The New York herald., 1870-03-24
The Albany Coup d'Etas.

II has been our habit to call the accom-
plished City Chamberlain Peter Bismarck
Sweeny. We never particularly intended to
compliment the great German master Of state
craft by this, but rather to hint to the manipu-
lators OF city politics that they had among
them man as perceptive and acute in their
realm of fact and thought as the great organ
| izer of Germany was in his. Now, however,
we are satisfied that we did Peter rather less
than justice in giving him namo that seems
to restrict his intellectual scope, and certainly
leaves out of view all the astounding effect
that man produces when he works in ways
hidden from the sight Of common observers,
and handles and combines elements that were
thought to be out Of his reach. Bismarck is
the type of one kind Of great ability. He
conducts with sheer mental force game at
which all the world is present. and the
world admires his skill; but we lock on
with something quite different from mere
admiration Of skill when one who is
popularity regarded as dead suddenly
proves that he is the only man present
who is really and thoroughly alive; when one
who is beaten at all points proves the victor
at all points, in short when one who is given
up as man only at to ego to Europe" is
found to be the only man able to stay at home.
This is the quality Of Peters genius, and in
this he bears great deal closer resemblance
to another distinguished Dutchman than to
Bismarck. His moro accurate antetype is
Mephistopheles. That German imagination of
power that accomplishes unlocked for and
astounding results by some occult application
of the most familiar means, and inspires as
much awe as admiration in inpressing its
irresistible character, is simply fore-vision of
the victor in the great Albany struggle.
For only look at it: Faust on the Brocken
wanted TO be in the streets of the far away city.
Nothing could be more ridicuously impossible
than for mere human genius to suddenly realize
this wish. Yet Mephistopheles had little
game for the occasion. He twisted one OF
the fingers of his right hand, by the
contraction of what the London doctors
call ''the guinea muscle," and they were
there. The gnarled old tree near by became
q pump, the straight young oaks polished
themselves into the pillars OF splendid edifices
and the carpet of dead leaves was a pave
ment of stone. Quite as remarkable was the
transformation at Albany. Democracy was in
the woods. Peter B. was nowhere. He was
''gone to Europe" Tammany was dead. All
its pet measures of reform and change were
scattered to the four winds, or, if there are
any more winds, scattered to the whole of
them. The ancient and respectable name of
Tammany was spoken only with contempt
1t was firmly believed, so far as men saw, that
every other municipal democracy, except the
young democracy, and its shadow in silk
stockings, had perished from the face of the
EARTH Even the last man was not left to
mourn it; for if there was any last man he was
ashamed or afraid TO admit that he had ever
adhered to it, and 30 hurrahed for the young
democracy, silk stocking Sammy, little Moses
and war to the jacAknife! The young demo-
cracy also hurrahed for itself. Sammy hur-
rahed! Moses hurrahed! and the jackknife
was brandished till its greasy blade glittered in
the sun like the helm of Achilles Thus
it was but now-and how is it.? "Ere one
can say it lightens" it is all the other way.
The young democracy is swept out of sight,
and Tammany grimly and calmly surveys the
ruin of the engineers ''hoist by their own
petard." Their grand schemes of law, framed
to show their power, show only their impo-
tence, their ridiculous happiness to handle |
such machinery, and damage only themselves
AS guns that aimed at duck or plovcr.
Kick back and knock the owner over.
All this is in the method of Mephistopheles-
just done by the wave Of his hand-the kink Of
his little fnger-the contraction, perhaps, of
the ''guinea muscle"
1t is also the same here as with Mcphisto-
pheles, in the fact that be always accomplished
unlocked for results by the use of familiar
agents. Country democrats" are certainly
familiar enough agents in such contrivances,
and it was happy idea that suggested
their use. We see, for instance, that 1t
has a mysterious effect. People are won
dering how this can be victory for
Mephistopheles, when all the city demo-
Gratis voted together for the Charter and
associate bills. Not only the men of the
young democracy voted for their measures,
but all the other city democrats voted with
them-even those who are called ''the crea-
lures of the ring" This makes it look as if
there was no democracy but the young
democracy and its silk stocking shadow-as if
they swept the metropolis. Why, then,
should Mephistopheles let go the city demo-
Gratis, that it is supposed he could control, to
settle the case with the rural infantry? Per-
haps it was economy. Country democrats
may be the cheapest article in the market
Your city democrat knows his price and has a
speculative spirit. Your countryman is a
straight trader on fair terms-fresh as cream
and smooth as butter. Thus if man has to
buy somebody there is good reason in favor of
making his purchases in the country.