The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-09-20

Last evening the members Of The Free Demo
cratic League of this city held Q meeting, aud ap-
pointed delegates to the Free Dam cratic Conven-
ton, to be held at Auburn on the 25th inst.
A convention of the friends Of prohibitory liquor
law will he held at Trenton to day.
CHOLERA on sHIPBoARD.
The packet ship Yorkshire, from London, arrived
at this port yesterday but is detained at Quarantine
in consequence OF having cholera on bard. She
lost twenty enc of her passengers during the voyage
by that disease. TIE ship ST. Petersburg also ar
rived yesterday, from Havre, reports having los:
forty five Of her passengers by the same disease.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN BROADWAY.
fire broke out last night, about o'clock, in
the cabinet shop OF f. A. Vrede h Co., No. 59S
Broadway, just above the Metropolitan Hotel. Tue
fire was first discovered in the fourth floor. The
fourth and third floors were destroyed. The first
floor Is occupied by John L. Western, looking glass
manufacturer. His damage will be mostly by
water and breakage. The loss altogether viii
probably amount to upwards of $4,000, indie
per dent of the building.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Under the telegraphic head is published an ex.
ceedingly interesting despatsh from the capital.
Sam. Nichols, well known in this community as
promoter Of the game Of cricket died at his re 81
dence in this city yesterday morang from injuries
received by incautiously stepping Off one of the
Third Avenue Railroad cars.
The Wing state Convention-lts Impor-
tance-lts Materials, and Its Prospects.
The Wing State Convention meets t ,-day a.
Syracuse. Called together for the single OBJ
ject Of nominating its candidates for the State
offices to be FL ed this year by the popular vote
of the State at large, this Syracuse omnium
gatherum may nevertheless be truly regarded
as the most important political assemblage of
any party, in any quarter of the Union, since
the last Baltimore Convention.
Were there nothing to be determined but
the mere question Of the spoils Of our Novem-
Der contest, this homogeneous gathering of the
wings and their confederate at Syracuse
would be comparatively trihing affairAbut
far greater issues await it's action than tue
petty squabble for the small bits of public
plumber in the market. 1t will devolve upon
this Wing Convention to give something like
definite shape and organization to the various
parties and factions In the State, in regard to
they are divided and it also falls upon this
grand council to give form and color, and the
general direction, to party politics throughout
the Union in reference to the great campaign
Of 1856. In word, the rec instruction of par
ties-not only in New York, but throughout
the country--now hinges upon the proceedings
Of the mongre political directory which meets
at Syracuse to-day.
Three entirely distinct and radical questions
demand a most difficult combination of con-
fictiDg interests, or they threaten most disas
trous explosion upon the threshold. These
questions are
l. The Slavery question.
2. The Temperance question.
3. The question of the Know Noihings.
Upon the slavery question there are the Fill
more and Webster conservatives, and the Sew
ard ultras. The latter, warm from the anti
slavery fusion at Saratoga, will doubtless
make it the paramount object of the convention.
to perfect the abolition coalition projected at
the Springs. As powerful auxiliary to this
end they doubtless rely upon the influence of
the second edition Of the Saratoga affair ap
pointed for Auburn and the 26th instant
Should the present convention be swayed by
conservative measures, the coalition ultras
have the option of falling back upon Auburn
and the advice Of Seward and his special adhe-
rents in council there. The Maine law dele
gates to Syracuse, if not satisfied with the
ticket and platform Of the wings, have also the
alternative of falling back upon special con-
'yention of their own-the State Temperance
Convention to come off at Auburn on the 9th
instant. Thus. the wings at Syracuse are
placed under heavy securities for their good
behavior 10 the Seward anti slavery coalition
lists and the Temperance Alliance.
Next there comes the mysterious, eabalstic
and terrible Order Of the Know Nothings. They
have appointed no State Convention-they act
without concert-they are nowhere
visible, but everywhere present; and from the
elections which taken place around the country
during the last six months, they act with unity
confidence and decision wherever they strike.
Enough, too, has been ascertained IRON their
movements to show that their symoathes are
directed to fusion with the remains
Of the late wing party. Formally repudiated
by the administration and Tammany Hall, the
Know Nothings, in fact, have no other alterna
tive than choice between the wings and the
hard shells, in default of independent candi
dates Of the Order. But it Is also manifest
that W. H. Seward and his political programme
are prominent among the existing enormities
which the Know Nothings have sworn to put
must choose between w. II. Seward and his
allies on the one hand, and the dreadful con-
spiracy of the Know Nothngs on the other.
From this plain statement of the case, it is
difficult t. imagine any thing Of mixed ticket
ard a mixed platform that will serve to com
line the Fillmore conservatives. the Seward