The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-01-27
The Next Presidential Battie-Will
there be four RIchmonds in the Ficidf


The next House of Representatives may
prove TO be body of extraordinary impor.
lance, for il will not only have to legislate
upon subjects of unusual magnitude, but it
may have to elect President
Tho evidences Of wide divcrsites Of orin.
ion ON leading questions become day by day
more apparent in each of the political parties
These divereitics break out in the debates
Of Congress and of State Legislatures, in the
messages Of Governors and the resolutions
Of Conventions, through the columns Of pub
lie journals and the speeches Of private in
dividuals The opinions of the Western De-
mocracy, for example, are decidedly opposed
10 those Of the Eastern in regard to the proper
mode of reducing the national debt and en-
larging the volume of the currency while,
on the other hand the Western Republicans
differ from the Eastern quite rs seriously on
free trade and a high protective tariff In
decd the Western leaders of both parties are
more In accord with one another on financial
and commercial subjects. than with distin-
Cuished members OF their respective organi-
cations on this side Of the Alleghanies
&c. too, we lnd antagonists opinions be-
tween the North aud the South on recon
structon, the validity Of the so-called carpet
bag governments, the permanency of tho
Fifteenth Amendment, and the admission of
the whole body of the late rebels to the right
to vote and hold office. If we are TO trust
tho most solemn declarations of the leaders
Of those peculiar elements below the Poto
mac and the Ohio, upon which the De
mocracy must rely for party in that section
of the Union, they intend to accept in good
faith the whole series of reconstruction
measures On the other hand, mngnates of
the Northern Democracy seem ready to stake
the triumph of the party on the success Of a
fierce crusade against these measures.
Nov, though these four factions have
some points of agreement. they exhibit 30
many more of antagonism that it seems
hardly possible to preserve old party organi-
zations intact after the pressure exercised by
the great exigencies of the last dozen years is
removed. There is therefore, O serious proba-
bility that we may see four formidable can
didates in the field for the next Presidency,
instead of only two.
Our history records several occasions Of
this sort The most conspicuous was In
1924, at the general dissolution of old parties
near the close Of MoERoL's Administration,
mn epoch, by the by very similar TO the
present. Five candidate entered the lists
JACKSON. ADAMS, CRAWFORD, CLAY, aud
CALHOUN. The last named soon retired, leav-
ing the other four to contend for the prize
CRAWFORD was the regular Democratic can
didate, ADAMS represented the policy and
the wishes Of MONROE, JACKSON reflected
the passions and the enthusiasm of the West
while CLAY, who had long been the eloquent
advocate in Congress of protective tariff
and internal improvements, relied upon his
personal popularity.
The result of the struggle is instructive
The caucus candidate of the Democracy was
beaten for the first time in twenty four years,
CRAWFORD receiving only IL votes CLAY
got but 81, while JACKSON obtained 3d. and
ADAMS ~. There being no choice by the
Presidential Electors, the names Of the three
highest candidates were sent TO the House Of
Representatives, when ADAMS, through the
aid of CLAY was chosen, thus giving oc-
rasion for a cry of larGain md corruption
against those eminent statesmen that rang
through the land for dozen years aiterward.
For all substantial purposes, CRAWFORD
hnd ADAMS were the regular candidates Of
the two parties yet tho large majority of
the people ignored their claims and why Z
Because the ancient regime in each party lad
Lost its prestige; and, more especially, be.
cause the issues out of which spmng the
war with England in 1872, and on which the
two parties had been divided had passed
away, and the pcol lie would not tolerate fur
thcr contention about them, but demanded a
reorganization OF parties, and the considcra.
ton OF the new questions then rising for
eettlomcnt.
Is not the nation just entering upon state
Of affairs analogous 10 that which marked
the JACKSON and ADAMS cpochi Do party
leaders believe they can carry the two old
political organizations unbroken through the
coming campaign Let them look 10 the
materials that viii compose the next House
for it is very likely TO be called upon 10 elect
the next President