Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-07-19

The Baltimore Conyeutio1-the great Coafer-
ence Of the Democratic pSrty Of the Uai;ed
Ss'cs-ass met ST Baltimore, AMI hSs ctacel
the party. For the first lime, we believe, since
lie orCsuizlfi0u, which dates back sim0si TO the
term OF the Uniici States themselves, the Demo
c-ats have net pa; forward any distinctive party
candidate ior the Presidential ofice. such is
the pretent condition Of psr'y which hiss. With
= few exceptional periods. during which its in
ll5Uce Wss never uuieit ruled America for
nearly ha'fs century. lie decideuce has been
very rapid aimee the election Of 1852 1t had
begun With the complete moral degradation
which arose from its alliance with slavery
70 clrTy thtt ,ys'eu it tsi to make friends
with every other species of unrigh:e0usnets,
uu:il the Democratic nsme became synony-
nous wi,d everything thAt was bIse aad rufii,n-
lT The elements which had loug been i;s
strength became i's ve.k15f.. 90 coon
IS ale conscience Of the nation hSd
Teen Sroased on the ooe b.nI, anil the
fesrs OF tie slave S;stes 90 excited on
the ether, ne TO make them force the
the parry On sets OF violence for whch the times
were unPropitio1s. Oui Of thS, came the Kan
sss difficulties, Snt the split, which gave the
PresiIcn;Faip 70 Mr. Lincoln, though the Demo
csars sill hsd rsJ J9rify of votes. From this
tlrc msiness and imbse,iity ruled their councils
The Southern portion oj The uArtJ went into re-
bel!ilu, while the Northern party. IS such, wr
too besottei by the old Sl,i4nce % take their
stand frankly on patriotic grounds. Many Of
the best ofthem openly deserted the cause the
rest fell into constantly increasing discredit by
their covert resistance 10 the war, which after
all wss open enough to show itself in the share
of formidable riot in New York city. After
the Wsr they continued the came courte by de-
msnding the repudistion Of the debt snd the
few LAST months have been sgnalizei By the cx-
posure Of gigantic frauds committed by the
dregs Of the leaders in New York, who, through
the dregs, had in fact, come to Represent the
psIty, 50 fSr s. that State vas concerned II
vss time that in tlms way the men who still call
themselves democrats should break with their re-
cent traditions This they have done By eectiug
as their cSaddate the person nominated by
section Of tEeir opponents, their own life long
aud c1nsiEtent enemy. they have virtually dis
banded, or have merged themselves into por-
ton Of the more taceeftful and LEES deprsved
Republican organization. Whether they will
continue in this new combination will, we may
suppose, depend partly on the measure Of Mr..
Greeley's tuccess Should he be electei, it will
be natural for every one who contributed to the
resul;s 10 claim thSre in the triumph, aud we
mSy, in that case. look f1T ! homogeneous min
HterlAl party on neH batiE, and probably with
name yet to be invented In csse of Mr..
Greeleys defeat, on the other hand, we shall
probably find the Democratic alliance with
portion OF the Republicans only Last during the
election. In one case or smother the Greeley
Republicans will then get back again into com
munon with the Grant Republicans, sud the
Democrats will be left to themselves 10 seek
new basis Of SctiOn, evoked from the polit-
csl c0nsciousness Of their own party.
The Enforcement by the Democratic Convention
Of the nomination at Cincinnati Of the most un-
compromising antagonist Of the Democrats will
no doubt give grest confidence to the friends Of
this candidate. But so far IS we can Judge it j,
easy 10 over estimate the influence of this fact
upou the election. We imagine that such nom
inSt0n ls proof OF The shsence Of party discp-
line-thst it is in fact a ,ignsl Of breaking up,
snd that the body which has heretofore moved
with unfal;cring un.nimty at the call of those
whom il recognized ss leaders. is very likely to
dissolve; each member Of it taking his own wSy
in future One element Of Importance in any
forecsst Of the resut of the coming election is
the dIspGsiion Of the lately revolted States
They are once more in a position 10 vote, and
whether they will choose between Mr.. Greeley
and General GrSnt aTpesrs to us to be at pre-
sent question of much difficulty. Should they
so nearly in body. they would probably decide
the election but We know Of no spesikl reasons
as between the tso candidates, which should
promp: them to such unilel action.