The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-11-13

The Charter Election.
Mr. Oakley Hall, our famous District Attor-
ney, has put forth manifesto on the charter
election, apparently intended to crush out Mayor
Wood and secure the victory to some hitherto un-
known chief of the opposition. Mr.. Oakley
Halls manifesto is like his plays; it is an OLA
podrida of Indifferent quips and quotations from
foreign sources. Alison is called into the SER
vice, and so is Elijah Purdy Robespierre
is made to do duty side by side with the pro-
phet Ezekiel and Lord Brougham The docu-
ment recalls the old story of the author who al
ways kept his quotations in snuff box by his
side, and pulled out the first one he laid hands
on, whenever his ideas tagged. As to the style
of the document, it is very funny. If Oakley
Hall were a lad of fifteen at college, he would
be told by his professor to get off his stills and
talk plain sense. But just fancy District At
torney speaking of Mayor of New York in
public document as the chess player who
moves only for the scholars mate, !" " as pallid
With fear as the head of the French tyrant,"
zone quaking in his Office at the tornado" zone
who has played with sporting men as the angler
takes the trout" &C., &C.; exhorting the voters
to "cry aloud and spare not, for the hour Of
our city's deliverance is nigh" and winding up
with the grand apostrophe-"T The hour! But
where is the man?" Where, indeed? We
should like to see any sane man of years Of dis
erection who could afford to let his arrival upon
the stage be heralded after this circus fashion.
Such trash would make boys at any good board
ing school split their sides.
One was prepared to witness some contortions
on the part Of the politicians of whom Mr..
Oakley Hall is leader. Hardly ten days have
elapsed since the republicans saw a majority Of
eighty thousand disappear like smoke, and the
control of the State, on which they had counted
with good deal Of confidence, pass into the
hands of their opponents. Under such circum-
stances perfect calmness and deliberateness Of
action could hardly be anticipated from them.
Under the pressure of disappointment and ruin,
the republican leaders were expected to do and
to say foolish things 1t was natural they
should. But we don't know that any one, even
of the largest capacity for representation,
foresaw that they would stultify themselves in
the ridiculous and laughable manner in which
they have done on the subject Of the Mayoralty.
Here was city known to be intensely de-
mocratic, and quite certain to give the demo-
Gratis round majority at the charter election;
especially after the State triumph. And here
was Fernando Wood who had obtained the
regular nomination on the democratic ticket.
The question for the republicans and Know
Nothings was on these postuates, how to defeat
Wood? They calmly decided-in their organs,
that the thing must be done by putting forward
q hard democrat, of good standing in the party.
1t never seems to have occurred to any of
them that no democrat Of any standing,
character and prospects. could possibly
lend himself to the republicans and other fac
tious opponents Of the democracy to defeat the
democratic ticket. Even when Mr.. Havemeyer
mildly intimated that be did not propose to be
made a cat's-paw Of, or to be sacrificed for the
party be had always opposed, they continued
deaf and dumb to the absurdity Of their position,
and went on-aye, and 60 on still-hunting
up first class democrats, and catching such very
sorry gudgeons as we have heard latterly
named FOR the Mayoralty. Of course no demo-
crat could venture to run on the opposition to
the democracy, without committing political
suicide, and losing the esteem of oil his old as
sociates; and no one but democrat could car
ry this city. This is the dead lock.
But while the editors OF some OF our cotem-
poraries and few other children may have
been deludcd into the notion that q first class
democrat would have been sent from heaven to
relieve them from their embarrassment, and the
defeat Of Mayor Wood, we are inclined to think
that politicians Of Oakley Halls experience must
have seen long ago how hopeless it was to try
TO beat Wood, and have gone into this contest
not for the purpose Of electing Mayor, but in
order to carry majority Of the Common Coun-
Gill; Under the present charter the Mayor has
very little to do with the expenditure of the
city moneys; even his veto may be overruled
10y two-thirds vote; and the whole business of
appropriating, expanding, practically
embezzling money, now devolves upon the
Com mon Council. If the republicans can, by
any hocus pocus, succeed in obtaining the control
of a majority Of this body, they will have won
triumph better than the election of Mayor
They will have completed the work which was
begun at Albany last year, and will have pro-
vided themselves with q municipal entrench-
ment to protect them against the democratic
fire they must expect from the State capitol
this winter. This, we imagine is the design of
the party Of which MI. Oakley Hall now ofdci-
ates as the ornate, learned, poctical aud bonn
basiic chairman.
II is not likely to be successful The repub-
lcans have by their grasping policy last win
ter aliepated the good will of oil parties In this