New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-01-01

New York. another arstocrac! oi u sun "os" "'9'0
,onabe character. This was the caucus aristocracy
or aristocracy of politicians comparatively smau
bodv of oFice.holders and ofice-seekers, who make
rolitirs a business. and who by means OF the
capcus machinery had contriyed to make them
solves almost complete masters of the government
of the Northern States. Like other arlstocracies
in nominaly free communities, this caucus aristoc
racy was divided into the two parties OF tue lns
and the Outs-the only shadow OF sel-govern-
meut left to the people consisting in the privilege
of saving which of these two factions should have
the turn of ruling But as to the particular dstr-
button of office among the members OF the ruling
faction, the measures to be adopted or the
lavs 70 be- passed-that was all settled by the
politicians in party without even any sho"
or pretense of consulting the mass OF their adher-
ents. among whom the doctrine Of blind obedience
WAS preached BY their political leaders with as
much zeal as il ever was by any body of eccIe-
siastics
As might naturally be expected, these two arts.
tocracies-the aristocracy OF Southern slaVehoid-
ers and the caucus aristocracy of Northern poll
inc together into tacit conspiracy for putting
down and finally extinguishing the democratic
shirt of the nation and thereby securing to them
selves the administration of the Federal Govern
ment. with all its fast-growing crop OF honorable
and lucrative Offices and its immense pecunlary
patronage in the shape, not only OF salaries, but oil
cifts grants gratuities, contracts, jobs and pre-
tended payments of old debts. But as commonly
hsppeus in such confederacies for plumber, not
content with robbing the people the parties TO IL
were intent also upon robbing each other-each
struggling to secure to itself the lions share OF the
spoils. OF course, it was the policy of the slave
holders 70 side with that faction of the Northern
politicians which might be able TO control the
larger number of votes, while it was the pohcy oil
the Northern politicians to sell their services as
high as possible, and to make as much as they
could personally out of the operation. vi late
wears the parties to this astocratica bargain aud
sale of the nation have come to this partition of tho
spoils The Northern politicians to have the Pres
idency, the apparent control of the Executive Gov
eminent and handsome share OF the loayes ana
fishes: the Shareholders to control Congress and
the Judciary-that is to say, to make the laws and
TO have them interpreted to suit themselves. A
very shrewd bargain on the part of the slayehold-
ers for while the Northern section OF the combina-
ton got nothing except temporary and personal
plumber and promotion, the shareholders, by means
Of laws passed at their dctation-such as the Flu
Qitiye Slave bill and the Kansas-Nebraska lnlqulV
and having too such Federal Judges 10 Inter-
pref them as Grier Curtis and Kane-were gradu-
ally and surely laying the foundation of solid and
permanent dominion, such as would presently
enable them to compel such Northern politicians
az Frank Pierce and Caleb Gushing to be content
with District-Attorneyship and COllectorships of
the Customs, instead of aspiring as now, to the
Presidency and the Enthusiastically.
At last however, the Northern Democracy had
taken the alarm. II had submitted quietly enough
TO the Fugitive Slave bill, but when the con-
spirators proceeded to pass the Kansas-Ne-
braska bill, American Democracy, grooming
heavily. rolled on her uneasy bed, and throwing
off the nightmare that oppressed her-we use the
feminine gender, for it yet remains for American
democracy to show itself massachusetts, up in
her bed of rags, dust and ashes-her particular
friends of the Democratic party having run away
with everything else in the households mOodily
and of gOOmily about her.
This sudden uprising of this halfstupefed
giantess, of whom the politicians had fondly hoped
that if not drugged to death by her very friendly
physicians, clerical and lay, she was at least
blinded and stupefed for life and reduced to the
rofa nl1 drud IN
their fish, knead their bread, and make sport for
them on election days; this sudden resurrection of
the Titan Democracy had begun to fill the pOliti-
clans with unutterable terror, and to promise the
commencement OF great political revolution,
when suddenly from some obscure hole or den
under ground, nobody knows where, stepped forth
new ayatar of aristocracy in the person of the
Know Nothing Order. This apparition made its
appearance in the latter half of the year 1854 and
having achieved some remarkable political yicto-
res in Massachusetts, and elsewhere, stepped forth
at the beginning of the year lS55-the subject of
our present DEMONSTRATING to assume to itself
the entire political control both of the States and
of the Union.
OF this new power-which thus stepped forward
at this critical moment, and while with one hand
it dealt deadly blow at the awakened and up
rising Democracy strOye with the other to cut off
the head of King Caucus, to whose throne it
aimed TO succeed-we know of no description so
applicable as that which Milton gives of another
celebrated parsonage on another famous occasion:
The other 81 ape
II shape it might be called that shape had none
Disiinguishaole In member joint, or limb,
Or substance. might be called, that shadow seemed,
Eore arh doth biarkit stoa nfgh