Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-07-07
The War Of the Rival New York Roses.


rapidly drawing to close, as we shall
shortly proceed to explain. A synoptical
history of the affairs of 1.-The Harmonic
ons" in that quarter for some time past,
is however necessary to enable the readers
OF the Star to see through the mist and
mysteries which so surround their sauab-
bles in Albany at this time, as to puzzle
the wisest and clearest-sighted among
the uninitiated.
Up to the end of Van Buren's admins
tration that gentleman was the leader of
his party at home, without rival. In
fact, John McKeon, esq. , of the city of
New York, to whom he refused the office
which he Nick. asked, was the only man
among them of the slightest pretension
even to notoriety who openly took grounds
against V. BIS denomination early in
1910. MIR. V. B. originated the ALBANY
Regency" which, changing it's compo.
nents, subsequently became little else
save band of shrewd, energetic, and of
course effective lobby members of their
legislature, bent only on stufing their
own pockets by and through their con-
nection with 1.-The party" Thus, they
dabbled flor consideration always) in
procuring charters for incorporated COM
panies, special contracts and privileges
OF all sorts, in most of which some of
their number were always heavily inter-
ested.
Mike Hoffman and Slias Wright were
about the first of the party who dared to
resist the dictation ofthe Regency, when it
became specializing rather than politi-
cal concern. They were both honest and
able men, and at length succeeding in salts
flying their political friends of ssthe rural
districts" that they 1.-THE Regency were
running their affairs into such disrepute
as that it would not be long, if they were
left unchecked, ere they led & the Demo-
cracy" into minority, out of which they
could not hope to come for twenty-five
years at least. Mr.. Van Buren,, who
really resisted the dishonest schemes of
the successors of the Regency of his own
creation for other purposes, foUoared Hoff-
man and Wright, rather than led them :;
and the weight of his influence rendered
1T apparent shortly before the meeting of
the Democratic National Convention of
1910, that they were destined in the end
to triumph. ..-a..,
In and around that convention, it was,
that for the first time an organized New
York opposition was manifested to the
supremacy of Mr.. V. B. This opposition
was of course composed of the Regency,
out of whose fingers he had slipped. Their
share IN bringing about the defeat of his
nomination made him much moro active
than he would otherwise have been in
aiding Hoffman & Co. to carry through
their proposed convention for reforming
the State Constitution. This convention
was originated wholly to rescua The fnan-
ces and judiciary of the State, if not the
very liberties of the people thereof, from
the network of special legislation and
special privilege which the new Regency
had thrown around them. The people
decreed the convention by an immense
majority, the Wings being quite as anx-
ious to get rid of that Old Man of the Sea
as Hoffman and his brother radicals. The
convention made what was thought to be
clean work of their task; enacting such
changes IN the organic law of New York
as instantly to deprive the Regency of all
power. Their name becoming odious as
soon as they lost power, they Immediately
endeavored to fasten it upon the radicals,
who had gained the upper hand as ex-
planned above the friends of the latter
being then in the ascendency. The ex-
plosion of the Canal Bank at Albany did
their business, however !; for their leaders
were found to be implicated deeply in
Its infamous rascalities, one and all.
The mass of their party deserted them
every where throughout the State, when
the astounding disclosures of fraud and
peculatlon perpetrated in the manage.
ment of that Institution were made pub.
lie. That is, except in the city of New
York, where thousands of "the party
are spectators by trade, and where other
thousands are too ignorant to think and
too vicious to appreciate the antagonism
existing between the principle of Ameri.