The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-01-04
ALBANY, Dec. %, 1919.

7
Of Cato-"Who KILLED Cock Robin i"-Yan Burenism
Old Buckta,is- Charlottesville Regency-History
Of Parties, &c.
As the political year is fast drawing TO close when
the curtain that is to hide from public view of the
most prominent actors in the political drama this
history for the last quarter Of century, is about to fall
upon the of his abors cannot do lass than
bid a respectful farewell to the retiring statesman and
20 chronicle briefly the which have crowded upon
the eve Of year pregnant with excitement and conten
tous rifeevens that closely allied to the fate Of
him whose political life with the fast expiring
year.
He must be superficial observer of things who does
not discover in the downfall of leading and prominent
statesman, effect upon the destiny OF the State or
country with which he may be Identified or of whose
chain of history he forms link and to the close examn
or into the fate OF men and OF nations there
however melancholy its character may be-someth.
ing instructive in the final overthrow of a great
proud and aspiring statesman. The true searcher after
political knowledge and the lover of political science
can no where hnd wider field for useful research than
in studying the career OF political parties and their lead
and pursuing them through the various changes nd
final disaster; and among modern politicians the fate
OF but few will furnish parallel to that Of Sas Wright
in all all that at is instructive instr, as example:
the name OF Silas Wright had the effect of talismanc
charm upon great and powerful party in this Unon at
were thrice rendered him, which thrice he did refuse
His name alone as it was said of King Richard was
make and unmake Presidents while now oh! ackie peo
pie! it could not make him Governor.
"Now lies he there,
And none poor to do him reverence
What has produced this great change On what meat
hath this our Cato fed that he hath grown so hinl
Many Of the which contributed to this downfall
lie deeply buried beneath the dark current of the poit
cal waters through whose depths unpractsed or SUI
perfcal explorer can penetrate Equally amusing and
ridiculous the explanations given by Profound nolit
C. tn thaI aro
of silas Wright, reminding one of the awkward and
laughabe reasons which tneran lecturers upon science
for and effects of which they are profound
y gnorant or OF the vedicts which sometimes rem
dered according to "Crowners quest law" upon bodies
found dead. And really to read some of the politicaI
Journals OF the State might be led to suppose that all
their editors were emPannelied as coroners jury and
were giving their very wise and learned opinions upon
the all important question of who killed Cock RobiuD
In order to make the darkness which surrounds the
public mind on this subject still mpenetrabe in its
murkiness, Cato himself forward and casts his
dull gloomy shadow upon us through sixteen or
twenty columns OF the Atlas in several soporic articles
purporting to give the and consequences of the
late defeat which, together, may be regarded as sort
of valedctor Governors message or last diving
and confession That they the emanations Of the
prolific and dfusve quill of Governor Wright thew
bear the strongest possible internal evidence Int nJ
pendent OF the unmistakeabe earmarks which indicate
their auho rship the as does deny that they are
the productions of his Herculean labors although ey
have generally been ascbed TO him by the public press
Tse productions have probably been perused by that
portAn of the subscribers OF the paper which they
movements and party manifestoes but they have made
no impression upon the public mind and for any effect
it was supposed they would have produced they might
we'll have been issued from the press for they
have fallen literally sborn from IT, If ii were desired
that they should be read some other mode should have
been resored to for their PRONUNCIATION The comptrol
Ter, Mr. Fagg, who directly interested az far az
the future Is concerned might give chapter or two
causes and in his annual report or
the Attorney General might have called mass meeting
of "ireemen and witnesses" at New Scotland and I'd
forth upon the to him in his usual eo
and m mar a lie hate I~f..
which are as long as the moral law, not as much
read and far less needed than the precepts of tina.
