Morning Herald

Great Meeting and Great Row.
New York has commenced her career for this year
of great rows and great meetings, with the second day
of the year.

For some weeks past, the Conservatives have been
scheming and maneuvering in order to steal a march
into Tammany Hall; and at last announced that
they were going to hold a meeting in that place on
Tuesday, the 2d instant.

Determined not to be outdone in impudence, the lo-
cofocos also announced that they meant to hold a
meeting there on the same evening. But the Council
of Sachems met in the interim, and decided that nei-
ther party should meet there.

This gave great umbrage to the Conservatives—it
was similar to signing their death warrant! for what
could they do? they were like the prodigal son, when
he said, "I cannot dig! to beg I am ashamed!" They
could not meet in the open air, clad in silk stockings
and clean shirts, without the risk of taking a fatal
cold, nursed up as they have been, and pampered in
the lap of licentiousness and luxury; and to ask the
use of Masonic Hall they were ashamed. They were
therefore, and are still like Mahomet's coffin, suspen-
ded betwixt earth and heaven, belonging distinctly
to nowhere!

But the Locofocos cared not a cent—for locofocos
will be locofocos to their dying days.
Cover their head with a turf or a stone,
"It will be all one! 'twill be all one,
to them when they are dead!—and so whilst they
are living. They will have fun, even if they have
no flip!" Cover their backs or cover them not, they
laugh, liquor, and grow fat, eternally practising the
precepts of this chant:——
Oh! why should we quarrel for riches,
Or any such glittering toys?
A light heart and a thin pair of breeches
will go thro' the world my brave boys.

That's their belief, and they act up to it and even
beyond it; for many of them believe that they can
even go through the world in breeches full of holes.
Therefore winter and cold weather is no enemy to
them. And to be obliged to meet in the Park caused
them no concern whatever. Many of them sleep in
the Park and on the Battery every night, and there-
fore they would not have far to go home to bed,
after they adjourned for the night.

But it was very different with the Conservatives;
however determined to do all that nature could sup-
port; so they procured each a splendid cloth coat, lined
with fur, some fur caps, fur tippets, and not a few had
fur muffs, and to the number of some 4 or 5 dozen, they
met in the Park about 7. The Locofocos were there
also, and a good deal of skirmishing took place between
the advance guards of each party before the general
fight began.

At last a three cornered transparency, containing in
its bowels, three lamps, made its appearance, on the
top of a pole. On each side was painted
"Democratic Republicans, opposed to the Sub-
Treasury system, will meet on the steps of the City
Hall tonight."

The appearance of this Conservative standard was
the signal for the severe onslaught. It was attended
by a large escort of well dressed Conservatives. But
alas! and alas! they knew that discretion was the
better part of valor—they knew too that
"He who fights and runs away,
May live to fight another day."

Well dressed tho' they were, they were not well
drilled; they were to the locofocos as raw militia
men opposed to wild Indians—they stood for a few
minutes—shouted twice "Conservatives to the Res-
cue"—exchanged a few blows and then fled precipi-
tately through the iron gates into the City Hall.

The locofocos then played with the standard as a
cat does with a mouse before destroying it. They
ultimately scattered the fragments to the winds,
and taking one of the lamps, hung it or suspended it
under the portico—crying out, "So should every
Conservative be suspended, a la lanterne." Then
there was a general cry of "a la lanterne!" that
some thought the days of Robespierre were revived.

The Conservatives fearing equally for their lives
and their cloaks, shut the iron gates of the City
Hall and began to hold a meeting on the inner
steps in the Vestibule. This aggravated the mob
and they tried to force the gates. The shouts and
outcries became deafening. Some tables and chairs
were brought and placed against the gates, and pre-
parations were made for scaling them. The Mayor,
however, made his appearance and ordered the gates
to be opened. The crowd rushed in. Charles O'
Connor was trying to address a small knot of Con-
servatives. Two banker's clerks were holding a
candle on each side of his head. Not a word could
be heard that he said. At last a fellow fought his
way up to the candles and knocked them on the
ground. Then came another fight; and in five se-
conds not a Conservative was left on the field.

No one could tell which way they fled—they did not
go out at the front door—they did not go out at the
back—they could not sink thro' the floor—therefore
it was resolved by the locofocos in full conclave as-
sembled, that the conservatives had resolved
"Into air—thin air!-
And like the baseless fabric of a vision,
Left not a wreck behind."

We are wrong—they did leave some wrecks behind;
several fragments of cloaks, caps, boas and muffs were
picked up on the field, and a great many "green
spots" were to be seen, but that was all. The loco-
focos then organised most disorderly, and some one
shouted, "I move that a vigilance committee be ap-
pointed to search for the conservatives." This was
carried by acclamation, and carried into operation. In
a minute the locofocos rushed up stairs—searched high
and low—and banged loudly at the doors of the Gov-
ernor's room. The committee returned and reported
that the only trace left of the conservatives were a
few grease spots.

A Loafer shouted, "them there grease spots was
made by the Mayor Clark's cold wittals."

Then there arose a loud unoriental roar of laughter.
Then the shirtless loafers, and the locofocos with
ragged breeches and hats guiltless of the abomina-
tion of a crown, paraded round the hall in great glee.
"I say, Joe," said one fellow, who had not shaved
for six weeks. "why all this here hall is our's.
"Yes, and dam me if we don't occupy it."

"Fellow citizens," shouted a fellow without hat or
coat, "I move ye, that this be christened locofoco
Hall."

"Second the motion," shouted another.

This was carried unanimously.

Then there was a tremendous uproar and many re-
solutions were passed by Tom, Dick and Harry, on the
steps.

"Three cheers for Martin Van Buren."

"Three groans for stinking Fish."
"Three cheers for the Devil—for he's carried off
Judas Hammond in hot ashes and brimstone."

"Three groans for the Devil's eldest children, the
Conservatives."

"I move that the proceedings of this meeting be
published in the Herald."

"Second the motion."

"Aye—aye—aye"—from 200 voices.

"No—no—no"—from 100 mouths.

"Bennett don't care a d—n for your resolutions
he'll have you all in whether or no."

"Three cheers for Bennett."

"Three groans for Noah!"

"Three hisses for Booby Brooks."

"Gentlemen," said one fellow so intoxicated he
could scarcely speak, "Mayor Clark has polluted our
hall—the people's hall—Locofoco hall—by making
it first a den of drunkards, then a den of thieves."
Great row and confusion.

"No insinuations—we aint no thieves."

The noise was only stopped by some man who
shouted:

"Three cheers for the Sub-treasury scheme," and
"Three groans for the Conservatives!"

"Let them go to their own dunghill—Masonic
Hall!"

And being tired and exhausted the rowdies all re-
tired home.

Thus endeth the first chapter of Conservatism.—
These men, as a distinct party, are done brown and
dished up—dead—dead—politically dead.

We say as the Locos say—come to Masonic Hall,
Conservatives—come over to our ranks, and we'll
find pickle enough to preserve fish, flesh and fowl
from stinking! Lose no time, then!—throw off the
mask—take the title at once of Whigs, and commence
with the New Year, an honest straightforward
course!

The Beginning of the End.