New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-28
THE GREAT QUESTION.

The vulgar fsllacy that because things talked
aboutit must therefore, have an existence, appears
just now to be most mischieyously prevalent among
portion Of our community. Though we are the
most sensible people in the world, and the least
likely to be imposed upon by pretenders and
bumbugs, yet at the annually recurring periods
when we lo,e sight of all ordinary affairs while
attempting to secure our liberties and preserve
our glorious institutions at the primary cleo
tons, it is neither a subject for wonder nor
cause for reproach if we do, in these unguarded
moments, become the victims Of designing men,
who seize upon such opportunities to practice
their nefsrious tricks upon US. 1t seems that
certain cryptologcal bodies, with view of dis
turbing the harmony Of the elections, have nOmi
mated for one of the highest Offices in the State
mythical persOnsge about whom nobody appears
10 know anything amounting TO positive know
ledge. II is very characteristic Of such pro-
ceeding that the mysterious people who have at
tempted to deceive the public in this wicked
manner should call themselves Know .Nothings,
which ought to be regarded as a sufficient rea-
sou for having no faith in anything they may say.
Voltsire says, some here in one of his wicked
books, "a report is spread that there is, in some
distant country, giant as big as a mountain;
land thereupon people get into hot disputes
concerning the e1act length of the giants nose,
the breadth of his thumbs, and other particu-
lars of his per son and anathematize each other
" for their heterodox opinions respecting them.
In the midst Of all, when some bold skeptic
ventures to hint doubt as to the existence Of
"this giant, they all JOIN against the infdel and
"are ready to tear him to pieces"
One might almost imagine, if YOltsire had not
himself been so great a skeptic, that he had
had foresight of the Know Nothing deception
which has been practiced upon our community
and wrote the paragraph we have quoted e1-
pressly to meet the political exgencies of the
present moment. The Know. Nothings get up a
report and name their giant ULLMANN, and the
foolish public, instead of stopping to ask whether
or not there be sny Ullmannic giant, forthwith
fall to difputipg as to the country where he was
born and the straDgeness of il all is that in the
great variety Of contradictory statements pub.
lished in reference TO him, all of which are duly
sworn to, they do lot see the proofs that there
never was any such giant at all. 1t will hardly
be worth while to recount all the wild and fam
tastic stories that have been told about Ullmann
Various responsible and respectable parties
as may be seen in another column of this very
paper, have furnished the grave testimony that he
was born in Calcutta, in Delaware, in New York,
and other places; that his mother was Hinioo,
an lsraelite, an EpiscopsliSn, and go on that bis
iaher was German, Pennsy lvaniaD, a Jew, a
HuguenOt, South Carolinian, and go on In this
cloud Of witnesses the honely proverb applies
with almost crushing force - too many cook,
spoil The broth. In the vehement anxiety of the
UllUanLitts to prove where tn, ir giant was born.
they only succeed ia proving ne was never born at
ell. Still there will remain the question: How
could the idea Of such giant ever get posses.
" sion Of the public mind unless there had been
"such an existence ," an argument which ia used
with great force with all who wish 70 believe a
thing thst cannot be demonstrated to be true.
We admit the force Of the proposition, and do
not ourselves, shiIk the difficulty of facing il.
We are not Ullmannites; but, admitting that
there is such giant which We are wiling to do,
not 60 much for arguments sake as ont Of re-.
sPe't to the opinions Of oihers our hypothesis ia
that he is either the Wandering Jew or the Fly
ing Dutehmsn; but We must leave It to ADLER
heads than our OVID TO decide which. The state.
mtDts re. pectiDg mis- Germanie origin. which ap.
parertly favor the latter would seem to be about
as plausible ani worthy of belief Is those respect
ing bis Indae extraction. But assn ming hat our
hypothesis IS correct. Aa1 We imsgas hat Il will