The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-12-17

rates. Mess sold at SIC 10 and prims at Sill So The
sugar market was firm, and closed at advance OF
Hc per h., with sales Of 400 hhds. 2l6 boxes and
10000 bags Manila, full prices Coffee firm, but
quiet. Freights firm, with moderate engagements
The Union Meeting-Is II to be q Failure
or q Triumph!
Such is the jeopardy into which the social
fabric is brought by the progress of treason
and revolution-to such degree is the public
mind excited by recent events, that alarming
symptoms of riot developed themselves at the
meeting held at the Cooper Institute on Thurs
day evening for the ostensible purpose of col
lectiDg money for John Browns wife and child
rem, but more probably for the organization
and arming Of another insurrectionary expedi-
ton to the South. The incendiary language
used On that occasion, melting to massacre and
revolution, seems to indicate that the latter is
the real object of these meetings. Nothing
prevented bloody termination to the pro-
ceedings but the presence of large force Of
police. On tho same evening at Philadelphia
similar meeting was held, and the same
scenes occurred; and there, too, it was only by
the active exertions of the police that san
culinary outbreak was suppressed. And in the
halls of Congress, where there are no police,
the same violent language is heard and the
same excitement prevails. A few days ago al
most riot took place on the floor of the House
of Representatives where the members are
armed to the teeth. There is no knowing at
what moment deadly encounter may begin
there; and nothing, in fact but the good sense
and moderation of some of the members can
prevent conflict which seems almost ire
pressible.
And all this is brought on us by the reckless
demagogues Of political factions, which are
working the rapid ruin of the country. At no
period of our history was the nation so pros
porous as it is now, and never were such
bright prospects of future glory and pros
perity presented to any peoples view; but
since the foundation of the republic never was
the country in such state of political anarchy
and Generalization as at this moment. A
revolution is making fearful strides, which, if
not speedily arrested, will not only destroy all
our present prosperity, but blight our pros
poets forevermore splitting this mighty con-
federacy, which now commands the respect of
the world-splitting it into three or perhaps
four geographical sections, each embroiled
with its neighbors in sectional wars, like the
nations of South America. Thus, becoming
the prey of each other, they would soon be
swallowed up one by one by the great Powers
Of Europe, which now envy our greatness, fear
our commercial rivalry, and still more the sue
cessful example of our democratic institutions
To such fearful catastrophe does the thicken-
ing plot of red revolution now hasten.
In the midst of this impending crisis,
four or five thousand of the merchants
of New York-the commercial metropo-
lis of the Union-sign call converting
meeting at the Academy Of Music on
Monday next to denounce the Instruction
at Harper's Ferry, to reassure the South of the
friendly feeling of the North, and to protest
against all sectionalism and revolutionary ten
danninn To n;.,4 <~--s - Az --Aa--o TT ~-su
that two esidents-Martin Van Buren, and
Millard Fillmore, citizens of this State-are in.
vited to attend. Whether they will come or not
we cannot say. It is a movement of whose
objects, as announced in the call, every good
man must approve. But there are two things
that ought to be guarded against: one is, that
the meeting be not perverted to totally
different purpose from that which is intended
by the signers; and the other, that the meeting
do not content itself with mere expression of
sentiment, or the passing Of q set of resolutions
If attention is not paid to these two points, the
great Union meeting will end in bottle of
smoke, and all the speeches will be mere
"sound and fury, signifying nothing" or, what
is still worse, this great gathering will be used
as an instrument to lift a dirty outcast faction
from the gutter, wash its face, give it a new
suit Of clothes, and introduce it to decent
society.
This movement was secretly set on foot by a
desperate clique, known as the Albany Re-
gency, to retrieve the ground lost in the late
municipal election by their confederates in
Tammany Hail. and to make smooth the way
for their delegation to Charleston, which might
otherwise have hard road to travel. The OBJ
ject is to bring Seymour out prominently at the
meeting, in order that it may be q sort Of pass
port to him at the South, and enable him to
elbow other men out of his way at the National
Convention where they hope to infict q nomi-
nation on the country worse than any that has
been ever made.
Now, it is easy to see how the merchants fell
into the trap of signing the call. They signed
it because they felt that it tailed with their
own ideas and that the times demanded it, and
thew did not aAo the real and secret des;ona of
the movement; but they know it now, or ought
to know it To be forewarned is to be fore
armed; and it rests with themselves whether
they are to be sold, or whether they will turn