The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-02-08
The Election OF Seward and the Know N,
thtMes.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.
I notice in your list of the nsmbers of the Senate aud
Assembly who voted for Wu. e. Seward several mis-
takes in regard to their politics, or rather tho political
party to which they belong. You give Seward 10 the Sc
nate Ave 60 Know Nothing votes, aul seven ~ Know
Kothing votes Ia the Assembly. These are mistases--
great mistakes. There was only one genuine Know No
thug, OF tse Barker order, in tho Senate, who voted for
Seward. He viii be Immediately real cut. The State
Senate, as you know, was elected in 1858. when the Know
Nothing party was unborn. The Senate was Seward by
a large majority. You have placed in your list of Know
Nothing State eenators who voted for Seward, the names
OF these memters:--wm. H. Robertson, James C. Hop.
kins, George Richards, Josiah 3. Williams, and Abjah
II. Walker. The only one Of these who has ever BE-.
longed to the regular genuine Barker order is Josiah B
Williams. The other four are members Of the bogus
Seward order, which met at s :henectAdy, and parse l re-
solutions against slavery. Thus you see that only one
Williams was the only Know Nothing Senator who be.
longed 10 the regular Barker order who votei for Be-
ward.
You make out seven ~ OF the K N. members OF that
branch of the Legislature TO have votoi for Seward, viz.
John L. Raymond, David Rhoda, ami John We S:fhiHiphSs
J!mm!agsqp iS o, the others belong to the bogus 5ewarl
bran,h: Stuyvesant Gid not vote. 50 YOU sse that there
were not 50 many K. \. perjurers as has BEEN supposed.
Leigh aud L~ittlejohn were members .! The Barker order.
They we're elected on the condition that they would OPP
paee seward's re election. Blatchford was also elected
by the oreer or this condition
You have placed several Know Nothing rs democrats
IN your list. Here are a few of those whom you recox-
niae a. democrats, but who are Know Nothings, viz -
W L. Aitken, A. II. Ivaus, Ambrose Stevens. The Know
Nothing vote for the different candidates against Sc ward,
was, in the Assembly, at least thre s-qusrtcrs OF the op
position. Although / am a member Of the American
party myself, still ! must admit that the Sc ward faction
played the r game in a mastery mauner, il not honora.
bly,. Many OF the wings were su ,ported by the Am.ri.
can party on condition that they would vote against
Seward. Many gave written promises that they would
vote against him.
u has been shown by the votes east by the Know
Nothing members Of the "g~lslature III favor OF such can
didates AZ naniel s; Dirkir on, Daniel ullmin, 0Elen
Nothing party / arational party, in favor of national
~printipieP end the Union. ihe result Ct the late election
win rot tend %teirjure the Know Nothing party either
North or South. IL will tend 10 nerve the American
party to greater energy an labor. The American par
~ South know the difference between the national genu.
division, which consists Of about dve thousand mem.
bers, at the most. All those resolutions in regard to
slavery p%urporting to emanate from the Know Nothing
couBch' are manufactured in the Seward division. The
object OF these is to give the Impression Ia the South
ern sta,os that the Know Nothing order in the North is
composed Of tree sellers and abolitionists. You may re.
ly upon il as a ''6xcd fact" that this is an understood
arrangement between the Pierce administration and
Seward to SOW dissensions in the Know Nothing ranks,
and thus break up the influence of the Amer san party
in the Southern states, aud in this way destroy 1t as q
nstiopal party. But their endeavors TO effect thi, will
You will probably in a few days have SONS dis.
closures in regard to the bribery ~praetised at Albany.
NEw YORK, Feb. Z, 1855. X. n.
from the Albany Register, (whig Know Nothing organ)
Feb. ~
An election for q United states Senator was held yes
terday by the Legislature of the State OF New York,
which resulted in the return Of VIM II Seward BIZ a ma.
jority OF iix. This result was no: surprising to any. II
would have been a p%rodieious fact, IL the American party,
as yet scarcely q year old, should have succeeded in de-
feating a candidate who is beyond all question the
strongest man Of all TIE old organkatons-a man who
gatheredto his support a stronger band OF unscrupulous
supporters than could be selected in this or any other
state, III, friends were untIring, and interruptions as
in all the arts and appliances which command success.
They were familiar with political tactics, had possession
Of all the party Strings that they lad been pulin, with
entire success for Fears. ihey were the most cunning
and artful men of Che state, who hesits,ed in te use OF
nothing, howsyss corrnpt ~durii'ity. however villa,
appliances, they succeeded by a bare majority of
two in the Senate and four in the House. Evca this
ever marked a pofiical contest. Men WHO we're ~pl,s.,red
with pledges all over against the return n Mr. seward
had their constituents suspected their future action,
than they could have rolled back the current OF Ni,IuI-
voted for him; Every incmber o. tho " Ssl .,ure Knew,
and most Of them Acknowledged, thlt tlicy were giving
q broad negation to tho poTHlar viii -toing violence 10
the sentiments OF their constituents. ftey wsre no.
blind to the fact hat a gre,' revolution had t,sea pace
In the public mind in regard 70 tle return ~ Mr.. 20 gard
TO the Senate. They admitted that tie history OF the
special elections in Orleans and in tn Twcniy-nirth
Senate district would be the history OF the s~lestion ia
every Senate district, and Of niue out OF every ten Of
the Assembly districts, next fan. And vet, ia ths fa.s
OF all this, influenced by some mysterious Agency they
negatived the popular sentiment, and discb oil the
popular will
Men ike Speaker ~Lttiejoin, with q faulty tina
amounted almost 70 the sublime, stood up in their places
and while, by Their own sho wing. thsy violated oblixa-
tions the most solemn, glorieJ in their shs~me whining
about impos'tions upon their simplicity, about being the
victims Of emity trickstsrs, they made . still more
humnla,ipg exhibition Of themselves BY becoming the
Instruments Of stil greater triesstsrs, men OF q thou.
sand timts more interruptions craft thar those BY whom
they pre- tended 20 have been BETRAYED. Fsvn,nY AMI
ia tery overcsmo allie their principles aud their Arm
ness, and, breaking all the ties o. iratsrnikatioa, they
went over 10 those Who, when they have used them for
their purposes, will throw them Ike worthless weeds
avsy. We have no controversy With that portion
Of the wing party that was, who have been the
constsst, open and avewtd frienis OF Mr.. seward
from the beginning. They stood upon pnneipls
a. they understood II, and hoseycr sc may aihsr
from them in regard to the pro pltsty Of his electioa, we
can respect them, for they have violated no pledges, he.
trsyed no trus-, abandoned no friends, fai,iSsi no pro.
fess,on. proved traitor 70 no ~Prinsples. We give trsm
credit for integrity Of purpose, aad can respect. how
AYR xe maK difer from them hi nnininn