The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-07-25
Tue Presidential Posi-What the Leading
Pol .licians OF ths Country Think.


Pol ticiaps of aha Country think.
We publish to-day series Of conversations
| with leading public men in different parts OF
| the country on he Presidential question Just
| now looming up in the eyes of the people. 1t
will be seen that there is general acques-
| cencc in the denomination Of President Grant
by the republicans, the politicians of both par
| ties conceding it as foregone conclusion.
But the democrats have not yet settled down
npon candidate. Hancock is in many re-
spects their strongest man. He has a brilliant
war record and his peace record is conserva-
tive and WISE He would neither govern the
| South by military power nor vex the North
with the dead issues OF negro slavery and negro
suffrage. But in all the high qualities which
distinguish him he is equalled by Chief Justice
Chase, and surpassed in those which wait
mostly upon age and come only with political
service and experience. If the democracy
should make him their candidate they would
find it difficult to fill the other place on the
ticket; but with Chase and Hancock they
would have one round and perfect as star.
The perfection of ticket depends as much
upon the names of the candidates as their
qualities The wings would have had great
difficulty in electng Harrison and Tyler had
| il not been for their effective war-cry OF
''Tippecanoe andTyler too" The unpronounce-
ability of Mr. Frelnghuysen's name had much
to do with the defeat Of Clay in 1874. What
elected Buchanan and Breckenridge it is diff
cult to tell unless it was the juxtapostion of
the two Bs /; but Polk and Dallas, Pierce and
King, even Taylor and Fillmore and Lincoln
and Hamlin, were easily grasped by the peo-
pie. Had General Pierce's name been pro-
nounced generally as the Yankees pronounce
it, Perez, this would in itself have beaten him.
| Grants patronymic, In spite of the well-known
oddities of the paternal Jesse, is good name
to attach Colfax or Cameron to but Chase
and Hancock is the perfection of beauty. Sey-
mour was defeated by the everlasting blare
over the name of his associate but in Chase
there are running qualities and in Hancock
fighting qualities that must not be overlooked
in a political canvass.
These mature reflections, in connection with
the opinions of the men who this day speak
tUIOuSu tuo LhbALD, may AoVO WIZ ShSNs Va
rousing Tammany from its lethargy. The fact
| that just now Tammany is demoralized. The
late riots have greatly discomposed the war
riors Of the wigwam. They are waiting for
the country to speak more Enthusiastically be-
fore they make any movement Of their Presi-
| dental columns. A few hot-headed persons !,
| Orangemen aud Ribbonmen, made all their pre-
vious figures come out wrong, and they cannot
begin again without fresh data. This we fur
nish them with in q measure this morning, and
they may now Sgain 60 on and endeavor to
work out the great problem.
But not only Tammany but the whole demo-
cratic party is for the present in a quandary.
The men who are aspirants for the Presidential
nomination are averse to the interviewing re-
porter; they are afraid to talk lest word
should blow their political craft clean out Of
the water Hancock is ready enough to de-
clare himself upon any necessary occasion,
and to define his position when the work of a
convention is ended; but now he keeps bis
mouth Theoretically sealed. Chase is also
silent, but few weeks ago he spoke clearly
! and succinctly to q HERALD correspondent
| That conversation we partially reproduce to-
day, together with some Of the letters and
opinions of General Hancock, to show the fit
ness of both to become the democratic standard
bearers. Hendricks alone has the courage or
the foresight to discuss the Presid entail issues
and even he is wonderfully reserved and reti
cent on the great question of the nomination.
Everybody will come round to it in time; but
then it may be too late to catch the breeze
which bears forward to victory.
The thoughts of the leading politicians Of
the country are always an important matter
in the year preceding Presidential nomina-
ton. The republicans all think that Grant
will be renominated, and most of them believe
he will be reelected. But the democrats do
not appear to be thinking to any great pur-
pose. They have too many candidates and
too few counsellors. Each Of their leading
men demands the Presidency or nothing.
Hoffman, Hendricks, Pendleton, John Quincy
Adams, even staid old Asa Packer would
hesitate about the Vice Presidency. TIL,
Office seems to have fallen into contempt
whether through Andy Johnson or through
Ben Wade we are at loss to decide. Th
should not be the case, for the position is al
honorable one, which has been filed by Johr
Adams, jefferson, George Clinton, Daniel D
Tomkins Calhoun and Van Buren,, and it only
falls short of the responsibility and dignity o
the Presidential chair itself. To name veal
, man for the place is to weaken the chances o
a ticket immensely, and sometimes to defeat /
in the face of excellent prospects. IF tn
democrats should repeat in 1872 the folly o
1868 they will be likely to be punished then a
they were punished before.
One Of the most remarkable Indications o
the personal feelings of leading democrats vi