The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-03-16

the instruction was in q fair gay of being sup
pressed.
Puhasc Opmsvu-Thc Meeting Tonight
This evening, for the first time since the Ne
brask2. excitement began, win the real voice Of
New York be heard on the question. All con-
siaerations,of party and Of clique set aside it
SEEMS more than probable, from the indications
now before us, that the assembly that wiz be
gathered in Tammany Hall tonight will b.
better exponent, and afford a more faithful pc
turesf New York opinion than any of the meet
ings that have yet been held, or any of the
other manifestations'o public sentimeu. which
hare been issued TO the werId. For, examine
tn anatomy Of these addresses, these meetings,
u ese resolutions and these memorials against
'the bill and they will Dissolve into the veritst
Amposture and sham. 'Ta.e the three meetings
at the Tabernacle for instance We first WIS
called under the auspices of the SAnti-Slave-
ry Society, and the wires heal through
out the performances by John Jay. The men
invited to spesk were, three out az four, abdi-
tionists and though that harsh epithet can
hardly be anplied to citizens likeg. w. Gerard,
he was obviously thrown in by the Managers
in order to give a>Varnish Of c,s probability to
the affair. More ola political CT mplexion was
given to the secosd meeting ny the open pat
ronage of tho Seward party Y was Seward
anti-slavery meeting; stamped indclbly with
that ,Sharacter, @,notwithstanairs5 the insidions
attempted the wire pullers to fasten the odnm
of the. laevement ON the mechanics Of this city
and 10. involvestbem in the disgrace. On that
occasion speakers and letter writer's were AZ
abohtiorists; netsone redeemipg name that we
remember relieved the monotony Of the old fasai
liar list Of traitors. Next came he turn Of John
Van Ruren, and.the defeated minority at Tam
many Hall. Yhey first threat ned o regular
secession to, Mount Aventine, and talked loudly
Of an open air meeting in the .Rfrk; but some
prudent COUNSEL or-John himalf perhaps
quietly knocked. this scheme onthe head by o
calculation of the Independent acrce they could
weakness in daylight, they resolved to follow the
examples of Their predecessors, and to take re-
fuge insthe Tabernacle; likewise to form such
q coalition with, the Seward party as would
ensure a. fair show of Vice Presidents Accord
ingly, the meeting of Tuesdsy was called. OF
the principle possessed by ;he managers, and
the manner in which they ERE attempting to
carry their point, the following letter, which is
probably only one of many similar protests,
will afford some criterion -
TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW YORK HERALD.
AAR@l5, 1854.
Ny name appears in Your paperof this moruing
of the Vice Presdents o. the meeting at
the Tabernacle. / aksent rom the city when the
arrangements were made. am in favor Of allowing the
people to regulate LOCAL natter for themsayesof this
bill. By making this correction you viii oblige,
Your sbedient servant 2. RKATT.
But the most amusing feature of these meet
ings is the fact that the audiences of al. three
have been composed of the same persons The
same familiar faces were seen at all, and We are
convinced that at least seven-eighths of the in
dividuals present on Tuesday were likewise
present at the two previous meetings They
shonted at the same points, ppplaulcd the salSs
sentiments, yawned at the same constitutional
illusions; in fact the John Brown of Tuesday
was still the John Brown Of the anti-slavery
and the Seward meetings, and could do no less
Like the clown in the circus, he doomed out
every few minutes with an unmistakable:
!" Here we are againw Charles Matthew's CT
Blackstone, amazing the public with admirable
of three different parts in the
same play, did no more than the anti-savery
organs claim for their select Tabernacle au-
dience. 1t might have been said of them
month ago, in the classic language Of managers,
that the anti-slavery audience having worn
threadbare the soeiety's lectures, would appear
in the farce Of Anti-Nebraska," first, in their
unrivalled character of "The New York Me,-
chants! then in their unequalled part of "The
New York Mechanics! and finally. in their
part of "The Citizens Ct
New York Without Distinction of Partyn!ll
And, whatever may be said of the abstract mer-
its Of their performance, we must say that they
have sustained these various characters with
success and eclat.
Besides the meetings we have had clerical |
petitions, and resolutions from the Legislature,
besides host of memorials from the Mrs. Jelly
bys of this meridian. The first can carry but
little weight. Ministers of the gospel than
whom no class is entitled to higher respect so
ong as they remain within the legitimate !
bounds of their calling, are VIGOROUSLY unfit to
lecide political questions. Within the last
thousand years, there never has been an in
stance of priest obtaining political power or |
save only in those countries where
he temporal authorities were mere tools in the
lands Of the church Whenever, in Protestant
md free countries, clergymen have invaded the
,rovince of politics, theis opinions have not
,nly carried no weight, but they have
actually overstepped their rights at the ex-
,ense of their character. Once or twice, indeed,
turing periods of unusual excitement, violent
,hurchmen have obtained sufficient influence to
larry measures of fanaticism and intolerance;
but no sooner did the sober sense of the public
'eturn, than their work was undone and them
selves degraded. In this country, at the present
,ge, a general attempt of the clergy to dictate