Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-02-27
From the Albany Register.

Legislature oil the state oil New YORK,
which resulted in tho return ef William
H. Seward by majority Of six. This
result was not surprising to any. II
would have been prodigious feat, IL the
American party, as yet scarcely year
old, should have succeeded in defeating
a candidate who is beyond all question
the strongest man Of all the old organi.
zutions. A man who gathered to his
support stronger band Of unscrnpulous
supporters than could be selected in this
or any other State. His friends were
untiring. They were old in intrigue;
skilled in all the arts and appliances
which command success. They were
familiar with political. tactics, had pos
session Of all the party strings that they
had been pulling with cnliIe success for
years. They were the most cunning and
ar,(u men Of the State, who hesilated
in the use Of nothing, however corrupt,
dupliciiy however vile, TO accomplish
their purpose. And yet, with all these
appliances they succeeded by bare ma
iority Of two in the Senate and four in
The House. Even this lean triumph was
secured by the vilest treachery that ever
marked political contest. Men who
we're plastcred with pledges oil over,
against the return of Mr.. Seward, who
could no more have been elected to the
Legislature, had their constituents sus.
pected their future action, than they
could turn the current of Niagara. voted
for him. Every member nf tho Losisiu.
ture knew, and most of them acknowl.
,hged that they were giving broad ne.
CATION TO the popular will, doing vic.
lence to the sentiments Of their constit.
uents. They were not blind to the fact
that great revolution had taken place
in the minds Of the people in regard to
the return of Mr.. Sewarc to the Senate.
They admitted that the history of the
special elections in Orleans and in the
XXIXth Senate District, would be the
history Of the election in every Senate
District, and of nine out Of every ten Of
the Assembly Districts next fall. And
yet, in the face Of all this, influenced by
some mysterious agency, they nesatived
the popular sentiment and disobeyed the
popular will. .l. .r-;..
Men like Speaker Ll,tlejohn, with a
faulty that mounted almost 10 the sub
lime, stood up in their places, and while
by their own showing, they violated OBJ
legations the most solemn, gloried ir
their shame--w whining about impositiont
upon their simplicity, about being thu
Il victims Of crafty trcksters---they made
y still more humiliating exhibition of them
: selves by becoming the instruments 0
still greater ,ricks,ers-men Of a thous
: and times more Inscriptions craft thar
g those by whom they pretended to hav'
: been betrayed. Fawning and Aatter.
: overcame alike their principles and thei
frmness; and. breaking all the ties o
determination, ;hey went over 10 thos
S who, when they have used them for thei
/. purposes, will throw them, like worth
h less weeds, away. We have no cohtro
versy with that portion of tho Viii
party tina, was, who have been the con
IS stant, open, and avowed friends Of MI
q Seward from the beginning. They stoo
$, upon principle as they understood i,
/. and, however we may differ from themi
n regard to the proprety Of his election
/. we can respect them, for they have viola
e ted no pledges, betrayed no trust. abar
Of doned no friends, falsifed no profession
sr proved traitor to no principles. w
p give them credit for integrity Of purpos
Y. and can respect, however we may diff
IL from them in opinion. =
is But Mr.. Seward is elected, and VIII
in then? Those who suppose that the gre
OF American party was organized simp
o. in opposition to Mr.. Sewald. make
lis great mis-, lake. To that party he, as we
in as any other Individual man, is as not
n. ing. Incidentally it may come in &C
he lision with him, or rather with the pri
n. ciples he processes. IL he stands in I
way of its progress, it will stride rig
'ss on over him, or sweep him away. Il
- success or defeatin this election W
to havo no bearing on the future. L
'al America sentiment will sweep right
ia. as ceiore, Increased ein volume, a
-. RTOw'iiS' III PoWoI' no istuo SiSS'fo"
of the XXIXth District resulted in its t
a umph, so will that Of every other D
,m trict next fall, and the next, for twer
sn. years to come. 10 pl Dge.js y
- We haze now come TO the parting
a the, ways. point which has not be
i'm. before reached. The path Of Americ
he men, who make up the American par
IN: leads 10 the right; that of the fragmen
ave ry remains Of the old organizations.
on. sed into an agglomcrate of opposite
sn. leads to the left. IL the 'savor Of.
cid ancient flesh pets has been too stst
ny. for professed American mon in the u
islaiure, it has not been so with the p
the pie. If those men have, in the bli
18th, ness Of thsir infatuation, mistaken
and dea tn .lhroes of the leviathan, for retu
ook ing and inyigorated vitality. the peo
be are laboring under no such delusion
heir They are awake, and in earnest,
de- will carry this great American me
Q to msnt forwardto q successful consum
ton, and the election or defeat Of /,
I'D. Seward will no more alter the fut
eyer than would straw thrown 70 owl
this A temporary triumph. secured by 4
| (. ~. r.,