sublime science The only way they ever obtain
thing like fair dis,ibution attentive perusa
will be TO have them divided in chapters printed on
cotton poke, handksrchies, like moral lessons for the
young, and distributed among the rising youths at the
district schools, his Exceency might combine them
in one glorious, stupendous whole and issue them as
Governors message, in opposition to John Youngs in
aigural
To be serious, it will DO conceded think that these
articles by whomsver written have fallen from the press
without producing the desired any favorable effect
far they intended TO explain the caus es of the
result of the elections this State they have totally
failed. Evidently written by strong and embittered
partzan before tho chsgrn and disappointment defeat
and the heated feelings consequent thereon had
away they give the people oil the State about as much
insight into the true causes Of the overthrow did the
famous "pronunciamento" of the rsdoubtable AmpuIa
to the asloDished and confused people OF Mexico for his
defeat at Monterey.
Tho writer goes back ten years or moro to show tho
origin OF what Is termed conservatism" in this State
and traces the rise and progress oil this section the par
ty, with an occasional infusion of elimination down to
the present day, and concludes after all this mmensity
OF labor and expenditure oil words that conservatism
was the cause OF the resultthe consequences being
somewhat OF an individual character, not so much
dwelt upon had rea on 10 Expect or rather fear
lie differs, however, in this from the Cuyuga Tocsin
one oil Catos fav0Ie and exclusive organs which as
cribes the fatal conclusion" 10 the hostility of the gene
eral administratlonU suppose he took the inoriinate
pu of Father Richie evidence of that hostility)to
the hopes and aspirations OF silas Wright. He differs
also from the NeWtrgh Telegraph, another Simon Pure
which lay the whole blame the door of
Walker and Marcy, charging them with int igung to
defeat Gov Wright for the purpose OF destroying his
prospects as prominent candidate for the Presdency
It differs also from the Globe, which said imme-
datey after the electiou that the result in con.
sequence OF their nominating candidate upon whom
tho democracy were not united and recently that
the officers OF the general administration in custom
houses and post offices in Now York and elsewbere
opposed his election under the belief that his defeat
would be agreeable at head. quarters Such are the
differences OF opinion anong these learned doctors.
think the causes are different from of these and
that their origin may Ds traced back many years and
was conseq ueDt upon more important events, than mi
SCRABBLE jealousy OF present temporary and transory
power-somethDg beyond the reach and influence Of
the administration at Washington and free from the tram
mes and control OF patty organization and usoges at
Albany.
Twenty-Five years Ego Convention was held 10 re
wise and amend the then existing constitutions Of that
time the political parties in the State very much
in the situation that they were this last yeor.
The democratic party was distracted between "buck.
tails" "Clinoniane," national republicans" and the
wings" "bsinbarncrs" "oli hunkers" and a",Uns
roners,' at the recent election The Clinton Dynasty
which had broken down the Livingston and Lewis dy.
nasty, Frustrated by the deep and subtle cunning Of
one who has held the ieins since until he himself
was finally prostrated together with his followers in
1896 need foy that roier to the exPresdent VINO
upon the rnineo hopes OF De Witt Clinton established
the Van Buren, dynasty But the Burrites we're over
thrown by the Lewistes, combined with the Clntons
the Lewisites with their powerful allies The old
Livingston stock ultimately dethroned by the power of
the ClnoDans; which, IN turn, gave way TO tie perse
vering Vaccinations and schemes of the Van Bureni,es
1t is curious TACT that each Of those different dynas
ties held sway in this state Tor the period about TWEEN
yhye years and each has fallen in its turn before the
combined forces OF Heterogeneous opposition
As in former days, the buckta party and the peoples,
party meant in fact nothing then the Clinton
md the an-Clnton party so, in fact does the old
bunker" party and the barn burner party mean nothing
more than Van Burenism and an'iVan Burenism These
lash names, given to each section in derison mean
nothing, define nothing-they convey idea OF what
party sect or principles they represent The truth s
that Van Burensm and anti-Van Burensm is tbe true
distinction and difference between the two sections of the
democratic party III this State. Had Governor Wright
been elected this fall it is well known here that he