The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1861-12-02
City Politics.
Grand OpdyLe Ratification Meeting.
ENTHUSIASM oy THE PEOPLE.

Long before the time assigned for opening the
meeting, the grand hall was crowded almost TO
sufiocsion, and Thousands assembled about the
building outside, unable 10 gan entrance The
multitude was of character seldom seen at
political meetings, highly respectable, in fact,
exactly the opposite Of the Wood meeting at
the same place on Friday night. Sober ard
decent looking men were exceptional on that
occasion, they were the rule on Saturday night.
Ward organizations came from all parts Of tho
city, bearing banners, transparcncies, flags and
torches and the greatest enthusiasm prevailed.
Bouiiies were lit IN the square before the Insti-
tute, and at en- earl, hour the two immense
meetings, within and without the hall, CONF
m need
The inside meeting Wa called 10 order by Mr..
X. Smith, who nominated Judge Coles for
chairman. The nomination was accepted, and
Judge Coles in taking the chair made some re-
mnIks urging the claims Of George Opdyk, on
the voters Of New York. lie referred 10 the
accusation against Opdyke that he wa, an aholi-
zionist and cmancipaiionist. He was neither
ono. ror the other, except that he believed that
slaves might just as properly he employed on
the side Of the Union aud the Federal Govern
ncnt a. ON the .Ide ol the rebellion, when oc-
casion allowed il. lie did not consider it sIch
% sacred kird of property, that it should be
| only used in favor e treason. (ATplause)
| Three hundred and sixty. two vice. presidents
| and one hundred and twelve secretaries wCro
| then appointed. The list embraced very many
| of the most prominent and influential men IN
| the city.
| Mr. J. II White then read resolutions enlor-
| sing the ability AID integrity Of Mr.. OIykc,
| which were automatically received AMI unari-
| mouslr adopted.
| TIE Ropul lean Cleo Club then sang couple
| of stirring and patriotic campaign songs.
avid Dudley Field was the first regular
| apcak cr. Pc said the election on Tue slay next
| would rot Ne - party election, but struggle 20
| put tn hest man into an important office. Tho
cr,at object was TO cleo, a candidate loyal 10 the
| Government. lie would review the qualica
| lions Of the three candidates for the MavOfaty.
and would begin with Mr.. Gunther. He was,
he believed, loval man. with excellent iutcn-
| tion.; but IL was manifest that he had no. tho
| requisite qualifications to I'll the Mlvoraliy
Chair; ant the choice was, consequently be-
tween GtOrgc Opdy he and Fernando Wood
| And who was Fernando Wool (Laughtor)
What was his private chiracte'l Was it gooll
| CA yoicc-"He' dead beat" Laughtcr) lie
would not attempt to charge on Mr.. Wood any
| thing which he could not utter elsewhere; but
he would let his public acts speak for him.
Under our city charter bad as it ia, the
| Mayor has charge oi the three most important
departments Of the city government. Contracts
are made almost all Of them through those de-
parments. The office OF Mayor is Of immense
responsibility patronage and opportunities Of
corruption. II, has also the veto power, which
can be used to great Disadvantage by a dshon-
est man. But there is another reason which,
IN this time Of national peril. ought not to be-
lost sight Of Fernando Wood is not n loyal
man. (Ciics Of that's 20, and great applause
The speaker could show that Fernando WOOD is
= traitor (Grcat ,hecring) Wood believes in
the right Of secession IN the most revolving
Orm in which il had boon presented. mos
sage which hc sent to the Common Council con-
taius this passage
| When disunion j. becoming a certain and
fixed fact, why may not New York disrupt the
bonds which bind her TO ,cnal aud corrupt
MASTER
lie, from thi., il sCccssionist, or al least
was, On cry: "IIc is now 20 and if he ha-
chang cd it is something that we have not been
npprised Of. (Applause) Fernando Wood not
only believed that u state had right 10 seccdc
from the Union, but he hal held that even
part OF state should seccdo from itself
CLaughter) That was n doctrine which had
, been repudlated even 10y the rebe-. "a voice
, That's 500 When the arms which had beef
destined for Georgia, to overthrow the Fedora
4 Government, had been seized by the police
! how did Mayor Wool express himself on tn
= matter; He said in reply 10 Toombs, that h
1 had no sympathy with the outrage, and woull
il he had the power have punishoi those on
a gagged in il. And yet that man hal come for
/ ward to claim the votes Of the loyal citizens o
q the Empire City, as reward for his preyiou
acts. He would not speak more of Fornand,
, pass to the third candidate Who was he
a voice-1hat's the mani Yes, Opdyke wa
the man. a voicc-Ilc's an honest man.
