The southern press., 1851-12-30
F,om The A,n Yark Herald.

We percrlve that the country newspapers al
distance are discussing the press dinner given
to kossuth in this ely, by knot of Abolition
ists and socialists; ard some of them seem to
be lost in a labyrinth, being entirely ignorant of
Ihe ropes in this curious aiilir Let us give
them clue to enable them to find their way
out, and let us throw little light upon the dark
mazes OF the mystery, which will make il SO plain
that he who runs may read"
The Abotionists and Socialists are wiser in
their generation than the children of light"
They never leave any stone unturned to advance
their interests both as individuals and as parli
sans, and they would sacrifice all things-not
only Kossuth and the cause of Hungarian lib
erty, but the freedom Of all the nations of the
earth-not excepting the United States--to gain
one step nearer TO their objects. Accordingly,
the clique of Abolitionists and Socialists, con
nected with a portion of the press of this city,
when they found that Kossuth was on his way
to this country, put their heads together, and
came to the conclusion that he was trump
card, and that they would seize him the moment
he lauded on our shores, and play him off to the
best advantage, knowing very well that nothing
could do him greater injury than any connec-
ton with them, however much it might serve to
give them short lived and Fictitious import
ance. The affair was begun in secret, and car
ried on with intrigue.
preliminary meeting of the clique was held,
and, to cover their designs, they put upon the
committee the names of some gentlemen con-
nected with the leading journals in this city
These gentlemen, however, soon saw through
the cheat, and very properly had their names
removed. 1t WIS important to take tine by the
forelock and the first thing to be secured, there
fore, was the earof Kossuth, as soon as he set
his foot upon our shores, nay, if possible, before
that. Nothing could be more opportune for
their game than the fact of Sidney Doane an
abolition Wing, being the health officer, and
having, in virtue of his office, the opportunity OF
coming first in contact with the Hungarian chief
1t was accordingly arranged that DR.. Doane
should not wait to let Kossuth land but address
him on board the Humboldt ard then take him
off to his house, where, next day, he introduced
him to some of Ii clique. No sooner did the
Magyar get himself established in his quarters,
al the Irving House, than Simeon Draper, the
political confidence man" of the Abolitonsts,
went 20 him, and told him he must place himself
in his hands, and be guided by his counsels, as
otherwise he was in danger of being led astray.
" Just put your confidence in me, and all
will be right" concluded the plausible fugleman
of William H. Seward. Kossuth bowed his
assent, placing his hand upon his heart.
The next step was the secret introduction by
Draper, ofthe Tribune, Times, and Erening Post
coterie. Kossuth was informed that these were
the gentlemen to whom he was indebted for the
grand press dinner that was about to come off,
and which would be of such vast Importance to
his cause. Kossuth felt quite overcome with
gratitude.
This matter being made all right, the prepara
tions for the dinner went ahead. Meantime the
clique sent first to the illustrous exile white
committee from the Anti Slavery Society, and
black committee of thirteen, organized to resist
the fugitive slave law This was to impress
Kossuth with the idea of the sympathy felt for
him and his Cause by the whole of the abolition
elk, black spirits, white spirits, and grey
In the preliminary arrangements for the ban
quet, every precaution was taken to pack the
company, and make it almost exclusively aboli- |
tion and socialist. Tickets were refused to the
editors, and regular reporters of
other daily papers, while as many as sixteen
were issued to the Tribune, about the same
number to the Times, and hundreds who did not
belong to the press, of any shade of opinion,
got tickets, on the understanding that they were
to act the part of claquers to the great guns of
the abolition and socialist press who appointed
themselves presidents, vice-presidents, and every
tHiuS tlst. Ht lUdStS were all assigned TO
them; and so sure was the arrangement made |
that even the speeches were printed in advance
though the speakers pretended that they were
quite taken by surprise. At the head of the af
fair, as president, sat Bryant, of the Euening |
Post, an Abolitionist and sort of poetic So |
ciaist. Horace Greeley, the white coat Socialis'
philosopher, was the first vice. president; and
Butler, a quandam avowed Aboltionist, and now
a secret one, played second fiddle to Greeley,
and M. Frobell, Socialist writer from Germany,
also connected with the Tribune, was the third |
vice-president.
Who were the chiefspeakers Greeley of the |
Tribune, Dana of the Tribune, and another in
dividual connected with the Tribune, who led |
the Irish at the battle of Slievegammon Ray
m Ond of the Times, and Paike Goodwin of the !
EUening Post, son in-law of Bryant, and one of
The witnesses who has figured in the Forrest
case. Two hours before some of the speeches |
were delivered, proofs of them, from the news
paper offices where they were in type, were cir
cuated among the reporters; and the tribua-
ton OF the speakers was great lest there should
be grand row, and that they could not deliver
what was in print. The essay of Horace Gree
ley upon universal peace, was the most remarka-
BILE of the speeches printed beforehand and
curious and laughable thing occurred in connec-
ton with It, When the toast of "the ladies'" was
given, and it being then late, some of the
,laqueurs thinking that their man Greeley
would never get another chance, if he lost
that opportunity, called him up most vociferous.
y. But Greeley having prepared and printed
his speech to a very different text, was puzzled
and could not be induced to go on. Some of
The uninitiated thought it was all modes,y on
The part of the philosopher, but the result opened
heir eyes. There was one wight, e.. Mathews.
who was in a terrible fix. He had given proofs
Of his highly poetica speech, concluding with
piece of"prose run mad" to several of the re.
porters, and they had gone off to get it printed,
but the chances were that it would never be
spoken, for the wine had now flowed copously,
'he members of the clique began to get jealous
,f each other, and an explosion seemed at hand.
Every effort was made to prevent Mathews from
his speech. He was Kissed and as.
sailed in variety of ways, and at length only
got hearing by opening sharp fire upon his
'ssailants, which sileneed their battery His
equation was thus saved.
As an illustration Of the bungng of the com
nittee, who were 80 busily engaged in the work