New-York tribune., 1868-05-04
TAMMANY HALL AND THE NATION1L CON
VENTION

DENIIOA
In the latter days of the Roman Common
wealth, muscular criminals seized the rens of
government and controlled the State. Brawny
barbarans, who had fought or bought their way
into the Senate, passed from the Forum to the
Amphitheater, and engaged in gladiatorial con-
tests in presence of the assembled multitudes
of the city, and, on one memorable occasion, a
sinewy savage, who had purchased law-giver's
seat with money acquired by brgandage,
strangled a tigress in the arena, bare banded,
amid the plaudits of his admiring constituents.
Our own community is yearly approximating
more closely to its ancient prototype. Tam
many Hall, through the patronage and rev.
enues of this City, exercises a controlling in
nuence over the legislation of the State, and
aspires, through it, to the control of one of the
great parties of the nation. The New-York
State delegates to the National Convention are
instructed to vote as unit, and will probably
name the Democratic candidate for the Presi-
dency; and Tammany Hall owns the State
delegation
And what is Tammany Hall ? 1t is an
organization which possesses supreme power
over the City Government, selecting its
officials, and manipulating its treasury. A
dozen years ago, under the management of re-
putable men like John j. COddington VIM. f.
Hayemeyer, Robert Kelly, and Daniel F. Tie
mann, it respected pablo opinion, and had some
regard for the personal character of its pro-
tGgGs; but descending step by step TO the
present dictatorship of William NJ. Tweed, the
comparatively decent element of the party has
been thrust aside and displaced by the vilest
sediment of society. Assassins aud criminals
of lower grades sit in Judiciary Conventions and
nominate the judges by whom they are to be
tried for their crimes, and the public offices,
either by election or appointment, are filled
with bravos and feons who have appeared
upon the criminal records of the City charged
with all the oilenses in the calendar, from theft
and felonious assault, upward.
At a county ratification meeting held by the
irregular Democrats of this City at Harmony
Garden, few days prior to the last State
Election, Supervisor Ely made a speech, in
which he asserted that, if you should 20 to that
corridor in the State Prison at Sing Sing which
is devoted To burglars and highwaymen, and
take the convcts from the first dozen cells and
give them absolute control of our municipal
government, the taxes would be less, and life
aud property would be more secure. under
their administration, than they now are under
the rule of the Tammany Ring. The assertion
was considered extrayagant, but the community
are becoming convinced Of its truth. .rrI..
The Tammany jobbes commenced the cree
tion of tnr; new hall in Fourteenth-st. last
Summer, and il is to be ready for use on the
ith of July next The National Democratic
Committee have ordered their Convention to be
held in this City on that day, and a great
pressure is being made upon them to induce
their acceptance of the new building for the meet
ings of the Convention-nOt because 1t will
benefit the candidates. but because it will give
prominence to the hall and to the clique who
own Il. The Congressional Democratic Execu-
tive Committee having passed resolution, last
week, expressing the belief that the Conven-
tion should be held at an earlier day, The
World, in demonstrating against the change,
says:
1--WE should be sorry II the new Tammany Hall were
90 miss appropriate inauguration 10 would the
time OF holding the Convention To be nearer than the
ith Of July"
This consideration is a strong one, so far as
one half of the New y York City Democracy is CON
cerned, but may not be regarded as so poten-
tial by the unterriied in other cities and
States. Indeed, it has been understood that,
although Mr.. Belmont, the Chairman of the
National Committee, has yielded to the impOr
tunities of the Sachems, yet some more
thoughtful members of the Committee doubt
whether the Democracy of the nation would
be stimulated in their efforts for success by
constant reminders that their candidate was
generated in the rottcnness and baptized in
the slime of an institution in which each
brick represents stolen dollar and a false
oath. .t