New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-11-23
VrUNaNDo WOOD ACCEPTS.

The sketch which We prIn. this morning Of
the little speech made by Fernando Wood
to his followers yesterday wien they went
through the form Of rendering him the renom-
nation for the Mayoralty, is decid,sy one Of
the choicest bits oil unblushiug cfronte.y, which
We have ever read. The position, he said, WAS
one of great Importance, aud 80 honorable as
10 be worthy Of struggle 10 attain il; but be
was satisfied i could confer no additional honor
upon BIN. lie had filed the Office three terms
and during that time it had degenerated to n
mere clerkshp. With power TO reform abuses
be would serve again, and build up such a
monument for himself as be might well be
proud to bequeath to posterty. But otherwise
he could not accept the position. The claims
Of his family, his personal ordinations, the fact
that under present circumstances be could rem
der no good to the public nor help his friends,
all conspired to make him decline; but the
truth was New-York was the hub of the
American universe, her influence would be po-
tent in The settlement OF the grave questions
now agltating the country, and be chung to
the Union, and hoped to assist in its restora-
ton The people Of NewYork made him what
he is, and they had right to claim his SER
vices. So, all things considered, in spite of his
family claims, personal inclnatons, want of
power, and all the rest he would accept, to
avert the disaster which would follow the
calamity of sectional party again having pos
session of New-York. In conclusion be hoped
the Legislature would restore to the Office the
power which il requires TO make it efficient.
Such ID the burden of Fcrnando'S hypocritcal
story. Let us examine it by the light of truth.
When he came into Office, the taxes Of the
city were about six millions per aunum. They
are now over twelve millions. Where are his
yetoes which would have stayed this tide of
prohigate expenditure! lie found a police
force just emancipated from Aldermanic con-
troll, holding office during good behavior. aud
rapidly improving under the administration OF
Board OF which the Mayor was chief. In o
brief space, be converted it into mere ma.
chine for his private and political purposes.
Under his sway gamblers, ticket swindlers,
emigrant robbers, baggage smashers, and all
the worst classes of the city, rose into promi-
nence, and prosecuted their nefariOus callings
with IMMUNITY, TIL the name of Ncw-York be-
came byword and a reproach all over Eu-
rope. When the State, in its tender regard for
the welfare Of the emigrant, provided Castle
Garden as a place Of refuge into which they
might be gathered, secure from brutal despoil-
ment, Fernando Wood, by Withholding police
encouraged the villains who lived by
plundering these poor foreigners, to proceed III
their desperate efforts to raze the old castle to
the ground.
Through his police and his DULLES he SO i'm
peded our elections that thousands who stood
al day waiting to deposit their ballots were
rudely thrust away from the polls, and could
not vote, because their votes would initiate
against his interests, while his creatures and
cronies had free access 10 tho ballot-bcx. Ills