The New York herald., 1874-12-22

eA10 k1OOplCs AAOAC 40 CAPCCVSu VI AlAi VluA
has been of any Mayor for many year, and
more should be performed. Mr.. Wickham
should not be slow to undertake this duty,
and we trust that as Shakespeare says 'the
spirit of the times will teach him speed
The United States Senator from New
York.
Tho democrats of this State manifested
their spontaneous choice for the Senatorship
as soon as it was ascertained that they had car
thusiastic preference was expressed for Horatio
Seymour, and had he consented to serve there
would have been no contest. When he de-
clined, and expressed his decision with so
much emphasis as to preclude all hope of
changing it, the expressions of regret were
out the Union. Even the republican press
conceded thatMr Seymour would be distin-
guished ornament of the Senate, and that his
presence in that body would be an
important accession to its dignity and
character. Since his regretted decision
was found to be immovable several other
candidates have been talked of: Mr..
Herman, of Utica, and Mr.. Murphy, of Brook
lyn, being most strongly urged by their
friends. Either of these gentlemen would
make respectable average Senator, but
neither Of them would bring to that position
the commanding influence Of great national
reputation. It will be unfortunate for the
democratic party in this hour of its rising
fortunes and unfortunate for the dignity and
influence OF the great State OF New York in
the national councils if second rate man is
sent to represent il i'll the Senate when there
are at least two first rate men in the State who
stand high in the confidence of the party,
both here and in oil parts of the country
Of these two Mr.. Seymour is, of course,
one and Mr.. Charles O'Conor the other. Mr.
O'Conor has long been the recognized head of
o most honorable profession, and the dignity
of his character, the lustre of his pri-
vate virtues, his zeal for the public
interest, his moral courage, his en-
tire freedom from any taint OF truck
ling demagogism, and his scorn of the
cunning intrigues and base arts of Office
seeking politicians, make him o filter repre-
sentative of what is best and most elevated in
the moral sense of his countrymen than
almost any other citizen who possesses the
half of his abilities. There is no other choice
by which the democratic party could establish
so solid title to public respect or so effec,u-
ally promote its interests as political organ
lzation. The two great objects of the demo-
cratic party ought to be, first, to purify off,
cial life, and, secondly, to restore fraternal
feeling between the South and the North.
There is no other man in the country who
is SO admirably fitted to be useful in
attaining both OF these ends as Mr..
OConor. The unfaltering vigor with
which, without fee or reward, he de-
voted his peerless professional talents
to the demolition and punishment of the
Tweed Ring attests his uncompromising hos
tility to official frauds; and the confidence
and homage of the Southern people, which
he enjoys in greater measure than any other
living man, would make him trusted and
persuasive counsellor in reconciling them to
any measures which might be deemed for the
general good. Moreover he is the best rep
resentative in the whole democratic party of
it's recently revived purpose to stand boldly
on its own principles and repudiate unsecmly
coalitions The only man who approaches
him in this merit is Senator Thurman, whose
resolute return to the old landmarks last year
in Ohio gave the first great impulse to the
democratic awakening which accomplished
such wonders in this years elections. Mr..
Thurman was the first eminent democrat to
retrace his steps, but Mr.. O'Conor never
went astray. Despising and scorning
all trimming expediencies and compromis-
ing coalitions, he stood aloof from the
ill-starred and disastrous Greeley move
ment, and made his protest emphatic by lead
ing forlorn hope against it. His election
to the Senate by the triumphant New York
democracy would be the fittest recognition
they could make Of the distinguished and in
valuable services of Senator Thurman in the
West which lifted up the party after its pros
tratng defeat, put it once more on its legs
and started it in the career of victory. The
credit, influence and ascendancy of the New
York democracy would be unbounded if, after
electing Mr.. Tilden to the Governorship, they
should send his powerful colleague in the Ring
prosecutions to the Senate. 1t would be such
a comn'ittal of the party to the cause of public
virtue and official honesty as would raise the
democracy immensely in public estimation
and establish confidence in its professions of
reforming zeal.
The BALLOT Box. "A number Of persons