Year: 1860

EDITOR OF THE DEMOCRAT. The breaking up
of the Charleston Convention without accomplish
ing the purpose for which it assembled, although
not wholly unexpected, has produced marked
effect here among business men. 1t seems to
them a good deal like the first act Of tragedy,
the catastrophe of which may be a dissolution Of
the federal Union. Some newspapers affect to
regard the inability of the Convention to agree
upon platform as a mere pretense, and affirm
that the only real point at issue between the con-
tending factions is the nomination of a man who,
if elected would divide the spoils of victory in
satisfactory manner. l am confident that that
view of the subject is erroneous, and that its pro-
mitigation will be productive of mischief, byl
lulling the public mind in some parts Of the Union
to unsuspecting Indifference to the critical and
precarious condition of the relations which bind
the States together. Of course, selfshness, pr
vate friendship, personal enmty, revenge, admira-
ton, and all other passions exerted their share of
influence over the delegates to Charleston All
men are and ever will be more or less Influenced
by their passions, but incline to the belief that
the disruption of the Charleston Convention was
really caused by ali irreconcileable difference Of
opinion on the right of STAKEHOLDER to emigrate
to territory with his sIa,s, and there hold them
as slaves, protected in his ownership by the fed
eral authorities against all the enactments to the
contrary BY a territorial legislature One section
of the Democracy claims, as a constitutional right,
the active intervention Of the federal government
to protect slave property in the territories, and
contends that majority Of the voters in terri
tory have ne right to interfere in the matter until
after said territory shall have been admitted intcj
the Union as a sovereign State; while the c.der'
section Of the Democracy contends, on the con-
trary that it is the federal government which has
no right to interfere, but that the majority of the
people Of territory should possess the exclusive
right to determine whether slavery should exist
among them or not. Whatever minor influences
may have accelerated the disruption of the Con-
vention, there is no doubt repeat, that there
is principle involved in it which deserves the
serious consideration of the people do not see
how this schsm can operate otherwise than dis
astrously to the Democratic party, and to the
country, unless it be agreed, at the second
Convention, in Baltimore, to leave the dis


puted question of slavery in the territories tc
the decision of the Supreme Court of the United
States. If that course be pursued and if it be
remembered by the delegates that either the
South or the North is politically powerless alone,
and that triun phi is impossible to the Democracy
without Candidate around whose standard the
conservative spirit of the whole country may and
will rally, we may look for nomination that will
be equivalent to an election. If, on the contrary,
these considerations give way to those of private
ambition or local strength, the government VII


certainly pass into the hands of the abOlitOnists


One of the most glaring illustrations of thC
corruption of our municipal government is thu
passage, last week, by the Common Council, of q
resolution ordering 5000 copies of the report o


the Atlantic Cable Celebration, to be printed il


pamphlet form. The idea of taking pains, a


this late date, to remind the world of our havinj


acted like asses in giving premature ovation Il


Cyrus W. Field, would be supremely ridiculous


if it were not villainous. Everybody knows tina


the pamphlet will only be read by proof reader


that three times the regular prices will be pa


to the printer, and that the overplus will be share


by one or more of the Common Council. But W


are so used to this sort of thing in New York tha
no one is surprised.


The entire first floor of one of our most fash


ionable hotels has been engaged for the use c
the Japan Embassy, and $50 900 have been ap


propriated to defray the expenses of the recer


ton Glorious times for the Aldermen 1t


to be hoped that a committee of private citizens


gentlemen of education and culture, will be en-


trusted with the duties of entertaining the Prime


of Wales, who may be expected to pass throug


New York shortly, on his way to Washington


Our Aldermen will do well enough to receive th
; gentlemen from Japan, provided a few exper


enced detectives are detailed for the protection
2 the oriental visitors from the light.fngered dez
terity which one or two of our city officials al


understood to have acquired during their lon


and friendly associations with the chevalirs da
dlstrie of New York but the Prince of Vale


who is SAID to be a young gentleman Of educatio


and cultivated tastes, should be waited upon
least by men with clean teeth and nails, able
speak tolerable English wi hout too much of O
apparent effort, and somewhat familiar with II
/ usages and requirements of good society
4 America. There are hundreds of men in Ne
, York who would represent the city credtably G
4: this occasion, but the members of the CommC
b tuncil, with few exceptions. would be muC
q more at home with the under servants of Il
, Prince than with their royal master.


Il N. IL