New-York daily tribune., 1857-04-21

Democracy is defined by photographers as
Government by the People-the whole People.
1t is only necessary that the People shall be intel
igent yrtuous and patriotic to render this the best
Of Governments-in fact, to render any other i'm
possible. In the absence OF these qualities IN the
masses whether Of a nation or of some particular
section or locality Democracy becomes sham,
snare, fraud. The Democracy of an educated
and moral township or school district is cheering
reality. Does any one believe the Democracy OF
the Five Points or of the sailor drunkcries in
Cherry street to be aught but swindling ilusionl
Our City has been for some days agltated by
struggle among the active leaders OF our sef-Styled
Democracy for the ascendancy in the Council of
Sachems of the famous 'Tammany Society or
Columbian Order"-a tribe of make-believe In
dans who have control Of Tammany Hail. Not the
smallest divergence of views or difference of princ
ole is even pretended to be at the base of this
strugge-there are "Hard Shells and "Soft
Shells" in either faction, and, for aught we can
see. about as many of one sort as of the other.
The struggle is for power, and for nothing else.
How the combatants came to be thus divided, we
do not know, nor is il of the least consequence.
Their strife is but another confirmation Of Dog
berry's sage axiom that "When two ride horse,
..one must ride behind" 1t ia "the NewYOrk
"Hotel clique" so called against another clique,
or combination of chques; each OF them
striving to outrun the other in devotion to
Slavery Aggression and the debasement of the
North at the feet of the slaye-tradlng ohgsrchy.
IN. &C fha har m Lp unt he
smallest difference to any one outside of the small
circle Of recipients of Federal patronage in this
city.
Here, however, the struggle is for tangible and
coveted reality. The Council of Sachems of the
Tammany Society are the masters, for the time
being, of Tammany Hall They close it peremp
toriy against any party or faction which they pro-
nounce heterodOX; they open il to that Committee
or faction on which they degn 10 smile, which
thercupOn becomes clothed with all the potentia
ties and splendOrs rightfuny pertaining to the
regular Democracy of the City of New York 4"
And for this regular Democracy, or whoever may
wear its countersgn there are ten to twenty thou
sand electors in this City who will shout, and
sweat, and vote-whoSe "swcet voices are the
unquestioned property OF whoever has the "open
sesame" Of Tammany Hall.
And what is this Tsmmany Society A secret
selfcrcated selfperpetuating csba mainly of
aspiring politicians, with few who once were but
are so no longer 1t is in essence as thorough an
arstocracy as Sparta or Venice ever knew. Ii is
IN organized conspiracy to give to the selfish in-
trigues of the few the appearance and weight due
only to the disinterestcd convictions and intelligent
decisions of the many. 1t is part Of the game by
which Government is made to subserve the end of
aggrandizing the directors Of political machinery at
the cost of the simple aud creduous multitude.
When, Owhen, shall come the happy day WHARF
| in every man will think for himself and vote ac.
cordng to his own convictions, and in which il
viii not matter dozen votes whether Schel or
Fowler heads the winning ticket for Sachems of
the Tammany Society