The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-24

Will us pitiiui salary VI twenty-five tnOuSanu
a year, and its incessant annoyances, tortures
and thankless drudgery is not desirable
position. 1t was place of stately ease and
dignity under the old regime, from Washing
ton down to Jackson, and, for substantial
reasons, too often overlooked. Under that
old regime we had boundless virgin country,
with sparse population-some four millions
in 1870 and less than thirteen millions in 1880.
We had room enough through all this period
for all corners, even in New York, and nvit-
ing employments for all. Living was cheap
and abundant labor was everywhere 10 de-
mand. The public jobs, spoils and plumber,
on the other hand, were small, and the poll
ticians, instead of being hungry and desperate
adventures, as they are now, were generally
men of substance and character And they
were not hurried through life in those days by
railways and telegraphs but the whole
country, in all its pursuits prosperous and
happy, logged along as dro wsily as the daily
routine of Virginia tobacco plantation. The
change came with Jackson first, in his
division of the spoils and next in the intro
ductiOn OF railroads, and then with the swell
ing tide of emigration from Europe. And so
the pursuit of politics, rapidly extending, be-
came rapidly corrupt and demoralizing as the
public plumber increased with our wealth and
population and the expenses of the govern
ment. Hence the enlarged corruption, the
widening ambition and the still Increasing
scramble from term to term among our
b,,n
dency.
And so through all this second period of the
government, from Jackson to Lincoln, with all
the prosecutions and savsh duties entailed
upon the President only here and there have
we had man who filed the office regularly or
accidentally, for only one term or part of term,
who was satisfied with it, Van Buren, fought
for twelve years for a second term, but was
compelled to stick to his cabbages--his early
Yorks and drumheads Harrison, in one short
month as President, worried to death by his
Office besgars, died aud made no sign for the
succession. Tyler got up a little national
convention for another term on his own ac-
count, but it was failure Polk was ambi,<
tious for second term, but he was ruled oSt.
Taylor died in the White House froWf' sheer
exhaustion, as Buffalo Bill would die if re-
moved from the freedom Of the great Plains to
city millner's shop, Fillmore fought for
second term like Van Buren,, and with the
same results,/ Pierce, like Oliver Twist,
wanted ''alittle more, but it was denied him.
BuchaHan, as he rode up by the side of cold
Abe" in the same open barouche Ga graceful
acD to Lincoln's Inauguration, was the happy
man, and Lincoln was the melancholy one
No wonder, when poor ''Od Buck" was bid
ding goodby to the fierce rebellion, which had
risen up in his presence as his master, while
"Old Abe" was entering upon his terrible
struggle with it, and while General Scott with
all his warlike precautions, was uncertain as
to the possession of the national capital at
sunset.
With Lincoln was opened the third great
period in our political history, and how is it
going? How many patriotic politicians have
we at this time who, directly or indirectly, may
be counted as Presidential candidates? Their
name is Legion, though only few have blown
their pretensions to the world. Last year.
after the New Hampshire election, among the
numerous Presidential race horses trotted out
by the democrats were Hoffman, English,
Parker, Hancock, Packer, Pendleton, Thur
man and Hendricks; and the sleek and shin
ing Hoffman, backed by Tammany, led the
gay procession. This year, after the New
Hampshire election, all these entries are with
drawn. From English to Hendricks these
availables of last March are ''down among the
dead men, for even our worthy Governor is
counted as dead as Andy Johnson. The late
active democratic party has become passive.
1t is weaving around itself the cocoon of the
passive policy, hoping to be changed from the
ugly grub to the lovely butterfly by the Gin
cnnati Convention. And so there is nothing
doing among the dem ,crats in behalf of the
usual regular democratic ticket. Mr.. Belmont
awaits the action of Gratz Brown and Carl
Schurz and the upshot of their anti-Grant
republican flank movement. Or the democratic
party may now be called the cart stuck in the
mud, and Mr.. Brown has volunteered as the
horse to pull it out. Mr. Belmont is waiting
for this new horse, and expects him to go
before the cart; but still, if necessary, the
cart will 60 before the horse or without this
new horse. Let it suffice, meantime, that all
the democratic candidates for the succession,
with the party itself, are withdrawn from the
field, awaiting the issue of the Cincinnati Anti
Grant Republican Convention.
What is the prospect here9 Here we get
into Dismal Swamp, which, like the Lowery
swamp in North Carolina, is strong defen-
sive position; for in it few men may hold
their ground against thousand. But how
they are going to come out is another ques-
ton. This Cincinnati Convention is called
by Mr.. Brown and his Missouri followers to