The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-05-13

| Interregnum and Then o Fresh De-
| parture.
No great measures can be expected from
Congress this session Only appropriation
and revenue bills, and such as may be deemed
expedient for immediate political effect, are
likely to be passed or urged Any Others
except such private or lobby schemes to
plumber the government as may be adroitly
sandwiched in general bills, have little chance
of Legislative action. The same may be said
of our State Legislature, and, perhaps, Of other
Legislatures also. The Presidential election
next November, and the Congressional and
other elections during the remainder Of this
year, which will be Influenced by and have a
bearing upon the Presidential contest, will
absorb the attention of our law makers and
politicians. They will be disinclined to do
more than is absolutely necessary to carry on
the machinery Of government from fear of
touching the interests of certain classes. All
parties desire to secure the greatest support,
and will consequently, avoid alternating any
section or class by decisive measures They
prefer to bridge over the next seven months
by comparative inactivity, and to hold out
hope for the future
Look at the political work laid out for the
next seven months 1t would puzzle ordinary
people, or any people except professional poll
ticians and the men of the press, who have to
keep vigilant eye on all such movements, to
understand the purpose, machinery and drift
Of the numerous conventions, national and
Gtoto tc ho ho11 hot kIo
next fall. They are all arranged, however,
with reference to one another, and oil have
bearing towards the grand general result Of
tho Presidential election, the political COM
plexion Of the next Congress and the policy
Of the government hereafter, Even the local
politics and measures of the several States are
managed at this time more with view to
national affairs than to State or municipal
wants. The difficulty at Albany about pass
ing proper charter for the city Of New York
and other needful acts Of legislation, crises If
great measure from that catise. The people
Of Connecticut are more interested just now in
the election of United States Senator to repre-
sent their State than in local legislation, be-
cause that bears upon federal politics and the
issues t9 b decided i II November These re-
marks apply to other States and localities as
well, for all are under the same influence. All
are looking to the great quadrennial contest in
our national politics. This is the maelstrom
that carries along with it every object till the
end shall be reached.
Judging from what has been done already
in the preparatory work for making Presi-
dent and from the programme before u.s. there
is a prospect of such excitement as has not
been witnessed since the election of 1860
Though there had been some preliminary Skin
mishing during the winter and opening of
spring, the political campaign fairly COM
menced with the Cincinnati Convention.
This was really q national convention, though
brought together in more informal and
impromptu manner than such bodies usually
are There will be two other important
national conventions-that Of the regular
republicans and administration party, at Phila-
delphia, on the 9Th of June, and the regular
Democratic Convention, at Baltimore, on the
9th of July. In the meantime, there will be
conventions in the different States to choose
delegates to these and with view to give
direction to the political currents We shall
have, for example, the Democratic Convention
of this State at Rochester on next Wednesday,
Each will give some indication Of the current
Of public or political sentiment, 80 that as one
after the other finishes its work we shall be
able to form an opinion Of the prospect.
The Women's Rights Conventions and, per-
haps, some others that may be worked up by
few erratic agitators are hardly worth notice
except for the amusement they afford the
public. They will have little influence on the
Presidential election or action Of the great
political parties.
This period, then, while being one of politi-
cal excitement and activity, necessarily brings
something like an interregnum of Legislative
and governmental action for as was said be-
fore, the minds Of our public men are too much
engrossd with the Presidential contest and
national politics to attend properly to legisla-
ton. They are narrowed down to temporary
expedients. 1t is much the same with the Ex-
ecutive as with the Legislature. Any compre-
hensive and statesmanlike action on the tariff,
amnesty, civil service reform, reduction Of tax
alton, or anything else on the part Of Congress,
or any decided and sble foreign policy with
regard to England, Spain, Mexico, or sny
other country, on the part Of the Executive, is
not likely to be adopted A little demonstra-
ton for popular effect might be made, but that
is all. If even the administration or any party
in Congress were disposed to make bold
movement to win large share Of popular
favor its open and secret opponentss would
throw obstacles in the way Ges.aeral Grant
has become embarrassed BY Inc division in his
party and hardly Knows which way to turn.
Political discussions have been famed into
real difficulties. With the open or secret
detection Of rivals and disappointed men
in the republican ranks, together with
The open hostility of the democrats,