The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-04-17

L
SAcHEHs.-We gave yesterday the result Of the
very important election for the sachems and other
omcers Of the I" Tammany Society,"" or the " Co
lumbar Order" which was held on Monday night
The contest was hot-but the hunkers carried the
election, and will accordingly Dust the barnburn-
| ers' committee, whose chairman is Fernando
Wood. The "Wcstem" Committee will be re-
cognised as Simon Pure Some Of the hunkcrs
voted for Noah, that old hbeer of thirty years.
standing, and secret Custom House Inspector to
ooo'-out he was properly defeated. He has be-
lcnged, and does now belong, to all parties, and is
| true TO none.
Yet all this fuss about Tammany, and Sachems,
and committees, may be Greek or Indian to most
Oh our readers, and We WILL therefore, give brief
statement ofwhat it means.
few years prior to the revolution, there existed
many British clubs or societies, such as the st.
Georges, St David's, ST. Andrews, &C., not only
IN this city, but ST. George societies were opened
in all the maritmes towns and cities Of the colo
MES The members Of these societies were all
lIege subjects of King George. In l773, when dis
affection to the mother country Gas Great Britain
was then called) began to spread through her
North American colonies, those opposed to the
relations that existed found it necessary to form
some rallying point, in order TO ascertain and COM
bine their own strength. This was the origin of
the ST. Tammany Society, or Columbian Order,
and its operations were secret, and directed against
toryism, until after the revolution, and when the
constitution was adopted. 1t then directed its
power against federalism, and that party that in
herited, to certain extent the men and principles
of the '76 tories
1t has more of the power and Characteristic Of a
national institution than of local one, and, in
times Of trial, has welded terrible power through
out the federal Union. There are members Of the
order from every State, and have been from its
commencement Its Sachems are thirteen, com
putting with the thirteen original States that formed
the Union. Its banners are thirteen, each having
the name and coat Of arms of these old thirteen
States emblazoned upon it. On its books are en-
rolled some of the most prominent dead and living
Statesmen of the democratic party such as De Witt
Clinton, Aaron Burr, Daniel ID. Tompkins, Andrew
Jackson, r. M. Johnson, Martin Van Buren,, Dixon
II. Lewis, and host Of the planets, stars, and
small lights Of the great republican party, COM
prising about 1000 names. There are, perhaps,
600 now living. Of these, about $50 generally
meet at the ANNUAL election This yeaf lsa Yo'sa'
The Tammany Society own the building known as
Tammany Hall, which is worth 100000. The
Sachems vote all appropriations and collect the re-
venue. No man can be Sachcm or other officer,
without being member. The Grand Sachem is
elected by the Sachems, from their own ranks.
The Sachems hold great power. If they are united,
they can unite the sections OF the democracy, and
prevent any party from meeting in the hall, but
such as they endorse and consider the regular de-
mocracy. Although the general committee, elected
by the IL wards, appear TO be the power that regu-
lates the democracy. yet it is not so. "There is
power behind the throne greater than the throne
ITSELF" and that power is the Sachems of Old Tam
many.
We hope now that they will go to work in the
great council room Of the wigwam, and take mca-
sures to unite the two general committees, and the
two sections Of the democracy, and be ready for
the campaign this fall, and for the Presidential
campaign of 1852, but especially for anneIaton Of
everything around. We recommend the Sachems
TO start at once for IIayti, ST. Domingo, IIispanioa.
Qtlc Span) as it is called in the various geogra-
phies. The party can unite on this ground. There
could he large democratic force raised at once
90 and occupy il, and men. too, who would not have
the eightest objections owning negro any
other property they could get hold of-proviso
| or no proviso. IL ST. Domingo, which is far
more fertile, delicious, and fruitful than California
and has higher mountains tCibao 5000 feet above
the level OF the scs), filled with gold, which tho
niggers are too busy fighting, and too lazy TO dig
out, could be seized upon, and annexed as a slave
State, the whole question would lie settled, the
equilibrium Of power would he KEEP, up, and then
California and ~. Domingo could come in side by
side, and harmony be restored throughout the re-
public. Will the Sachems GO TO work, and fix the
arrangcmentsl Fernando Wood and his commit
tee ought, by all means, To start at once-they
| have nothing else TO do.