The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-16

n
other Attempt to Recall tho Nolan
choly Ghost OF the Dark Lantern.
There is always sscrisis' in the affairs of
the Union, the State or the city, when the out
side politicians of any party are called to or
ganize for the displacement Of the party in
power. Taking Time by the forelock. in view
of our next Fall elections, there was meeting
in this city of an organization OF outside
politicians the other evening, at which, af-
ter the declarations that ''under the specious
cry of reform we find the dead and once
buried carcass of acknowledgement revived
fanaticism and bigotry that would have
shocked the sensitive natures Of witch-burnersa
century ago publicly exhibited and proclaimed,
and the almost absolute Acknowledgement of
adopted citizens of every race and faith, and
so on, it was resolved that "a crisis has ar
rived when it has become the imperative duty
of political organizations claiming to repre-
sent the democratic party to regard its unity
and supremacy of paramount Importance, and
that individual interests and ambition should
be subordinated for the purpose of securing
the triumph of sound, honest and liberal prin-
cples in our State and municipal govern
ments."
Now, as the arrival of crisis, with the
revival of the "dead and once buried carcass
of Know-Not hingism," is matter of the
gravest moment, we are impelled to the con-
sideration of the subject We have no OBJ
jections to interpose against the subordina-
ton of individual interests to sound princi-
Piles at any time nor against the union OF all
the scattered elements of the democratic party
or any other party but as the proposition
for political combination against the alleged
Acknowledgement of adopted citizens necessa-
rily involves the issue of Nothingism,
we would warn oil parties concerned against
the dangerous consequences of such move
ment. We perceive that already among the
reckless and thoughtless agitators on both
sides Of the question of sects and nationali-
ties there is a disposition to rekindle the old
Know Nothing agitation. From body OF
outside reformers the charge is advanced that
under our present city government our
adopted citizens are almost absolutely disfran-
chised, which means that they are almost
absolutely excluded from the honors and
emoluments of our city treasury and for the
purpose Of righting this wrong, and upon the
sharply defined issue of justice to our adopted
citizens in the distribution of the city offices,
all our various democratic organizations are
invited to combine.
Desperate, indeed, must be the condition Of
political organization when it is reduced to
this extremity. The democratic party cannot
be united or rallied by this shallow device.
1t is too transparent to deceive our intelligent
adopted citizens. The dearly bought expert
ence from the pernicious political programme
of the old Native American party has served, at
least, as wholesome check to all parties since
the extinction of the dark lantern against ven-
turing again upon such a proftless and de-
moralizing agitation. Upon legitimate issues,
national, State and municipal, there will be
scope and verge enough for the fusion or con-
fusion of all our democratic factions and organ
izations in the interval to November. Mean
time, however, it may be we'll to meet the in
quiry, whence the inspiration of this senseless
overture for coalition of the democratic fac
tons upon the new departure of a redivision Of
the spoils in behalf of our adopted citizens. 1t
is charged that neither in the interests of re-
form, nor upon the rule of equal rights or
fair division of the Offices, has the Irish-born
or the German element Of our population been
properly cared for by our present reform adj
ministration. Hence the idea that these ele-
ments may serve good purpose in the i'm
portant work Of democratic recovery of our
city government
| But are there any considerable bodies Of our
Irish or German-born citizens who are in
| clined to fight this battle? No. They have
no desire to resuscitate ''the dead carcass of
acknowledgment" and, if they have been
heretofore, they are no longer the convenient
and passive instruments, we hope, in the
hands Of unscrupulous rings Of party politi-
clans. And yet the lesson cannot too often
be repeated to the adopted citizen, that with
his recorded oath of allegiance to the United
States he is no longer an Irishman, German
or Frenchman, or a man of any other ma
tionality than that of the United States that
this country is his country; that our people
are his people, and that he does not fully meet
the obligations Of his allegiance in becoming
party to an Irish organization or o German
French, or any other alien organization, as
balance Of power in the political affairs Of this
country, national, State or municipal. The
social ties, recreations and festivals, and the
religious faith and observances which are dear
to the adopted citizen, with the memories of
his native land we do not ask him to relin-
quish. We rather respect him for his fidelity
in these matters. He is, indeed, free here to
enter into any political organization, under
any flag or declaration of principles, from
those Of an absolute despotism to the platform
of the Paris Commune, and yet, as a follower