvass Is closed. Public curiosity
is moot exercised just now, however, with
reference to the action Of the Democratic
Convention TO meet shortly at Chicago
Everybody is asking who will be It's nominee
Sor the succession, and nobody is able TO
answer the question. The plain truth is that
the leaders Of the Democracy have not, up TO
this time, indicated so decided preference for
any one person as to afford any sufficient
ground for even guess as to the choice that
viii be ultimately made.
1t may happen--Rnd indeed It is not at all
improbable--that none Of the several promi-
nent gentlemen thus far spoken of will be
selected. five Judge from what we see and
hear, the opposition TO the present Admins
tration are sadly at a loss for man of such
commanding and overshadowlng merit as to
unite on him at once, and decisively, any
respectable portion of the party, much less a
majority. There are many available candi-
RE, SEYMOUR, PIERCE, FILLMORE, McCLEL-
Lam, VALLANDIeHAM, PENDLEToN, VooR-
HEEs, WOODWARD, BLACK, REED, and Others
But II 10 q remarkable fact that, while the
day for the assembling of the Chicago Con-
vention Is rapidly drawing near, the sentiment
OF the Democracy seems TO be as unsettled
and divided, respecting the ticket 10 be agreed
upon, as It was six or twelve months ago.
Nor Is this perplexity likely to be diminished
as the time for the decision to be made ap-
proaches. The crowd of equally meritorious,
yet inferior and ordinary, men is so great
wofhere Is not one that clearly overtops
-4.eb all In character and ability, that the
Chicago Convention is likely to be seriously,
If not fatally, distracted and embarrassed by
the conflicting pretensions of rival mediocre
ties.
But this want of decidedly and universally
acceptable candidate for the nomination Is not
the only, nor the greatest, difficulty to be en-
countered by the opposition. They promise
to be much more seriously divided by differ
ences Of political opinion as regards the ques-
tion Of peace or war. On these subjects they
appear TO be hopelessly disagreed and irreso-
Lutte. The peace men "at any price and on
any terms" are obviously afraid to avow their
true sentn1ents. On the other hand the men
who are for the war, provided it is prosecuted
constitutiOnally, seem afraid to plant them
selves distinctly and conclusively on that
platform.
1t Is only q few days ago that the former
held caucus IN New York to compare views.
We know that the meeting was not at all
harmonious. One member, ex-senator
BAYABD, ef Delaware, is reported to have LEFT
the conclave In disgust, and the rest finally
dispersed without coming to any satisfactory
understanding. These elements of discord
are not apt to be reconciled by time. Indeed,
they win, most probably, be intensified and
confirmed by every effort to compose and
sssimilate them. They will rage, we doubt
not, with fierce violence at Chicago in the
grand parliament which the Democrats
are TO hold there for settling their
political creed and selecting the men
who are to be the chosen ex-
emplars and champions of it. Aud when
the contest once begins between the antago-
nistic factions-the war and peace men-it will
wax warmer and warmer as the discussion
progresses, until at last the assemblage will
break up in grand row, resulting eventually,
perhaps, in two tickets and two platforms
after the manner of the Charleston Conven-
tion, and the defeat of both. Such catas-
trophe is not at all improbable, In view OF the
bitter spirit OF discord that divides the Demo
cracy with regard to the present state of the
country and the policy that should be pur-
sued in respect to it; and all true patriots
viii devoutly pray that the power of its enc
mics 10 injure or destroy the nation may yet
BE- defeated by their divided couusels