New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-09-07
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.

| illustrated IN my letter under date of
August 10, in which l predicted that the
practical Butler men would take care of
| their candidate at the primary meetings
and elect delegates enough to secure his
nomination for Governor at the State Re
publican Convention, to assemble about the
middle of this month. The Hoar faction,
said, only attend and embellish conventions
for protest and debate; that they were elab-
crate and brilliant in speech and denuncla-
| ton, but were slow and inexperienced IN
| the art of handling the machinery OF prI-
| mary meetings and caucuses, where the
| effective work was to be accomplished, and
| where Governors are usually made. 1t was
| in such meetings that the certain lnltla-
| tory steps were taken, in 1851, to
| form coalition between the Free
Sellers and a sufficient portion OF
| the Democrats to overthrow the old Wing
| party. TIE coalition was the creature of
bargain, namely: That George 5. Boutwell,
Democrat), then superintendent of the
board of education Of Massachusetts, should
be nominated for Governor; that Charles
Sumner Free Soiler), counselor at law,
should be elected to the Senate of the
United States; that Henry Wilson Free
Soiler), then "a member Of the lower house
the Legislature, should be elected to the
Senate of that body and be made its pres
ident, and that Nathaniel p. Banks Dem
ocrat), counselor at law. should be elected to
the Massachusetts House of Representatives,
and be elevated to the speakership OF that
body. This programme, by reason of the
strength of the new party, and the graceful
working of the caucus machinery in the
Legislature, was carried out. The bitter
opposition of the Wings to the election OF
Mr.. Sumner as the successor Of MIR. Web
ster, made them desperate in the session OF
the Legislature, and, abandoning the dig
nifty and generally correct course pursued
by that party in all acts of legislation, they
commenced seige of disgraceful tillibus-
tering which lasted for weeks, and consist
ed mainly in the act Of a single man, who
cast doubtful ballot. The author Of this
epistle now, for the firs5 time, writes that
he in part caused the author of the treason
able vote to be absent from his place in the
House of Representatives long enough to
illustrate the fact that without bis pres
ence there would be no double voting,
The double voting of the one man re-
ferred to, whose name was not then known
to the body, prevented the election of Mr..
Sumner for a long time. The absence from
the House during single ballot of the
member referred to secured the election of
Mr.. Sumner. No double ballos was cast
during his ABSENCE The instant thaS fact
was developed to Che House bhas body
adopted 1.-The secreS ballotc' which became
so famous and Mr.. Sumner was legally
elected the first time the envelopes were
openedo When Che absent members who
did no2 inten4 to miss @vote, beard at
distance from Boston, where he was acct
dentally delayed, that Mra Sumnep was
elected, he exclaimed, with much emotion,
Il am % ruined man.o He meyer 9as rec
elected to the Legislature, but o'for services
rendered" he was afterward presented
with gold watch and chain by the Xoung
Webster Wings of Boston,
This traitor to his State lived IN retire.
ment for several years and then died. Mr..
Webster died not far from the same time
This was the last of the wing party of Mass
achusetts, if the death struggle it made in
1853, in conjunction with the Catholic
voters of the State to defeat the aew con-
stitution may be considered an exception
According to the programme Boutwell, be,
came Governor, Wilson was made president
of the State Senate, and Banks was elected
Speaker of the House. The defeat of the
new constitution in 1853, by the corrupt
combination just referred to, put an end to
the coalition so called. That defeat, ac-
complished by the Catholic vote of Nassa
chuselts. produced in that State the work
ing machinery of know Nothingism' An
examination of the situation on the part of
the repulsed but not conquered and ever
active Free Sellers" and some of the
coalitiOnists" developed the fact that |
the most dangerous classes in the common
wealth had possession Oft and were making
a progress in the formation of Councils" |
1t was not difficult matter for the anti |
slavery forces in the State to understand |
that, unless they entered the councils
and became members of the secret order.
that the State would become "hunkerized,"
as it was then denominated, and Sumner
would be defeated, and the whole pro-
gramme of the political liberty party of the
State would be defeated and pro-slavery
would triumph. The result was that about
D, 900 Free Sellers, and some Democrats
who had been members of the coalition"
such as Banks, joined the Know Nothings
On the part of the Free Sellers, such men
as Henry Wilson, now Vice President of
the United States, and Arson Bur,
lingame and other anti-slavery lead
ers in that State, went into the Know
Nothing order to prevent mischief to the
cause. The bargain at the
start, when entering upon the campagno
was that man must be found who would
swear that he was a temperance man
Henry % Gardner turned up, and irs Bur- |
ingame's Office, in the old State House IN Z
Boston, saturated and steaming andeS 3
'ecent debauch, imploringlp said chat ae
lad been a total abstinence man Yor foure
cen years. 1t sgas enough He was nom.
lated and electedo His Administrations
proved a failureO He disgraced che posi-
ion, and the people in 1856 ousted him
rom the place and elected N. p Banks,
Who stepped from the Speakers chair of the
United States House of Representatives, J
where for ability. frmness and impartiality
lie had won the enthusiasm and applause
like OF friends and enemies. into the
seat of the ancient and good