The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-06-07
G IL EAT EETIN G
OLD GUARD OF THE DEMO CRACY
0E MEw YORK,
THE BARN RS.
RIGHTF Full CONF USION
A GRAPHIC DEsCR

OF the barnburners was to be held in the Park, we
attended according to our duty, knowing that the
public throughout this vast Union would look to
us for all the information, and would expect to
tadin the NeW York Herald faithful transcr tip of
the passing events, and connexions, and motions
OF the day, in all places But, though we found the
public prepared and waiting, and some four or five
thousand people assembled in the Park for the pro-
mugated meeting, to our utter astonishment the
very persons who had called the meetlng-the par
ty which was to figure in 1t, which was to come
forward and make its pronunciamento-had either
been asleep or quarrelling in the long interval be-
tween the announcement of the meeting and the
ur OF It's assembling; for after five O'Clock, the
time fixed upon for meeting, while the public Was
all ready to hear, no place was prepared tor the
speakers or the press, and the carpenters were be-
ginning 10 busy themselves with making prepara-
tons. This, we thought, did not look like
discipline and good arrangement, or any ar
rangcment at all in the " Old Guard - MS we under
party called barnburners is called sometimes
Surely thought these cannot be- they said to
be Van Buren, men," else they give the lie to the
reputation they had acquired for pulling all to-
gether and planning all together and planning every
thing we'll We little prepared for The that
were to follow, should have spared our wonder
and admiration have them upon the scenes
which afterwards took pla' e. Meantime while we
were waiting with the people, inside the edihce which
the carpenters erccting till the parties who called
the meeting should be ready meet the meeting which
they had caedand far only to make fools of them
we amused ourselves with mixing among the i'm
throng and groups Of people who had assembled,
observing their looks appearances and COMBINATIONS
and listening to their audible and we may say public
conversation. A common feeling of excitement and
curiosity seemed to pervade the assembly; and might
truly be said of them that the greater part knew not
wherefore they were come together" Hence we were
led to the conviction that the barnburners Sect
very little if at ALL understood comprchended
beyond the initiated of their family circle.
Candor and truth oblge to say this, and it flows
not from party animosty for neither favor nor dis
favor neither love hate, nor do we care many
sraws about or the other of the many mere party
which laboring to build themselves by jump
ing upon the shoulders of the people, We observed in
groups the old familiar faces of hackneyed
politicians whose whole soul body aud sp rit
swallowed up with one thought, one idea. one single
contemplation which is, whether A. B., or C. d. shall
win the stakes in the political faro bank. The use
biase haggard countenances of these political gamblers
betrayed their feelings and their profession they looked
for all the world like the careless. easy, staggering,
anxious looking gamblers who come on board the
boats the Mississippi river. and who are ready TO
smile and grin, and shake hands with every pody IN
the hopes that ultimately they get something out
of them. There great deal of anxious talk and
speculation about the next Presidency about Cass and
Butler Clay and Taylor, and the Philadelphia wing con-
venton We shall know all about it Tomorrow said
some; Taylor is the man, said another Cass cannot
be elected said third urrah for Cass cried others.
The scene was quite animated; and meantime, the
crowd continued to increase, till amounted to eight
ten thousand at least denseiy packed on the City
Hall steps and round the rough box at which the car
penters all this time engaged in hammering.-
At length however before the place fully prepar-
among planks and nails, aud tools ana work
men. crowd rushed up the steps upon the
platform, and filed it in an instant We never
witnessed confusion and never so completely
tramped under foot. 1t was impossible to make use
of pencil paper and the account we shall give OF the
speeches will necessarily be chiefly from memory. In
the midst of this tumultuous crowd-pushing and elbow
ing other whenever we bent down and attempted
to write two or three stout fellows jumping upon
shoulders pushed hither and thithcr and swayed like
feather to and fro, by the dense mass which pressed
upon us-a man at our elbow made his way to the
front board, against which were violently Jam
med expected every moment to be crushed to death
precptated by the breaking of the front plankinto
the dense of human heads below and cried out
that he nominated Marx Spencer OF the Ninth ward TO
preside this meeting. NV VIC began to entertain
some hopes that it would be n meeting soon though
where were it was nothing but a mob, and mob OF
the rudest most violent and insulting description We
were literally jumped upon, pushed about elbowed
stuck ribs, and driven backwards and forwards
upwards and downwards, against men, against posts,
against panks, and against our will, like cork shut
tie cock We could hardly look or about-our lives
were in danger while in the crowd below all tole
rabe order and quiet If this, thought We Is the way
the barnburners manage their own business, how
they to maiage the business and government OF
the nation af which Of course like all parties they
aspire! Several names were then propounded as wee
Presidents Of the meeting In the midst of all this re-
marliable confusion.
