The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-02-03
ALBANY Feb. I. l&9.

ALBANY Feb. 1, 1S49
The Nonpi~atiow of WILLIAM II. Sescard to the
United States Senate-The Proceedings Of the
Wing Joint Caucps-Leg,slaf,ve AGdirs, &c. &C.
The abdicstion Of Napoleon was calamity to
the world, and the restoration of William ii. Sc
ward to that great position which he could not
reach by the votes OF the people, Is calamity to
The State and the country. Thus, those results
which follow the tnumphs Of individual, may be
disastrous,a well thoee which are often caused
by their overthrow. William H. Seward has tri-
umphed; the Legislature of 1919, composed of enc
hundred and thirty-one wings and twenty-nne
democrats, have elected him as the representative
States. This official act Is an error, the conse-
quences OF which will be entailed upon the people;
they enjoyed the inestimable privilege OF choosing
their representatives In this Legislature, and the
acts, OF those representatives.. whether they be
good evil, reterrable to the people. 1t they
have been betrayed, they have remedy; let them
visit the penalty upon their immediate representa-
tlves. Seward, hiCiself Is beyond their reach tor
the next SIX yeers; the constitution has placed a
barrier bet~tep Senator Seward and the people,
anu lIons behind that barrier he may, with imPuni-
\, menace the Union and the liberties OF the peo-
PIC. they Fave 10 hold of bim;r.ths is the law
.ne following are the ProcsesaeS 81 ni 1ue
caucus Of the whig members 81 In. HoS w.,
which was held IN the Assembly chan.,' ms as
evening, and which nominated Mr.. Sewar~ ~
the whig candidate tor the Office of U. s. Senator
| The lobbies and galleries of the chamber were
hled by citizens-the interest felt by the public in
| the election OF u. s. Senator had in no way d.
minished, but had rather increased, as the time
approached for the final settlement of the ques-
tlon; hence great anxiety prevailed among the
people to witness the proceedings Of the caucus;
there were also stationed in the obbles, represen-
iatives from the several counties, who are known
TO be members OF the central anti-masonc society,
| or clique; these ps3pons attended the caucus for
the purpose of overawing and intimdating any
member who might betray factious and unruly
| spirit.
Of the oaucus and, after some slight delay Mr. Corn
we'll, Of the Senate, called the roll Of whg members Of
the Legislature They ssverslly answered to their
absent :-Of the ssnate-Messrs Colt, Gsddss, and
| Lawrence. OF the Assemby-Messrs. Bush, Cross,
Worth vincent wing M.srs E nss ana W Ro
bertson were appointed Secretaries.
., Mr r. RonInI H. psv.S offered resolution providing
candidate to be supported for the office Of United
MIR. CORNELL offered substitute to tho following
Resolved That 1t is .psdient to ballot for william
States Senator; and that proceed to ballot until
some third person receives majority Of the votes for
The substitute was disagreed to-
The question was about to be taken ON Mr.. Pruyns
address the caucus He desired to know tSs msaninS
Of the term "nomnsts" used In that resolution he
desired to be informed whether If the resolution was
adopted the minority would be bound VOTE ct the
final election for the candidate whom the majority
might choose to Designate
CHAIsMAN-The question Is ON tho adoption of the
resolution.
Mr.. JOHNSON oontinued-He said II such was the
meaning Of the resolution, he wished 1t understood
He bad come here with tho minority Without oonosrt
and ne was entirely unadvised in relation to tho
which the majority had determined to pursue This WAS
only opportunity he could have to explain his posi-.
ton upon this question. It we'll known that the
question Of caucus had beea agitated for
another question for us to determine and that was
whcherin selecting nominee for the office Of Senator
portion Of the whig party. For himself he had been .
whig from the start and hs had here to make bis
aying speech Is xhig M johnson then proceeded
era Of Clinton The whs party had always set its
face against factions and eques the principles of
Of the fundamental principles of the party as hs un
derstood It, obedience to tho law and reverence for
liberty. Were those principles predominant in the
mind Of legislator who would suffer himself to be led
or driven by . corrupt dictator? Was he free and
dictstion of another He (Ar proposed to stand
here a. an Independent man unbiased and untram-
melted in his opinions. He admitted that exsenoies
might exist when 1t would be we'll to obey party rules
even at the sacrifice Of his Judgment; but such
course would be justaabe only in Of necessity;
he should violate his ideas of justice DUTY in
order to elect VIM H. Seward to the United states
difference about men He believed it was the inten-
ton Of the majority to nominate for whom his
Mr % conscience would not permit him to veto.
held packed like this in sbhorreuoe; they had
not yet lost their horror Of such oaucues and was
violation Of their avowed principles to deny any
member of the party the right to discriminate b. |
tween rival whg candidates. The substitute offered by
MI Cornell, with sincere desire to compromise the
difficulties existing amoLg the wings in relation to this
question, has been voted down Yesterday compromise
wasered by the other sde he feared that some of the
wings had been dsluded by those offers and
had accepted the compromise offered by the Seward
clique Mr. johnson sloquently advertsd to the pre-
nd Aa
existing between the South and the North he assert
Cd that In his judgment, the election of Seward would
was to throw FIRE brand into the Senate Of the United
States MI. J. reviewed the public life Of Mr. Seward;
ecuive and to the causes which had produced
~ ME- j. denied that Seward could carry the popular
wore IN any nvs ooIns: IN the State Mr. also
land with the manifesto to the South lately issued BY
caucus OF the Southern members Of Congress; he
SION OF the truth Ct the charge which the South have
made sgainst in res the institution Of sla
very In conclusion, the honorable gentleman did not
hesitate to svow 1t as his opinion that the whig men,
bers bad been tempered with and that II left to act
have given heavy majority against Seward. MI.
We: not cbery Of the Language he employed in abiding
masonic clique to coStroi this question IN. appeal
was patriotic and forcibls It was worthy Of noble
Mr. johnson having concluded, Mr. F.xr moved to
smend Mr Pruyn's resolution, BY declaring that the
frat ballot shall be merely informal
The amendment was agreed to, and the cauous pro- |
ceeded to ballot for Q Senator With the folio Eine
result:-
William II Seward received. ....... So votes
Washington Hunt. ................... 3
Mark II. Sibley. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
John Coiller. .............,,,. IL
- i
yo'ruc ~. spencer ................ "
~ - DeAnsE ''''''s... ............
nuen maxwell. ................,..
OtsneeE
L1ther Bradish. ....................1
Jonn foung. ..."................ {"