The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-01-04
Albany and Richmond.

influence upon national politics. The Al
;bany regency was famous. Such politicians as
-!dAarIs Van BuRgS, SILAs WRIenT, MARCY,
..xoswELL, FLAso, and many others on the
ono side, and on the other side SPENCER,
WED, SEWARD, and others, welded an Inn
mtnse power through the party machinery
which they worked. The old party lines
became very indistinct when Abohtionism
aud Black Republicanism were introduced
into the arena and both Wing and Demo-
cratic leaders affiliated upon policy that was
fatal 10 the peace of the Union. Since then
the high old times" Of really able men--
men of character and requirements to make
them respected--haye passed away, ana Ill
entirely new order Of men and tactics mas
come upon the surface. The present scenes at
ALBANY show how far away from the Golden
times " things have drifted. The day OF small
men and tricksters has come, and corruption
has been openly charged upon the New York
Legislature without contradiction and with
out investigation. The body rests quietly
under the accusation, and goes on leSislatlng
and growing In corruption as well as becom'
ing more and more indifferent to accusations
impugning their integrity and their honor.
Recently there has been contest amongst
the Radicals in the matter Of organizing the
Legislature. The liberal, and as it Is under
stood, anti-GRANT, anti-clstom-housc( orantl'
ofllce-holders) party entered the field with
their nominees for speakers, sc. at first they
seemed to have the advantage; but the an
.nouncement that they would likely elect their
men emptied the public offices in New York
city and State, and their ccupants--stipendla'
rics Of the Administration--r,,shcd OIL to
Albany to prevent result they SO much
dreaded as the triumph Of the liberals. They
reached the city in time, and went to work
so earnestly and effectively that they turned
the scale and secured the election Of the GRANT
men. In the caucus the vote was A to DO
against ALvoRD, the liberal candidate. This,
after the immense effort of the oflice-holders,
was a wonderful result. 1t had been asserted
that all who supported ALvoRD were opposed
to GRANT, and yet there were nearly half OF
the Republican party who were brave enough
to incur the censure of being against the Adj
ministration. They were not to be alarmed
by the partisan cry, and stood firm, ready to
meet the consequences.
Mr.. GREELEY, Of the Tribune, who sus-
timed ALvoRD, takes his defeat quietly, and
cntlmeratcs the office-holders who went to
Albany to control the organization of the
Legislature. They include tho Surveyor OF
the Port of New York, the United States
Marshal of the Southern District, the United
= States District Attorneys of the two districts,
four deputy collectors of the port of New
York, the collectors of the port Of Buffalo,
&C., &C., without number.
Power was too strong for right and indie
pendencc. Mr.. GREELEY and his legion sue
cumbed. The rallying Of the office-holders
was open and undisguised, and instead OF
cxrrting prcjudicial effect against their own
cause, us it would have done thirty years
since, they succeeded in frightening enough
men to win the victory.
Those who went into the caucus nomina-
lions were sufficiently disguised, but then
, they incurred moral obligation by their
presence there, which they faithfully dis
charged; and the oice-holders' nominees
were all elected. Thus power goes on con-
qrering and concentrating its means, and in
time will completely silence all indepcnd-
encc and individual opinion, and indeed all
:, liberty.
Here in Richmond, contemporary with the
Albany regency, was the Richmond junta. 1t
is curious to observe how completely that,
too, has passed away, although the succeed
ing political phase differs widely from that in
Albany. Virginia was II victim of the pO
litial revolution which destroyed party lines
e. in Albany. Her slaves were made equal to
: her citizens, and those poor creatures, once
= slaves, were taken under the patronage and
direction of strolling northern men prospect
ing for easy places and plumber; and thus
was formed an army waging war upon the
peace and prosperity of the State and seek
ing to plumber the treasury. The State was
compelled to organize for its own defence !;
and in lieu of the old Richmond junta, which
. met to consult about the government of the
party and the principles it should spouse,
we have committees of public safety confer
ring upon the public welfare, and taking
counsel us brothers how they shall save the
Commonwealth from being overrun by bar
barism and plundered by land pirates.
Times are indeed changed, as well in AL
bany us in Richmond. We arc in the middle
of the first decade after the war. Politics are
unsettlcd-policies indicate an onward move
ment to future the exact character Of which
none can foresee. Certainly there is nothing
indicative of permanency in the political de-
velopments at Albany, and there is less in
dicative of pcrmanency here. The war of the
ofilcc-holders is but sign-board pointing
along the road to greater events, and so here
we must interpret the present perturbed and
unsettled condition of things us inevitably
leading to different state of society. The
present of either Is not permanent, and the
future Of both must have elements of dura-
ton and stability which we see in nothing
now.
Albany and Richmond, which one ruled
the politics of the nation, are very good points
from which to view the whole country, and
tfc'mal of reflection will find interest in sur
viewing from them the wide field Of the Union.
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: II George Fl. Thomas had lived he would
have been next President. The feonldn
don't mention him rs one Of Viginia's great
men, but his place in history will be far
above that Of Robert +. Lee. The Yeonan
might as well take note of it, that the Yam.
KEGS are the historians. Cincinnati CONNER