The New York herald., 1867-03-26
Tho Next Prcsideocy-The Prospect for
New Opposition Party.

Tho Next Pre-,deocy-The Prospect for n
New Opposition Party.
| Great political parties, like great empires,
when they have no longer any outside enemies
to fight. are apt to fall 70 pieces from internal
disturbances Thus the old Jefersonan repub-
lican party Of this country, which carried
everything before 1t from 1900 to 1890. went
to pieces in the Presidential scrub race OF 1924,
because there was no longer an opposition
party in the field, the old federal organization
having grown "smal by degrees and beauti-
fully less" till entirely frittered away. Our
present republican party, organized In 1854,
for the restriction Of African slavery to its
then existing limits, has, since 1t was elected to
power in 1860, achieved the total abolition OF
slavery and the elevation of the black race to
civil and political equality with the dominant
white race in the reconstruction Of the rebel
States. This brief statement covers . series Of
conflicts and triumphs in the battle fields Of
the South, In tho political elections Of the
North and in the legislation of Congress, so
terrible, splendid and decisive as to be with
out anything like parallel in the records Of
any other party or people under the sun.
But now comes the danger OF internal dis
sensions, all outside hostile coalitions against
this powerful party having been disarmed
and defeated, North and South. Having,
! therefore, now nothing better to do, the repub-
licans of Congress ore beginning that inva-
| .riably disastrous squabble among themselves
for the leaders baton, for the power, spoils
| and plunder. The late passage-at-arms be-
tween Bingham and Butler, the party divisions
on the impeachment question and the ridicu-
lous smelling committees and their astonish-
ing discoveries Of mares nests in the shape Of
Custom House-all signify the beginning Of
the decentralization and disintegration of the
party. Have the republican leaders forgotten
the important historical fact that the fatal dis
solution Of the old democratic party COM
menced with its squabbles over the spoils of
the New York Custom House Poor Pierce
carried New York in 1852 by $4,000 majority
over General Scott; and yet in 1858 the de-
mocracy Of this State were divided into two
nearly equal factions, hardshels and softshells,
thus letting the election go by default and
losing it again from this same division in
1854, and all because of the party squabble
over Collector Bronson, hardshell, and then
over Collector Redfed, softshell, and the
spoils Of our Custom House. From that divi-
sion the democrats never recovered, and they
have never since that split regained the EN-
pire Stale, except in the sporadic election of
Seymour in 1852, on the war platform.
Had President Johnson. like poor Pierce,
maintained his fight Tor the succession, inside
his party lines, he would probably have been
as successful as Pierce ip breaking up his
paFty. But the moment III. Johnson broke
ground for now and Independent Presidential
johnson party, the wavering republicans took
the alarm. and their radical whippers-in soon
brought them into line again. Ask Mr.. Ray
mond and the Rev. Horny Ward Beecher. Thus
in all his conflicts with Congress Mr.. johnson
has still strengthened and consolidated the re-
democracy supporting him, till he and they
are as powerless In the clenched hand OF Con-
gress as the rebel States. What prospect,
then, is there for . new opposition party in
the Presidential contest OF 1861 Mr.. August
Belmont and his national democratic COM
mittee see no opening for the present. bat they
are hopefully waiting for something to turn
up" Something, too, may turn up, very much
to their advantage in behalf Of . new national
opposition party before next spring. The 6nal
break up of the old democracy occurred In
1860, in their quarrels over their rival Presi-
dental platforms and candidates. In 1864, in
the midst of the war, the same causes for q
time threatened a division OF the republican
party. II was only the popularity of President
Lincoln and the war that saved it. How much
greater, then, must the chances of rupture be
when this party Is lett without q recognized
leader and without platform and with half
dozen Presidential candidates and cliques
mining and countermining for the inside track.
In any event, General Longstreet, in his
frank and sensible advice as an honest soldier,
TO the people of the rebel States, has pointed
out their way of salvation. II is honest sub
mission to the issues Of the war embodied in
the laws Of Congress. General Wade Hamp-
ton, ON the other hand, has shown those people
their true plan OF political action. II is the
sagacious plan Of fusing the interests Of whites
and blacks, planters and laborers, in q
new and harmonious Southern political
party. With anything like systematic and
general action ia that direction the ten ex.
cluded States may regain their seats in Con-
gress next winter and be able to present q
solid front on their own Presidential ticket in
1868. Here, then, will be a balance Of power
upon which the floating elements Of the North,
on the new political issues which will soon
come into the foreground, may build up new
and powerful opposition party. Meantime
when the leaders Of tho party in power can
find no better employment than wrsngling
among themselves and with the President and
his ofhcial subordlnates over the spoils Of the