New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-08-10
MASSACHUSETTS, POLITICS.
cc-r.spoud.ase Of The n Y. Tribune.
wopcrSTrp Monday Aug T. 4

ried The State by an unexpected majority and that
they had everything their way in the Legislature
Till quite recently, every thing indTcated that taey
would DO the same this year. Boston conservatism
and old fogy>m had been in d great measure over
Gene; Young America was in the ascendant, and the
Wig party of Massachusetts, had placed itself upon
platform of Reform thus taking from their opponents
tie great watch ord with which they had influenced
Thousands for several years previous. But quite re-
Gently two or three things have occurred TO backen
blast tie bright prospects OF the Whgs and those
n en- WHO but few months since were chucAiing over
the certain prospect of OF success are now trem
bling their shoes afraid yet unwilling TO confess
their fears.
But YOU msy ask: What has produced this changel
/ answer two things First, the Nebraska bill, and
Ills has Lad its effect in this way: Immediately upon
the passage of that infamous measure, the cry came
up from the people in this State as well as in Others
for casting aside of old issues ard the formation OF
party tie sole ground.of opposition TO she tx
tension Of Slavery. majority of the rec Soil lead
ers including the most respectable of them Joined in
this cry for fusion" which involved union both on
State ard National questions, and very large proper
ton of the rank and Ale of the Wing party sympathlzed
with IT, Tie Springfield Republican, by far the
abest inland paper in the State was disposed to favor
tie same course and did not not hesitate ably to
advocate s views. But the leaders of the party the
Boston clique said, No; we cannot and will not
'ion in action with those who have for years been
"our interruptions opponents, whom we have one
just succeeded III ejectng from the ohces ana whose
Gus No we will keep all the offices for ourselves
"All cur Delegation in Congress- opposed the Ne
"brasks bill, and we will re-nominate ana reject
"them. Let the Free-SOilers vote for them; but as
"fcr State Cfcers, we will retain our organization as
"N hics" While this question was still unsettled,
the Ere Soilers issued call for Mass Convention at
Worcester on the 10Th OF July-a call unexceptonable
in It's terms and broad enough to unite every friend OF
Freedom without committing them to any particu-
lar or radical course of action. The issuing OF
~, LODI
tie wrong source Had il been delayed lew
weeks the result might and probably would have been
different The Boston clique at once resolved TO use
ther influence to prevent Wings from attending this
Convention, while The SPrlnghetd hfPHouoaH urged
them to 20 there and control its action TO prevent any
extreme radical measures from being adopted, and to
lay down platform which all could unite. The
latter views prevailed only so TAR as to induce many
ss TO SIGN the call for the Convention, but very
ATTIC nded IT, and il proved TO all lntents and pur
poses failure II was, from the necessity OF the case
nsnaged BY Free Sellers. The Wings would not at
t,pi the Democrats, OF cdose did nor. Ire free
Sellers had doubtless arranged 20 manage the meeting
in their own way in every case; but had the Wings
gore thther in numbers, they ought to have DONE
animated BY proper spirit, they could have laid down
a platform uron which all opponents OF Slavery could
have united They did not do IT, and II IN consequence
they arc defeated in the next election, they viii have
only themselves to thank. The course OF the leaders
has dsqusted many who likely TO join the new
Republican party which the Worcester Convention
proposed to FORM and which holds IT'D Convention Tor
the nomination of officers on the I'm OF next month
How many will join this nGw party It is Impossible TO
say; but there will be enough to cripple, II 10 does not
defeat the Wing party in its State nominations. As
for Members of Congress- the present will doubt
less be- renominated and reelected without exception
Mr.. Banks who is regarded as very slippery man,
ard who voted for the suspension Of the rules by which
tie Nebraska bill reached, will however, be re-
qurec to define his position very decidedly before he
ca. be reelected.
But there is another element at work in
Massachusettf--nOt local one but the uni
versal secret one of knO1- Not'Hglsll. The Know
Notbngs are far more widely dinUsed aud more
numerous than is generally supposed They Will form
an overwhelming aOrity in all our cities ana large
towns-in Boston, Salem, Worcester, Springfield
New Bedford, &c.-and will be found numerous even
in the smaller towns. They expect 70 east 5O,OOO
votes this fall and the Wing leaders allow them Az OOO
but they are Increasing SO rapidly that think they are
likely to come fully up TO their own estimate Every
one fears them, politicians court them, many syinpa
thize with them who yet will not JON them, ana
| venture TO predict that they will sweep the
State Who their candid ,tes are likely to be 40 one
knows That they will oppose Gov. Washburn, whom
the wings will be forced to renominate, ID quite
certain aud if his defeat is as certaln--a result
which viii not be regretted by the Young America
portion Of the Wings, for he has proved himself the
very embodiment Of "Od FOgysm." Whether they
will or will not nominate candidate Of their own ~
not quite 20 clear NJ own impression Is that the
Free Sellers win be found pulling together with theLn
and that of their leaders will be the candi-
date If certain Of the Free Sellers do not receive
the votes Of the Know EOtLngs it viii not be because
their uodesty has prevented them from letting IL be
known that "Birkis is willing"
These views Of the condition OF the W mig party are
not those Of the leaders; the Boston chque Is sun
confident of victory; but if am not very much mis-
taken the returns on the morning after our approach
ing Election will come like a eaPot thunder upon
them If it teaches them lesson, snail not regret
it, but fear they Of the deaf who VIII not hear,
OF those who. seeing will not believe. The Wing
Convention is 10 be- held at Boston next week. 1t will
be- large one, but will be controlled by Boston inhu-
euce: indeed that city will probably send fourth Of
tie delegates, and, with the district immediately
around Ind under its influence, Will control the Con-
vepton The edict has been issued that the present
inc ubents Of tie various Offices must be nominated
simply because they won't decline. II they are de-
sirous OF beirg defeated, / reason why the
has should give them the opportunity, but they will
do ID. believe there is bat way for the hlgs TO
save themselves from defeat and that Is TO nominate
some man who viii be acceptable to the Republican
party, which meets few days Afterwards.
Under ordinary circumstances l should not much
regret the course of the Wing leaders; but as it Is
do BY their peryerse course they have prevented
unison Of all the opponents OF Slavery, and thus
though the tangible result as far as Members10f Con-
gress is concerned may be the same, they have lost
that great moral influence which Massachusetts, might
BY her example have eIered in bringing sbou. SINH
lar union IN cher States where il ID important More
oyer they have endangered the Of tae amend
nents to the Constitution, which must be submitted
the people and which constitute that platform OF
Reform en- TO which Whggery had been forced By the
course Of events.
taye said nothing of the Democratic party Of Mas.
'ackusett because, always small ii has Of late grown
beautifully less. Caleb Gushing AID Nebraska have
"crusbed it out" Count the number OF ofice-hoders
and offce-seekers, and you have somewhat more the
sum total of the Democratic party. On the Nebraska