The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-12-20

The Union meeting, which came of at tint
, Academy of Music last evening, was multitu
dinous as we anticipated, and, as a popular
demonstration, was a glorious success. The
speeches and the resolutions were failures; but
the people made it all right by the nomination
of General Scott. Tammany Hall was com
PEELED to take back seat, a. the HERALD ad
vised, and Seymour, of the Albany Regency,
was not there though his unspoken speech is
in type. In spite of the intrigues and machi-
nations of the politicians, the hero Of Lundy's
Lane was nominated by the outside meetings,
and his name received with tremendous enthusi-
asm. In the inside meeting he was not formally
nominated; but the manner In which his letter
was received by the multitude-received as was
no other name at the meeting-was tantamount
to a nomination and had any one had the
courage to nominate him by resolution at that
moment, it would have been carried by &C
clamation. The popular heart within and with.
out the building turned instinctively to this
great man in the hour of danger. All the rest
was "leather and prunella." General SCOTS
letter was the only one which the committee
| ventared to read on the occasion, for they felt
the beating of the peoples pulse.
The resolutions, which did not resolve to do
| anything, but asserted as truths what every
body knew, were all cut and dried and in type
before the meeting began. The speakers played
theparts assigned them-their speeches, though
commonplace, were sound and true John
Brown was denounced; sympathy was ex-
pressed with the South; strong arguments were
urged in favor of the Union, and the wicked
ness and unreasonableness of the abolitonists
were exposed. In fact, the efforts of the orators
seemed to be entirely directed to the
conversion of the republican revolution
lists. AS well might they whistle jigs
to milestone, or attempt to charm the
deaf adder with song. In times of great danger
it is not speech that is wanted, but action; and
the people understood it, and indicated their
will in an unmistakable manner The senti-
ments Of the speakers were very fine; but
something more appropriate was required, and
that was supplied by the common sense of the
audience
1t is subject Of congratulation to all good
citizens that this beginning has been made. Scott
Union meetings-in other words, practical and
successful Union meetings-will be held all over
the land But the duty of the New York mer-
chants is not ended. They must keep up
what they have SO well begun. This is de-
manded of them by their relations to the Empire
City, whose continued prosperity or whose ruin
now hangs by single hair, like the sword sus-
pended over the head of Damocles, amidst the
wealth and splendor which surrounded him.
Let the revolutionary party at the North cut
that hair, or let the revolutionary party at the
South anticipate them by cutting it first, and
what becomes of our merchant princes, their
goodly palaces, their luxury and their wealth
All will vanish like the baseless fabric of
vision, and the modern Tyre, which now sits
the queen of commerce on the waters of the
Atlantic, will soon become like her Phnnician
prototype, and like Carthage, Athens and
Venice, which, when they were free and he
centres Of empire, rolled far and wide to,'
world of commerce. What are these once
great commercial cities now? What great
poet has sung of one of them is true of ALL
Oh, Venice Venice when thy marble walls ?
Are level with the waters, there shall be
cry Of nations DER thy sunken halls,
A loud lament along the sweeping sea.
Oh agony, that centuries should reap
No mellower harvest! Thirteen hundred years
OF wealth and glory turned to dust and tears.
New York has taken no "bond of fate" that
her case will be different from that Of Venice,
sthe pride of the sea" or the other emporiums
of commerce in the Old World. Her destiny
would only be still more melancholy than
theirs, if she should be now blighted by red
handed revolutions; for whether they fell by slow
decay or by conquest, it cannot be said that
their greatness was prematurely cut short,
whereas the imperial city of the New World
would be nipped in the flower of her youth, as
by an untimely frost. She has no immunity
| from commercial death, and the same causes
will ever produce the same effects. The COM
mercial prosperity Of New York depends on the
political stability Of the country; and in this
crisis that depends in no small degree upon the
intelligence, wealth, courage and patriotism Of
the merchant princes of this city.
| The course adopted at the meeting last night
contrasts favorably with the inaction at the
other Union meetings, which remind us of the
old man in the nursery story book, who found
naughty boys in his apple tree, and who pelted
them first with words and then with grass. At
this they only laughed, and at length he was
compelled to try what virtue there was in
stones. That had the desired effect; and the
same means must be resorted to with the revo-
lutionists, and might as well be tried at first as
at last They care little about empty speeches
and vague resolutions which lead to no action.
They will laugh at mere words, and
it is only by votes and the ballot box they can
be put down. Their bloody revolution must
be met with bloodless counter revolution-a
revolution at the polls. The national destinies
of the country are in the hands Of set Of
politicians and on these depend its commercial
destinies The merchants, the refore, have the
| largest stake at Issue. and ought to take