The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-11-19
THE NEW YORK ELECTIONS.

From the Richmond Examiner Nov. 1911
We quest, n whether . full, accurate and honest
account Of the New York elections, which have just
transpied viii ever be written. II stands without
a parallel event in modern times. If 1t bears the
least resemblance, in any fits features to thing
good baO sncient or modern, sacred or pr0fane, II
may remind some Of OR readers Of Douglas Jer-
rolos free translation CT Ovids famo1s account of
Cbaoe Hear nim:--
Imagine saucepans, sea-wced obelisks and aspcc, to-
matoes tomahawks, cataracts and horsehair, gunpow
der lobster sauce, sa!acttes and boot jacks fire brakes
whiriggs squibs, vaterspouts and gongs, cyanogen,
sooe mountains, magpes, earthquakes oyster pattes
spermseeti and thimbles soap cerate, adamant, gra
mite and tobacco moasses maggots, tenter hooks and
trpe rocks glaciers ratlesnakes tongs, pig tales whs
tlelIes and thunderwth hot, cold moist dry, sweet,
sour sharp fat and all sorts Of contcndng opposites,
including several omcats ostng, changing, whining,
cla sling, Kissing hering squirting Ibeowing and cater
waung, and You viii have some faint idea Of what Chaos
may have hcen.
Or fancy nnty multiplied BY itself of lanatic asy-
us, SCHOOLS in an nproar, camp meetings and Chartist
by as many exploding powder mills into San immortal
smash, and your conception may perhaps be slightly
assisted.
The eye grows weary, and the memory confused,
as We glance ever the lists Of dead and living.
There were twenty different factions in the field,
with leaders and banners. These original factions
pants Of glass, into iniintesmally small ciques and
squads Ct angry and fanatical politicisns. Taege
were silver RrAys, w0olly heads, temperance men
and liquor trsfac men, hard and soft shels, Know
sn6abO itionists, contendiIg and making the state
hideous with the din Of the most boisterous political
conflict that ever dieeTaced even New York. So
numerous and fraudulent were the tickets, so vari.
ant and upintellgiple the ticket considerations,
that all Of ttese factions we're sometimes blended
in the some ticket. In the city Of New York, we
imagine that very few men knew for whom they
were voting SO great was the scene Of coafusion at
the polls.
All Ihe vices and rflrmities which have made
free society failure, and New York politics a re-
prorch and byc-word Come to the surface Of the
boiling csuidrun. Five Point heralded forth its
codgeIs, the whsrves their rOwdies the alleys and
cellars their thieves and elbow.srippsfs Bowery its
short boys, and more loathsome creatures than
Dante introduces his rea icr 10 in his excursion
through the domnions Of Piatc infested the Streets
and barred the avenues TO almost every poll box in
the city Of New York.
The dust, smoke and confusion, which rendered
I'LL things uncertsn respecting the election, having
partially cleared, Southern editor, after liberal
use Of deinfectDg elements, may venture to form
pretty fair conjectures to the general result; aud
although tie election incidents, and s.enes Of 10
late election, were Of q s'rt never heard of any
where out Of the tree States, yet thsre Is much In
and lawlessress of the unfortunate human beings
who endure the misery OF living In the benghted
regions north Of Mason an Dixon's line.
Now to the results Fistof ali, let us congratu.
SCOTS defeat St ipped him OF half his strength, para
lyzec one.hsf Of his body and diff cured the arch
agitator. 10 the surprise OF everybody that extra
ordinary invisible, incomprehensible body, the
Know Nothn IS, finished the work which Pierce be-
gan.
They throttlsd Seward with the most extaordi
nary case and grace, and left him dead, maDgled,
lying high and dry above the lowest posi- Die cub of
i'll tuck upon the political Potters feldof New YORK.
The Tribune aud its com. aVrioss are no bowling
wild and horrible drge over tie remains Of their
martyr. We do not fancy the Know Nothings, but
all honor TO them for having crushed to the earth
unprincpcd fanatic that ever endangered the peace
Next to the dsmolition Of Sc ward, VIC re
joice at the defeat Ct the Maine Liquor law
voluntary or compulscry--seems to have been
at very low valuation In New York.
Lager bier and epirituous eompounos Of bran
dy ard whiskey have swept everything before
them in New York. Impertiuent Intermediates
with the rights and liberty Of business have had
the coolest of ccld shoulders turned TO them in the
late election. The hydraulic rams aud Maine Liquor
pumps we're oil smashed in the late election. Che
were strong enough to await the New Workers. from
those modern shrines Of Bacchus-the lager bier
cellars and bar rooms. The defeat Of the bards
and triumpbs Of the softs Is certainly not a sweet
Seymour ana his frierds declared, before the cleo
ton, their acquescence In the Nebraska bull, and
their unwiingness 70 continue the agitation Of the
question Of slavery. A majority Of the haris raj.
fed to bis support. ard TINS re regard ~ uomis-
takeabe evidence Of bis soundness Upon the slave
~ question.
In tie election Of Congressman, no vever, the
antiNt braskailes had everything Their Own way.
Very fe. If any, friends OF that measure have been
elected to Congress- and it is with pia that had
the opposition ranks In Congress receiving large
a'cessions from the fee States. We fear that the
ft Ids of the South will be 90 werless in che next
House Of Representatives. But as tho sera,c and
the psids Ut are sound to the CORE all yet safe
no ~ Iac nraf RI nil hn ma n
up of the most extraordinary and homogeneous as
softment Of the ODDS and ends OF eli the clqaes and
factions that figured in the late election. Know
Norbinee, hasds, cots, silver graye, wciiy hsads,
York Legislature. Il wiu be . body every way
worthy OF Q free State. Il will be Q sort Of
hospital fos Ill tie vices, isms, and tsnsticism u
b.. y.sA, ''a' ''.s.' p !"