The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1871-09-23

ingly little intellect and knowledge, mere
Falstaff7s band, who are repulsive to the
people they debauch, and seem even SC
after they fail to be engaging. In short,
the direct penalties of universal suffrage
in great cities are visible here. The i'm
mense constituency of the Tammany Ring
is probably the legitimate majority of all
the voters of New York; but when there
is any doubt on this point the ballot boxes
are stuffed up to the amplest margin of
certainty.
swEENY.
The Citizens and Taxpayers meeting
at the Cooper Institute, deignated as Of
tenders, capable of being proved so, Oakley
Hall, the mayor of New York, William NJ.
Tweed, the head of the Board of Public
Works, and Richard Connolly, the con-
troller
Every man at that meeting, however,
knew that the directing mind behind these
three was Peter B. Sweeny, lawyer and
Office holder of the town, formerly City
Chamberlain, and now Chief of the Board
of Public Parks. He is the only person
in Tammany Of comprehensive political
Importance, and accept Oakley Hall, the
only person about Tammany probably, of
common graces and fair reading.
Sweeny, to look upon. is thick-set man,
with what l might call "crouching coun-
tenance," gathered down on the very
launches of itself, as if ready to leap. His
hair is exceedingly black, and this with
his dark eyebrows and mustache, and his
somewhat low, overbroadened figure, have
gained him the nickname of the " Black
Crook"
Like many unprepossessing men, how
ever, Mr.. Sweeny has engaging powers
of conversation, an ample memory, def
erential way with strangers, and some
appearance of honesty, probably the al
tentative of unsociability. He is said to
be subject to melancholy and to suffer
pain when exposed for the misdeeds of his
party. If this be the case he is no good
physician to himself, for the exposures
have been going on for twelve or fifteen
years and Mr.. Sweeny and his crowd have
not reformed bit.
The fact is that Sweeny is the organizer
and mind of Tammany. His motives are
those of almost all unprincipled politicians
-rapacity and the lust for power, and hav-
ing become more notorious than he likes,
he has entertai ned the idea that by becom-
ing very rich and very powerful he can
finally become respectable. To this end he
has widened the circle Of his Rings influ-
ence, mingled with the politicias of the
State and other States, and he probably
meditated making himself United States
Senator, to succeed Roscoe Conkling. He
may have desired also, to make John T.
Hoffman President, as many asserted, but
this have always doubted, as Hoffman is
a man of respectable origin, education and
taste. He might consent to be Sweeny's
not Sweeny's President.
To conclude with Mr. Sweeny. His abil-
ity is much exaggerated in New York, and
he would make no mark in the great arena
Of national politics, except possibly as the
gossip, comrade and Mephistopiles of larger
Thurlow Weed, say, of the Dem
ocratic party. His power in New York
lies in the deep belief in the utter deprav-
ity and punchasableness of all men, and he
thinks that machinery and means enough
could extend his description of Ring rule
over the whole Republic. Being a good
lawyer, he is the counsellor of Tweed and
the rest, their suggestor, plotter, and stu
dent of character. He is to New York
what Fagin was to the London thieves, and,
having succeeded in stealing 1926, 1000, 900
here, Sweeny believes it possible to steal
the United States.
He is bachelor, living with his sister;
his brother is his representative in the New
York Printing Company, which, upon
capital of 1000, makes $4,000, 900 year
from city printing. His brother-in-law,
Bradley, is State Senator and publisher of
The New York Leader, which Mayor Hall
edits. Sweeny is about so years of age,
a plain liver, and is worth personally be-
tween So, O0O, coo and $6,OO0,0O0. He has
one whole block of real estate on upper
Broadway. Sweeny makes the annual
" slate" for New York, Congressman and
all. He says that Roosevelt, M. c., went
back on him because of quarrel about
sc patronage" under the city government.
TWEED.
Sweeny having taken care of himself and
all his brothers and sisters, and being little
Of commercial character, does not enjoy
the share of wealth in the possession of
Connolly and Tweed.
There were no three men among the most
spectators, bankers or contrac-
tors in the late war whose fortunes and
profits added together will equal Tweeds
stolen outright from this one city. He is
worth, by his own admission, eighteen mil
ions of dollors, and most of it is invested
in real estate here and in the West. He
and Sweeny are sharers in the enormous
Erie Railway frauds, which Sweeny con-
rived and Tweed carried out. He is pay
ing $50, 900 year rent for the Metropolitan
Hotel, furnished at an expense of $3.50. 600.
And until very recently he has been per-
fectly unblushing, and when his rapacity
is mentioned winks and admits it.
Tweed is simply an enormous merchant
in robbery, as Sweeny is counsellor in it.
He is man of grizzly, sandy hair, a little
bald, with grey eyes, a huge face, neck and
paunch, and he weighs about two hundred
and fifty pounds. Absolutely tireless, con-
slant and perpetual in work, with Shout
ders broad enough for Ajax, with great
feet, hands and legs and mighty appetites
restrained, Tweed BELTS his nick
name of "Boss" Tweed, for he is the fore
man of Sweeny. His age is probably So.
He was born in the city of New York,
brought up chairmaker, studied a little
law, and turned politician. He is ignorant,
pronounces badly, and calls "Victory''
Victory. But he knows how to divert a
street SO as to make million; how to COM
pei a market house to be abandoned so as
to make two millions, and how to descend
upon recalcitrant ward and carry it away