Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-10-17
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CoRREspoNDENcE OF THE STANDARD.

- -. NEw Yoak, Oct 4, 1860.
To the Editor Of The Standard: z
Last night, al, New York was afoot-and all New
York includes the populous suburbs of brooklyn,
Jersey City, &c. Ito witness black Republican &c.
monstration which had been trumpeted for days and
weeks previously, through the organs OF that par
ty It was to he grand exhibition of Republican
strength, at least thirty thousand Wide Awakes
were to parade with torches, banners, music and
fireworks, through the principal thoroughtares OF
this metropolis in Short it was to be the most i'm
posing procession, in every respect which the ex-
element loving New Workers had ever witnessed.
Such was the announcement, and great was the ex-
pectation. Who would not 60 to see it? Night
herself invited us. with her cloudess, starlit sky,
and soft warm.tinted moonlight. The air was mo-
tioness and balmy, as il it were July, and not the
season when "leaves have their time to fall. What
will not our sightseeing population flock to look at;
from Kossuth or the woolly horse to the Prince OF
Wales? OF course We all turned out in high good
humor with ourselves and everybody, and in mood
to enjoy the promised amusement.
You can form some idea of the appearance which
even an nconsiderab.e body of torch-men would
present at distance. Looking up along Broadway
the advancing procession looked like river of fire
rolling slowy down, possibly for never saw one,
like river of molten lava from some volcano. The
effect was undoubtedly fine; this winding snake OF
moving fire contrasting with the dark background,
made darker by the contrast and sending up, from
its fiery nosrils volumes of rockets and Roman can
dies Such was it at distance. On closer acqualn-
lance it certainly did not improve The odor OF the
monster was not pleasant 1t was an ingenious
compound of fsh-oil and turpentine puzzling the
unwilling sniffer to tell which predomnated; and
the smoke, or what might be termed the exhalation
from the animals body, was abominabe.
But aside from the effect of the torches, the pro-
cession was failure In point of numbers it fell
far short of what was promised and ex7ected-so
much the better for our noses. Instead OF thirty
thousand there were but ten; men, women, children
and niggers, all told. Out of that number deduct
one-half from country towns in New England leav-
ing five thousand for New York and suburbs. Of
those five thousand, at least twenty-five hundred
were actually hired at a dollar, and erea too dol
lars head. That leaves twenty five hundred Wide
Awakes out of population of at least million and
a half And this after so much boasting!
The morning papers give various estimates in
keeping of course with their political feelings. The
Tribune says 10000; the Times 1000; the World
$1,000 and odd; the Daily Ne,cs 1000; but the
Herald gives the official figures and makes the total
10000 and odd. The Courier and Enquirer, in its
enthusiasm, runs up to probably" 10000! The
Herald says further, that to say there were 1000
voters would be giving very liberal allowance. 1t
isa gerry liberal allowance As far as could judge
the majority were boys and very young men, of
which class by the way, it was first intended the
organization should be exclusively composed.
q In regard to hiring men to turn out you need
have no doubt about it. l have it from the most re-
liable authority, and the most enthusiastic repub
can will not dare deny it.
There is great deal too much notice taken Of
this Wide Awake organization; it is silly affair,
and, from its material, can no. possibly have any
political influence. A noticeable feature in the pro:
cession last night was the absence of enthusiasm on
the part both processionsts and bystanders Here
and there along the route there were few faint
cheers, and numbers of ladies in windows and bal
comics waved their handkerchefs, probably for the
fun of the thing and under the excitement of the
crowd and the music. In fact the paucity of num-
bers on the part of the New York Wide Awakes,
strongly bears out my assertion that there was no
enthusiasm and that the grand demonstration was
a failure; for there must certainly be more than
$500 in this city and vincinity and yet do not
aggerate when say there were no more than that
number of actual members of the organization in the
procession last night.
:. Rynders is working hard to get up Democratic
demonstration to take place after the presidential
election. am very much afraid he has chosen the
wrong time; for, after all, rcpubcanism is almost
omnipotenti in New York.
..-, ,.,.. .. FIGARO.