The New York herald., 1871-11-22

''The proposed coalition Of the democratic
party with anti-administration and conserva-
tive republicans" says . Washington corre-
spondent Of the Baltimore Gazette, sis the
principal topic among politicians" arriving in
the national capital, and that ''the newest phase
Of it is . combination for the nomination of
Mr.. Sumner for President" II further appears
from the same authority that ''the argument in
his favor is that he would take from the re-
publican ranks more of the positive voters
those who were pronounced anti-slavery men
in their early days-than any other candidate
that could be named, and that, In addition to
this, che would get all the support Of con-
servative republicans that any other nominee
would command" But, then, we are told, on
the other hand, that ''this Sumner movement
seems to emanate from dsafected republicans,
and does not meet with warm encouragement
from the democrats, especially the old line
men;" that for new departure they prefer
Trumbull or Judge Davis, and that many
democrats prefer to stick to their old party
flag under some such man as General Han
cock.
But on this question touching this proposed
coalition we are informed that SIT is probable
that an informal meeting of members Of Con-
gress and other leading democrats will take
place early next month at Washington, to con-
slider the situation, and, in conjunction with
the National Democratic Congressional Com
mittse, issue an address to the democracy on
the subject" Many leading democrats, who
have been consulted, object to this new de-
parture, and hold that, II 1t were proper in
other views, 1t comes too late for 1872. We,
| also, rather incline to the opinion that the
Democratic Congressional Committee, after
considering the situation, will agree that it is
too late for 1872 to sink their organization in
q new party movement and too early for
| 1875.
They viii discover that Mr.. Sumner belongs
to q political epoch that has gone by; that
| the issues with which his name is most con-
spicuously identified are dead issues, and that
so it is with most Of your disafected repub-
licans. Our democratic explorers for q new
departure will also make the discovery that
the masses Of the republican party through
Grant, and that 10 bolt from the administra-
ton very few will be the followers of Sum-
ner, Trumbull, Gratz Brown, Butler or
Greeley to the democratic camp. With these
discoveries the democratic managers will
decline to disband their party for the doubtful
reinforcements Of the proposed coalition, and,
consequently, as "the mountain will not
come to Mohammed, Mohammed must 60 to
the mountain" But will these republican mall
contents 60 over to the democracy Doubt
full. We think they will rather try the
experiments Of an Independent republican
ticket, in tho vain hope Of carrying of the
political balance of power in the election, as
third party in the fight.
The history Of our political parties and dis
appointed politicians Is full Of these expert
ments, and they have, since Jackson's time,
frequently turned the scale in our Presidential
contests. For instance, In 1874, In the con-
test between Polk and Clay, when the issue
depended upon the vote Of New York, this
vote was turned in favor Of Polk by some five
thousand plurality, in consequence of the de-
fection of some fifteen thousand anti-slavery
wings in the western part Of the State, who
could not exactly concur in Clay's moderate
views on the Texas annexation question, and
who, therefore, cast their votes for Birney,
the abolition candidate, thus giving the State
to Polk and electing him President. Again,
in 1S4s. Martin Van Buren,, who believed him
self outrageously cheated in the Democratic
Baltimore Convention Of that year, and who
was bound to have his revenge, ran as the
free soil or anti-slavery candidate, and, In
carrying of the democratic balance Of power
In New York from General Cass, gave the
State to General Taylor and 90 elected him
President.
And yet again, In 1856, Mr.. Fillmore,
elected az Vice President In 184S, and pro-
NOTED to the Presidential Office on the death
of Taylor, and ever since that day ambitious
of another term in his own right, resolved to
try his hand in . new party movement. The
main fight was between Buchanan and FIRE.
mont, and, had there been no third party In
the way, Fremont would have been unques-
tionably elected; but the Fillmore movement
Of the so-called American party, In cutting
Fremont out Of Pennsylvania In October,
turned the scale In favor Of Buchanan and
| elected him President In November The
splitting up Of the democratic party in 1860,
between Douglas, Breckenridge and Lane,
was by heavier wedges than personal rivalrles
and jealousies, aud the result was one Of the
most decisive and remarkable political revo-
lutions in the history of the world but still
personal rivaries and jealousies among the
party leaders had much to do with the collapse
Of the Charleston Convention.
But another remarkable, though a somewhat
more ridiculous case Of convention Of boilers
was that Of the soreheaded anti Lincoln re-
publcans Of 1864. Mr.. Chase had been ac-
lively and earnestly engineering to cut out