Yes, he was honest man, and such was the no
best work Of God. !Applanse;) Ills recor'
was clear and pure. Mr.. Wool had said il
that hall ON the previous night, that If his hear
crs did not choose 10 vote for him, they had bet
ter support Mir Opdvkc, "a he was an abolition
it, Now, Mr.. Opdyke was not an abolition,
in any sense of the word. lie believed, lik
, | Ill them. that the extension Of slavery wa
improper, and he was consequently, opposed 4
, any such policy. Those were his views la,
year, and the views Of all there. and IIcavci
, knew the events which had TRANSFERRED since tina
+ time were not sufficient TO effect change il
them. (Applause.) Fernando Wood believe,
in rec'nstruclion of the Union, but Op1yk
, held that the Union was not broken, and tina
the Government should be maintained Georc
, Opdykc and Fernando Wood were then before
him, and he knew they would support an hon
, | c't man Tor the Mayoralty at the next election
, The band performed the Star Spangled Ban
, | ner, and then the Hon. J. A. Briggs was intro
A duced AMI received with loud applause. ii
. said that change in the mayoraltv hal becom
h indispensable. Mayor Wood hal been weighe,
\ in the balance and found wanting. (Applause)
A The speeches he had made that week ought I
he sufficient to ctn,gn him to oblivion. Tn
/ taxes of New York had nearly brought them (
destruction. The Astors the Peter Coopers an
Others who could draw their checks for an
amount at the banks did not feel il ; but tn
r | money had To come from the hard hands Of tn
; labofing classes who felt the deep burden
D which had been imposed upon them by the mis-
, | government of the city. Few Of those hefor
" him would take their believed wivesand chldrc
n t. visit those houses of living death usually le
. out in tencments. In those places the poor
+ smC Of them the hard working honest popula
: tion of the City-wc consigned TO live. Rent
3, were cNorhitantly high, and far beyond th
A means oil the poor victims of excessive taxation
4 Let them cast their eyes to the garrets and eel
a lars, and all the apartments composing sue
/ buildings, and what would thcy behold
Il Low, narrow rooms filled with foul air, wit
no proper means Of ventilation; a living toni
# in which the pOverty-stTiCkcn mother and sis
IA ter piled their needles hy the dim light of
y candle. Such were some Of the effects Of III
u misg0NeTImcnt Of the city, and they fell almo
n exclusively on the poor. What 10 the Ian,
~ lords Of those houses say to those who speak
N the high rcntsi Their uniform and true answ,
"A was that but for the cNtortionate taxation, II
rents might he safely reduced two dollars p,
.. month. They wanted Mayor who would .
ic lis part in correcting those abuses; and Il
n record ui Mayor Wood, as shown bv Mr.. Fie
m | proved that hc was not the man. The damn
M lie speech lac had made the other night W
sufficient to sink himself and any party wi
which he was connected. (Applause) NJ
briggs closed cNhorting the meeting to suppC
NJ | Mr.. Opdykc.
L. MIR. Waldo IIutchins and Hon II, j. Ri
ie mond followed in eloquent speeches in the 81
~ | strain. Aher which the meeting adjourned.
Two meetings Were Organized i'm the square