The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-11-26


wiz be brought to q conclusion.
The ship Csthsrins, arrived on Friday from Havre
had fourteen deaths among her steerage passen
gers.
The Know Nothings-Their Cincinnati Con.
vention-TheIr Principles and Purposes.
The Know Nothings have been holding Ma
tional Convention at Cincinnati. They adjourn
ed on Friday, after session of two weeks. Dis
tinguished leaders of the order from all parts
of the Union were present, John NJ Clayton,
Daniel Ullmann, and Mayor Conrad, of Phila-
delphia among them. l. is understood tina.
important changes were made in their constitu
ton, that new ritual was adopted, that their
pass words, signs, grips, &c, were completely
changed, but that the question of candidates
for the Presidency was not brought up Time
enough for that when the fossil remains Of
the old exploded parties shall have shown their
hands.
We doubt not that o considerable number of
the huckstering politicians of the old efete
parties were hanging about the doors and win
dows of the Cincinnati Convention during its
sittings from day to day, to gather up such
crumbs and scraps of Information as might be
swept out from the table; but it does not ap-
pear that any very important discoveries were
made. It would be well, however, for the
Know Nothings to fight shy of all these old
political tucksters, or the new party may be
broken up before the great battle comes on.
The experience of the abortive native American
experiment Of 1874 should not be overlooked.
The old party spoils-jobbers csept in on that
occasion, and the projected organization was
never matured.
The present order of the Know Nothings has
been gotten up with more skill and tact, and
is already national party, holding great
balance of power, if not commanding popular
majority over all other parties, North and
South If this party hold heir present unity
in action till 1856, they viii, doubtless achieve
the most Marked and perhaps t e most useful
revolution in our political history of the last
fifty years.
The leading objection of Mr.. Wise, Of Vr-
ginia, and of the administration AMI Seward
organs against this new party, is that it is secret
party, and that its proceedings in council, are
shut in from the public eye. But this is no new
or extraordinary thing. The Boston Tea Party
was secret party-yet it was highly instrn-
mental in the work of the greatest revelation
ofmodern times or of all time. The great
Society of the Revolutionary Epoch OF the
Cincinnati, from which the Queen City 90 the
Ohio takes its name. was a secret society: and
that fact may have had something to 10 with
the selection of the said city for this Know
Nothing convention, for all that we kacw. rae
Tammlny societies tie days of Jefferson so
instrumental in the organization OF the repu oil
can party OF that day secret societiesaud 70
this day the inside proceedings of Tammaoy
Hall are mysteries TO all except the Sacnen'.
The Hickory Clubs of Jackson's time,
to the Pierce and Scott clubs and caucus .es Of
1852, We're more or less secret in their chara,-
ter and their transactions. Even in onr late
November canvass. we presume that moneys
were collected and disbursed by the Clark clubs,
aud Bronson and Seymour clubs aud central
committees and managers, of which the publ
know nothing. and never will know any hing
1t would De pretty piece Of business il Jopn
Cochrane, for example, were required on all
occasions to advertise the amouns and the soc
cifcations ofhis leviea upon the Custom House
for the electioneering uses of his party.
The simple fact, then, is thai all political
parties are more or less secret in their or gani-
Free and Accepted Masons is secret society;
and though not strictly political one it has
doubtless exerted great moral influence iu che
politics of all countries Mr. Wise belongs to
this society; and yet he repudiates the Know
Nothings because their secrets are best known
to themselves. We care nothing for their
secrets. We know what their principles are,
and what they are driving at I; and that
is enough for all practical purposes. We be.
lieye they are destined, under good manage
ment and discipline, to bring about the com
pletion of great and valuable revolution in
oar party politics, that they will busy The
rotten carcases OF the old defuuct whg and
ellie administration and its party, and the trea-
sonable anti.slavery disunion |. ague Of Seward
and his allies.
The public mind has been liberated fr1rn the
CALLING shackles Of party despotisul. sud q
mighty revolution is going on. 1t Is che work
Of the general diffusion OF dependent opinions,
views and arguments upon political alta 70
through the copious channels Of the independents
press. 1t has destroyed the despotism aad the
prestige Of party and cabinet organs. II is
modern thing, the product of the railroads.
telegrapos, steamships and independent jour
nalism Of the last twenty years-gradual at
first in its power, but overwhelm ny in its pre-
sent Developments. This Know Nothing move
ment is result Of this revolution. Tue demo
ralization and disruption of the old parties, ala
the spoilsjobbiog corrupsions of a condemned
administration, have created an opening for
something new, and the Know Nothiags nave
afannod 10 The mnuament il yet crnla AMI