The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-12-07
The Election Yesterday-success of Fer
nando Wood.

The Election Yesterday-Success OF Fer
nando Wood.
The contest of yesterday resulted in the cleo
ton of Fernando Wood for Mayor, by plurali-
ty of three thousand. This result was achieved
in spite of an immense outlay of money by the
Tammany faction, the whole force of federal
and Corporation official influence, in the teeth
Of almost unparalleled vituperation and abuse
of the successful candidate and the strongest
appeals to party prejudice on the part of the
republican friends of Mr.. Opdyke.
Considered with regard to merely local
issues. as far as the Importance of the Mayor
atty itself is concerned in its bearing upon
municipal reform and an economical govern
ment, the event of yesterday is trivial, shorn
as the Mayor is of all power and authori.
ty; but inasmuch as the election as
sumed national character, with Wood
as the representative of conservative
sentiment, opposed to adversaries representing
two degrees of the black republican anti
slavery agitation, it is of much Importance
Havemeyer was the impersonation of the Buff
falo anti.slavery crusade of 1s4s, and Opdyke
the avowed champion of the same idea in its
modern form of black republicanism. The
election of Wood, therefore, may be considered
as vindication of this city against the suspi-
cion Of abolitionism, as the success of either of
the other candidates would have been the pro.
clamation of its adherence to policy fraught
with ruin to its own commercial interests and
the peace and safety Of the entire country
In this aspect the election of Wood is an
event of vital importance, while in merely
local point of view it claims little or no inte-
rest Never before has municipal election in
New York created so much excitement, not
alone in the city ITSELF but throughout the
Union; for it seems that it was regarded
everywhere as something more than local
question-as one carrying with it great
national issue. In the city the excitement was
immense, fair illustration Of which fact might
be found in the dense crowds which blocked
up Fulton and Nassau streets, in front of the
HERALD Office, throughout the whole evening
and night. The election of 1857, which resulted
in the choice Of Temann, was an exciting time.
Wall street stolidity and the eloquence of the
Academy of Music lent their joint efforts to the
excitement. But the fervor Of that time was as
nothing to the intensity of interest which at.
tended this election.
One prominent result Of yesterdays contest
is the total defeat Of Tammany Hall, with all
its corruptions, intrigues and trickeries. THAI
contest was life or death question for old
Tammany, that house of harlots, and when, on
the announcement of the vote last night by the
chairman Of the meeting held there, the Have
meyer banners were torn into fragments by
their bearers, and the crowd deserted the hall
with cheers for Fernando Wood, the. echoes
announced the downfall of Tammany Hall its
rottenness and its anti slavery treason.
The election of yesterday, whatever its effect
may be upon our local government, must be
viewed as the expression of opinion in this
great metropolis in favor of the Union, peace
and prosperity Of the country, a defence of the
rights of the South against the assaults Of
fanaticism, and as a rebuke to anti-slavery
agitation in its duplicated shape, as represented
by Havemeyer and Opdyke. Regarded in this
light, the result is Of significant Importance.