New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-11-05

When the Dark Lantern frst began to cast its
stseowy and nebulous influence upon American
politics the Great Priest minsterng at its shrine,
the principal male yesta attending to the wick and
pouring in the limited oleaginous supplies, was His
E1celleDcy Henry J. GMdner the present but BY
DO mesns the prospective Governor Of Massachu-
sett,. In those days Of concaves, pass. words,
brea.t pins and buttons, he was the mystic gentle
man who had heaped At his sacred knees the pretest
pile of votes-he was the enterprising politician
who made the most out Of the new political gospel;
and although Jonathan Pierce, patriarchal pump
and block maler of Boston, and one Of the original
constructors Of the Lantern, might plant and al
though rows Of other gentlemen might water, Henry
j. Gardner claimed the increase as bis private and
personal property He received the largest vote ever
cast for q Governor in Massachusetts,. He was
talked Of for United States Senator. He was men
TONED in connection with the Vice Presidency, but
vas didded out Of the homer of no nnation by An
drew jackson DonelsOn His luck seemed to be
prodigiou.. Without morsel Of claim he received
the "Amercan" nomination for Governor 10 the first
place; he then ran against Rockwell the Republican
candidate and beat him. be then succeeded I'M heed
ling the Republican party into supporting him. He
has thus been thrice elected. But, lest any youthful
aspirant for political honors Oh ould be betrayed into
following his example by the splendr Of his success,
rather than deferred by the gnomny Of his present
defeat we must state that the price which Mr..
Gardrer paid for bis honors was exceedingly high.
Rather than miss the Gubernatoral dignity. hepre-
fer,ed most distinctly to deviate from the path Of
rectitude. We suppose that there are fifty thou.
sand honest men in Massachusetts, who would, if
called upon, testify to day before Judicial tribunal
that Henry j. Gardner's character for truth and
veracity is bad. The falsehoods which he told were
30 simple. so naked, so palpable, that men stood
sgbast, with kind of reverental feeling and re-
Qarded bis mendacites ss sublimities of their kind
Wien he was frat nominated, he told the Temper.
ance men OF Massachusetts, Temperance there
means TeetOtali,m-that for fourteen years he had
been with them; when all his friends and compan.
ions brew that during the period which he desig.
mated be had not been averse to an occasional Oier-
ing at the shrine Of Bacchus In order TO proptiste
tie Anti-Savery men Of the State, be declared With
edifying unctitn that he had always been of their
persuasion, and had felt for those In bonds a. if
bound with them; when all who knew anything Of
him at all were perfectly coenizant Of the fact that
the Pro-slayery policy which Mr.. Webster had
sought to inaugurste 10 Massachusetts had been
warmly supported by Mr.. Gardner. The audacty
of these enormous fbs staggered the wellinforms1
ard convinced those who were less 20. To the day
of bic death Qlast Tuesday, Mr. Gard,er was re-
esrded BY many honest persons as kind of cross
between Neal Dow and William Lloyd Garrison,
possessing entirely the original virtues Of either
etrain.
To say that the successful assimilation of 90
many years required no ability, would be to do in
Justice to our subject. Talent Of q certain kind Mr..
Gardner unquestonaby has, but it is not talent Of
high kind. 1t is frequently found much more
beautifully developed in country lawyers. It is
talent Of the Oily Cannon description, and, in the
long run, is always cure to be circumvented Some
fasity continues to be outwardy prosperous to the
end, but il must be manipulated BY Tslleyrand,
and not by Gardner. At the hight of his pros
peIity, we always knew that hs would finally be
found out All that was needed to secure his pre-
cipate re treat to the shades of private dry.goods
jobbpg VA correct knowledge, on the part Of the
people Of Massachusetts,, Of bis true character.
For tbs, time only was needed; for the day upon
which be was known was sure to consign him to OBJ
liyiop, if the gods were kind, and to an infamous
memory ,hOuh they prove austere. That day ha'
come. It would have come year sgo IL the Re
publicans of Massachusetts, had possessed moral
courage commensurate with their strength and re.
sourcss Mr. Gardner has lived upon their suffer-
ance, and they have last discovered that patience
is DO longer virtue.
We are speaking of Mr.. Gardner possibly for the
lat time It is net probable that any future act Of
bis will be of suiicientpubc importance to require
the mention of his name in these columns. But,
while we comfortably mourn his departure, We
must not forget those who have gone with him,
and that which has gone with him slso. Some
tribes bury with the Chief bis horss, his weapons
ard his vestments nor shall Mr.. Gardner lack such
,epulchral honors. With him, the last Of the genu
inc and original SINS, the genuine and original
Dark Lantern, is inferred. Mr.. Gardner ran dis
tipcty a. the American candidate and just as dis.
tincty he has run with bis party into the gOund
II is now as extinct in Massachusetts, az it Is else
where. Can We say more Yes, We will ssy that
while this the gratifying result Of promises made
and never kept, and never intended to be kept, BY
Mr.. Gardner-while these returns show the indig-
nation of men who have been wheedled by cunning
speeches, and dubbed BY artful asseveratons they
prove, too, that the Anti-Slavey sentiment Of Mas
sactusetts is the predominant sentiment OF tnas
State, and that hereafter all minor matters must
give il precedence.