New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-09-03
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The hteI histv ny i yEcEs19 none = .ic So
= ,oeIe -n.s:estl1g md ils: lc.iye ;-aE to-: Il
MssstY.. Hav;5s lived IL sh!t 500 sa,e Ia
ana having been close observer CT Al 20 I.r:y
ua,euvers from tha. tine IL Dop propose
briefly 70 show how the present ,em,rk-tie Id e1-
traordp.ry s..te Of Affairs was brought about.
TIE Presidential election Of lS40 vas the frs. 10
which the German citizen. psrtc;ps:ei. Gcea:
sscrte were :Aen nade By the Wig party TO IN.
ause them 70 east their votes fer Harrison. 4
srea. sA0w and fuss was made-nen 10 the highest
ssat,Jns were seen to carry rotten 'eauoes' OF
their Shoulders through the cites and towns, and
gather IN log csbius," swallowing ,our cider and
haw.iag ont Harrison songs, BY al which we Il
mean the citizens Of Gsfn.m birth were rather
6sg1sted than edited, or won over.
It s true, the Wing party then embraced most
u tho better educated and portion oe tie most
respectable citizens the scholars tee blsioess
men seaeraly, the wealthy people, snd, IN this
State aso the largest Shareholders, belonged TO Il;
While the Democratic party was chiefly composed
Sf the different classes Of laborers, the smaller
farmers, sqlatters, &c. Wearied Of sristocratic
assumption, OF which we had seen too much at home,
and Democrats by principle and sentiment, being
afraid Of noneyed srstOcracy taking tbs reins Of
this country, we, with few exceptions did our best
10 support the Democratic candidates, and lsmented
over their defeat.
With wonted faith We adhered ~ the same party
in the elections Of 1874 and l-45. The other party
having 10 vain tried 10 persuade us over, became at
length desperate, and, pretending that their oppO-
sents gained their victories by deludng the "for-
eiNDers" over to their ranks, began 10 show nsty-
istic prOpensities-at least co6perated with an 81
ready organized, though small native party. This,
Of course, was i'll calculated TO change our sym
psthies
The public measures of 1850, however, shook our
faith in the sincerity and honesty of either of the
tAen dominant parties, and, in 1852 already con-
siderable portion of the Germans in Missouri ao-
stained from voting at ali. Scott was not our man
we did not want Presidential candidate bearing
the insignia Of military cbieftsn, and, beside, be-
had expressed native feeling which We considered
lArYow and unjust.
In Missouri the Democratic party had in lr4t
spit into BentOntes and Calhounites or Antics and
thereby opened prospect to the other party Of
getting 3. length the ascendency in the State. The
Antics, feeble az first, gradually gained their op-
ponents, and were generally strong and smart
enough 10 keep both Wings and BentOnites out Of
power. The great majority Of the Germans acted
with the latter, sincerely devoted to the old champ:
en- the Senator of thirty years, detesting his vile
aducers and yiliters, and, at any rate preferring
his maxins Of peace and union to the s!avOcratlc
u]traism Of his antagonists. He had in one OF his
speeches expressed himself opposed to the further
extension Of Slavery, and it was for that We liked
him best.
How great then, Our surprise when, after
he Cincinnati Convention, we learned what part
the old gentleman hsd there acted-when We heard
him caD upon us to put down the noble Fremont
(his own favorite) and cast our votes for the nom
ipee of party chiefly made up of his own btterest
enemies Did he know more and better of Mr..
Buchanan than we could pretend to Did he ex-
pect that the Southern chivalry, by elecling Bu-
chanan, woald fall into snare! BE that as it may
we did not want either TO set traps for Others or fall
INTO them ourselves; only few Of the Germans fol-
bowed Mr.. BeDtOn's advice.
Meanwhile the Wing party in utter hOPeessness
sf being ever again victorious, had been broken up
entirely. II was thought that by universal pro-
scrp.iOn Ofthe foreigners" and by making show
of prominently American" feeling, by taking at
lhe same time neutral position on the ve&ed and
6tal Slavery question, SO many OF the members OF
the old parties and factions could be united into one
new organization a. 10 secure TO 1t victory, power
and the "spo,le." And, truly, matters went on
ulOriously for q while: bat before the day of the
general election arrived, prospects had darkened al
ready, and the fate Of the dark lantern con-
GEM was sealed.
I'm Missouri, also, there was for some tune uni
sersAl rush into the Know Nothing lodges. Only
the BensOntes the foreign born, the Catholics, and
some few National Democrats aud old Wings of a
more sober mind, stayed at home, ormsde no open
opposition.
Abou. the time of the last Presidential election,
~ before stated, the dizziness had IN part egapo
nted, and politicians began to ponder as to
which side the victory might incline. Thus thou
sands Of Democrats at once abjured a heresy which
they had 80 eagerly embraced, and numbers of
Wings, overcoming aversion OF such long stand
hg, iOined the National Democracy. After the
election the deserdon became still more extensive,
and the organization Of the exclusion party was
scarcely held together any longer.
II is known that on the first Monday 10
August the people Of Missouri were to elect
q Governor Two candidates ofered-Stewart,
he nominee Of the Nationals, and Rollins, q
member Of the American party, but running an
independent candidate. BY this time five political
parties in Missouri must be distinguished: Fret,
the National Democrats; second, Benton Demo-
Gratis; third Americans somewhat improved from
the former rabid Know-Nothngs); fourth, O,d-Linc
Wings; and fifth, Free-State men (Of whom the
Germans form principal portiOn).
On the day of the election all tho genuine Ma
honals were at their post-of all the other voters
only one half appeared at the polls. The Old. Liue
Whigt grumbled at Rollins for not having come
sut on the old (and antquated) Wing platform; the
Americans would have liked him to show little
more Know Nothing spirit aud the shareholders
spOng them did hardly deem hun wholly unm-
esed with Free-S.ate propenslses; the Bentonites
nuKmured little about his having so long been the
most strenuous opponent to the Democracy il the
State; the German Free-State Men had their
scruples also, but majority Of them came out
boldly 70 his suppert-and what for 7
Because they had good reason 70 believe thai
Rollins, ayowedly the more manly and more CON-
petent man, 10 not hostile 10 the Free-State move.
men. in Missouri; then because they wished 10
show on this occasion that they do not care
kr.hiDg for Know Nothmgsm, considering it as