lie Hon. Mr.. CAMnHEL.Ne then appeared. leaning
by necessity-for no one could Standard pushed and
jamIncd against the rough papk-addresfd the meet
ing H. said - Friends aud fellow citizens feel glad
e. find mys elf once more surrounded by the old
gu .rd me who have fought aud in the
and great campaigns of the democracy; and who
have been defeated except and then it was
by fraud. When were defeated at the Baltimore con-
vcntion 1t was effected by the stratagem of the
servaves. But, fellow citizens, come again among
you pure pure the old democracy. aud not
rs conservatives We have been virtually banished
because we would not ge with the of the
South up to the high water mark. Why Is 1t, fellow
citizens that the conservatives among the democracy
alone acceptable to the South The reason is be-
cause they the enemies of the glorious measure
the sub-reasury system-a measure which will forever
immortase The of him who created it, and who
nv wa he nrstp H. G
the 81 ate from each other When were voted down
the old guard of the democracy was voted down
the Union itself was virtually voted down Here
completely overcome. and pushed down
and about and had to sustain load of MOI taty on
shoulders beside our Seeing the utter mpos
sibty of taking in such meeting, we'll known
and highly respectable member of the press, who
present in white hat proposed that all the members
of the press present should leave the meeting; and
had consulted our own personal feelings, and lis
tened to the dictates Of suerings and indig
nation and withal "a very necessary conditon been
able to get away would have left the tumultuous
and dis graceful scene. We very anxious to
,rt Mr. Canbreengs speech faithfully and filly-as
he would have been glad himself to have IL report
edas always report for the Herdid-but IL was i'm
possible. An appeal was made to the nominal Pres-
dent to create order but he did not prcsidc-a
mob presided him. and literally sat upon him and
over him Instead Lof his presiding the meeting
Mr.. Cambrcleng continued speaking. and CONNIE nted
upon the measures of the administration. He said 1t
had been engaged in President-making the first roll
Of the drum at Palo Alto the begnnin signal for
makng and that future President they had
been making Zachary Taylor. IL he should be
nominated by the WING Convention, he would be
elected by regulars and volunteers oget herr and for
that rcsat, MIR. Polk and the Secretary of War
were to be thanked. But, said Mr. Cambreleng,
not here FOR the purpose of discussing the question
of Preside making; meet for higher and greater
purpose discuss the great and important question
Of freedom in free Statcs-whcthcr free States to
be continued free, whether Southern slavery Is to
be extended them and deprive them of the freedom
they have heretofore enjoyed, (Chccrs Westand upon
the old democratic ground Our principle our motto.
mo interference with the existing institutions OF
the south on the part of the North; and no inter
ference with the existing freedom Of free States
the part Of the South Great applausc) This Is
our prin cipc. II is the old principle of the old de-
mocraoy. both Northern and Southern; and those
who oppose II the enemies Of true democracy and
of all the most sacred principles of democracy which
hitherto have been held sacred in the democratic
ranks (Great applausc) The South ovcrratcs its
strength If 1t calculates upon imposing its slavery
upon the free States of the North throwing II upon
any other states which free. No,-the South can
more do this against the North. than Northern
pitalists could impose taxes upon the South. Mr..
Camtreeng concluded able, logical, and well ex-
pressed specch-which II was impossible to report,