The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-09-24
The Presidential Prospect - The APP
proaching state Elcctions-The Inn

preaching state Electf0ns-The Inn.
portant Conflict I'm Pennsylvania.
1t is q fair summing up of the political
situation at the present moment to state that
the choice of the next President of the United
States depends almost entirely upon the result
of the approaching election in Pennsylvania.
From the beginning of the year to this day,
in none of the States-except North Caro-
lina-which have spoken has there been
break effected of any consequence in the ad-
ministration lines. New Hampshire, Connec-
ticut and Oregon in the Spring and Summer,
and Vermont and Maine, in the opening of the
State battles of Autumn tell substantially the
same story, of the unity, discipline, activity
and confidence of the administration party
So far the reinforcements to the general oppo-
sition camp expected from the fusion of the
democratic party with the liberal or ant-Grant
republicans on their Cincinnati ticket and
platform, have not appeared at the hour of
trial in any State, except, perhaps, North
Carolina where the first test of the actual
strength of Mr.. Greeley as the democratic and
liberal republican standard bearer was made
under all the favoring conditions Of new
sensation.
With the failure of the opposition alliance
to elect their candidate for Governor in North
Carolina, the idea which had Immediately
followed Mr.. Greeley's nomination at Balti-
more, of great impending political revo-
luton, was greatly shaken, and the
politicians and their followers in the cause
Of Mr. Of ha
rate and doubtful character Of their bold en-
terprise. But they might make telling
impression upon Vermont; and they certainly
entertained high hopes of decisive check to
the growing of the Grant republicans in Maine.
Vermont, however, proved too closely bound
to her idols to be shaken, and even Maine, in
behalf of the administration and its supporters,
did better than they had expected. The
anti-Grant republicans had developed no
material strength in the election, and the
local issue of whiskey and beer was over
whelmed by the main question OF Grant or
Greeley. And SO, from New Hampshire in
March to Maine in September, the State cleo
tons have indicated anything but promising
break to the opposition in the lines of the
administration party. So far, too this power
full array of leading republican boilers from
General Grant, including Greeley and Brown,
Sumner, Trumbull Schurz, Banks, Fenton,
Mcclure and host of others, has given no
evidence of any considerable body of fol-
lowers.
In short, the important first essential to the
Greeley coalition of q promising opening in
the republican lines has not yet been made,
and if not gained in the coming October State
elections they will settle the question of the
national November election against Mr.. Gree
ley beyond doubt. The State elections,
therefore, in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana,
Iowa and Nebraska, of the 9Th of October, will
be fought as practically determining the Presi-
Dental issue. From the result in North Caro-
lima on the Governor it is evident that the
Southern States will be divided as between
Grant and Greeley; from the results in New
Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont and Maine
it is apparent that there is hardly ghost of
a chance for Mr.. Greeley in New England;
and from the latest elections in Oregon and
California he has not much to expect from the
Pacific Coast. He must, therefore break the
administration lines in the Central States or
in the great Western States, between Pitts
burg and St Louis on the 9th of October,
or his case from that day will be hopeless.
Nor, for these October skirmishes, does there
appear to be favorable point of attack for
the opposition alliance supporting Mr.. Gree
ley outside of Pennsylvania and Indiana.
At all events, as in the Presidential contest
of 1856, between Buchanan and Fremont, this
contest of 1872, between Grant and Greeley,
hangs upon the October State battles of Penn
sylvania and Indiana, and mainly upon Penn
sylvania. It will be remembered that in 1856
the September Maine election was carried as by
o whirlwind for Fremont, but that in October
the tide was turned in Pennsylvania. There
were then three Presidential parties in the field,
the democratic, the republican and the Ameri-
can parties. Buchanan was the democratic,
Fremont the republican, and Fillmore the
American candidate. For the October election
in Pennsylvania there was fusion between
the republicans and Americans, but there
give the State to the democrats by the slender
majority of two thousand on popular vote of
half a million. Indiana was carried in the
same way against the opposition parties, and
these two States thus secured to Buchanan in
October "by the skin of his teeth" were uni
versally accepted as settling, they did settle,
the Presidential issue of November in his favor
What is now the political situation in Penn
sylvania? 1t is mixed, doubtful and perplex-
ing There are two cliques in the republican
camp of that State, each of which aspires to
rule the party One of these cliques was sue
cessful in naming the party State ticket for
this October contest against the remonstrances
of the other, aud of course this offended
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