The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-11-02
The Great Meeting OF the LocofocOs In the
Park Yesterday-Great Northumberland
and Grand split up-Fiaro up and Burst

any other city on the face of our beautiful globe
| Ii was a truly American scene. Under the broad,
free canopy of blessed American sky, the en-
ightened and independent citizens of The chief ctyoi
the Union, were gathered in thousands, to exercise
the rights OF citizenship The entire area in front of
the City Hall was crowded by dense mass of hui
man beings. The rays of the declining sun shone
with a friendly radiance on the vast multitude, and
the windows OF the City Hall were FURNISHED so
brightly by the golden beams, that it seemed as if
the whole interior of the edifice was in flames.
There could not have been less than twelve thou
sand persons on the ground, embracing all classes
and conditions, from the well fed, well dressed
merchant down town, to the ragged, greasy loafer,
who vegetables on the "Five Points" The genteel
classes mustered strong about the pertico, on the
balcony, and at the windows of the Hall, whilst
round the platform were closely packed the hard
listed, red flannel ranks of the great democratic
party On the outskirts of the crowd were groups
of curious spectators, who were afraid TO miDgle
with the multitude, and few women and boys
| The Mayor sat quietly in his offce-a posse of po
1 lice officers occupied the ante-room-a band of
| music played Yankee Doodle" in trent of sold
| Tammany"-the star spangled banner foated
| lazily in the evening breeze, from the flag
| staff on its roof-the Park Fountain bub-
| bed up, in conemptuous disregard of every
thing around 1.-THE leaves fell slowly from the trees
as the passing breeze swept along-the stranger in
Broadway stopped on his way for moment and
wondered what all that crowd meantime mob
cheered, and had its rough jokes, and swayed to
and fro, and groaned, and swore as mob ought to
| do-the pickpockets were as dgent and successful
as usual-and every sensible spectatorwas profound
ly impressed with a conviction of the truth that
| New York mass meeting is thing SUI generis-a
great, important, instructive, influential, highly re-
| spectacle affair.
1t were vain TO attempt recital of the various
political parties represented There were REGULARS"
and ''irregulars," Irregular irregulars, irregular
regulars" sold democrats and ''young democrats"
| cold hunkers'' and "young huukers, ""huge paws"
Spank enders" "indomtables," "subterraneans,"
blackguards of every description and all the tag rag
and bobtail which make up the OmNium gatherum
party-the pure, free, intelligent, honest, patriotic,
virtuous, moral, and peaceable democracy" of the
metropolis of the Union.
At about half past three o'clock, portion of the
| subterranean guard were seen slowly ascending the
rostrum erected in the Park, and in few moments
it was densely covered Mike Walsh here came
upon the stand accompanied by seve al of hisfriends
and Henry E. Refill He came forward and ad-
dressed the assemblage as follows:-
ave have assembled here as democrats to express our
opinions the questions to be presented before usa
we ask is fair expression Of public opinon-that we
| intend to have and that we will abide by"
This was followed by cheers, Kisses, and all sorts
| of noise from the crowd. A band of music sta
| toned upon he portico fronting the Governors
| Room, struck up the " Marseilles Hymn" which
| being concluded, cries Of "The Star Spangled
| Banner" followed, which was also played, and the
! boys" on the stand joined IN the chorus. At ten
minutes before four o'clock, some white headed
| genius, whose name We could not learn, and who
had crawled up the steps leading to the rostrum,
cried out,
Gentlemen move that Daniel 10. Briggs be elected
as chairman"
An almost unanimous cry, of "lts not time yet
four oclocks the hour" was the response. The
hour was fast approaching and intense excitement
existed. Henry Arcuarus, j., OF the third ward,
who had been selected by the subterraneans TO
preside the meeting here assembled the plat
form amid The cheers OF portion OF the dense mu
utude. Immediately the slaves OF police officers
were seen in the distance coming from the Mayors
office, and they mounted the rostrum for the pur-
| pose OF clearing II from those who had taken pos
session, in order to give the REGULARS" as they call
| ed themselves clear way and no lncumbrance. The
| occupants OF the stand made open rebellion against
this movement, and Walsh who appeared to be the
general leader came forward and said
"Au you who in favor of us being on the stand an
| swer yes; and those opposed say no."
Here general shout of "aye," "aye,"
and then followed cries of mo- 4" no ;" and the
party on the stand stood as they were. 1t was now
| two minutes before o'clock, and the dense mass
seemed, by their partial silence and anxiety, to be
| on the eve of some sudden revolution. As the
| minute hand OF the City Hall clock moved slowly
to the anxiously expected nick of time, all eyes
| were turned towards the stage, and Walsh
| nominated HENRY ARCuLARIUs, jr. as president of
the meeting. The ayes and nays were put and the
question being considered doubtful, they were called
| second time and decision given that ArSuarius
| was selected as Chairman. Cries OF "no, no.
''yes, yes'-"put HIM in"-"turn him OUT" follow
| ed, annie which Arcularius came forward and
addressed the crowd as iollows:-
| GENrLrmsS-Jt has been declared that have been
selected the President of this meeng-f you say
will preside its deliberations at the hazard Of
oi Yes, yes"ISNo, nos1"Glye US Brigssa"aGo on, 60
on') Gentlemen, am not TO be Led by any set
of men, in this affair, but shall act accordingt my die
tstes OF right and reason and the meet prefer Daniel
D. Briggs, an perfectly willing to accede to it."
Loud cries Of Bravo" Go on" Stay where
you are"-" Put him OUT" Give us Briggs, &C.,
followed, but the question was again taken, and Ar
cularius having been declared as having received a
majority of voices he took his position in the centre
OF the platform.
CHARLES E. NEWMAN here stepped forward to no.
inmate the Vice Presidents, when some fellows
bawled out, Hey, Charley, get your breeches
| mended"-to which some one on the stage respond.
| ed, SECT out, you son OF gun-go TO your hole"
| The scene here became truly exciting, and every
| kind of expression was banded backward and for,
ward from the stage to the spectators, and vtce versa
| Little Tom Doyle, OF the 4th ward, had elevated
himself the bannster OF the steps OF the rostrum,
like wren on pole, and screeched outat the top
OF his voce;-
Mr. Cheerman-l propose that the county ticket be
adopted
Great laughter followed this announcement, and
Tommy slid down the bannister into the hands oil
some subteraneans below, who passed him off
| among the crowd in the most harmless Manner
| Things began now 10 assume more serious aspect,
and Arcularius announced that the meeting was
| now ready TO hear the report OF the nominating
| committee, but no nominating committee made
| their appearance. Cries of Where's the nomina-
| ting committee ~" Why the hell dom: they re.
port ~ followed, but no business appeared before
the meeting, except the tauns and jeers Of many
the stand in reply to shouts of the crowd below,