Morning Herald

[From the Courier and Enquirer, March 22.]

Great Whig Meeting at Masonic Hall.

The length of the reported proceedings of the great meeting held last evening at Masonic Hall, prevents us from accompanying them with the comments which they naturally suggest. We would only say that the assemblage was worthy of the occasion; and that the enthusiasm evinced in behalf of Mr. Clark was a well-deserved tribute honestly paid to an efficient and popular magistrate, a benevolent and kind-hearted man, a practical and sagacious political leader, and a firm uncompromising Whig. At an early hour, the Hall was thronged to overflowing, and from the general spirit that was manifested on the occasion, and the deep interest with which the proceedings were received, we are persuaded that the public mind is fully awake to the importance of the approaching struggle, and that the Whigs of New York will render a good account of the Charter Elections. We would invite especial attention to the address and resolutions of the Convention; and we regret very much that it is in our power to present only a brief abstract of the eloquent addresses, which were received with long continued and repeated cheers, by one of the largest and most enthusiastic meetings ever assembled at Masonic Hall.

The meeting was called to order by Robert C. Wetmore, Esq., who nominated for presiding officer, Lambert Suydam, Esq., and the following gentlemen as Vice-Presidents, representing the wards of the city.

Frederick Pentz
Henry Deffendorf,
Isaac M. Phyer,
William S. Slocum,
Harvey Weed
Alpheus Sherman,
Samuel Sparks, Jr.
Abraham Tappan
Wm. H. Ireland,
William Bakewell,
James Lynch,
Philemon H. Woodruff,
Thomas Carnley,
Anson G. Phelps,
David L. Bennett,
Meigs D. Benjamin,
Stephen Potter
Mortimer M. Jackson, Andrew Mount,
Stephen Crocker,
Oliver E. Hosmer.

After the organization of the meeting, Philip Hone, Esq., in behalf of the Nominating Convention, presented the following address to the citizens of New York.

ADDRESS.

Fellow Citizens-In presenting as a candidate for the Mayoralty the name of our fellow citizen, Aaron Clark, we offer you a pledge, if he should be re-elected, of a continuance of the faithful services which he has rendered during the last year. The claims of Mr. Clark upon the public favor are of no ordinary character: his father, who was a resident of Massachusetts, entered the American army in the Revolutionary war as a private soldier, and continued in service until its close: in the battle of Long Island, when the main army retreated to New York, he with a little band withstood the attacks of the invaders, and was felled to the earth, dangerously wounded, by the British dragoons; he was then shut up in the prison in Liberty street, where he met with the most cruel treatment. In that effort to save this very city from the enemy, he lost all but his life.

Mr. Clark's father, who was a farmer, died, leaving him an orphan at the age of twelve years, and he by his own energy and industry acquired means to enable him to procure a good education. He was early noticed by Governor Tompkins, who made him his private secretary, in which capacity he continued for two years, and acquired so fully the good will and esteem of the Governor, that he successfully recommended him to the clerkship of the Assembly of this State, where for more than six years all parties concurred in awarding to him the merit of unsurpassed ability and usefulness.

In the last war with Great Britain, Mr. Clark volunteered as a private soldier, although then in the practice of the law, and was finally appointed Paymaster of the Delaware troops under Col. Conrow.

We have known Mr. Clark as a private citizen, as a member of the Common Council, and as a Chief Magistrate of this city; he has suggested and urged the adoption of measures calculated to extend, enrich and beautify our city and State; his plans are vigorous and comprehensive, and throughout he has been distinguished for ability, zeal, firmness and discretion.

He has been remarkable for his assiduity in attending to the duties of his office, never having been absent for one day; his polite and obliging attention to the calls and desires of all who have business there, his courteous deportment in his intercourse with his fellow citizens, as well as in the reception of strangers who had claims upon the kindness of our city, his faithful attention to all the great interests of the city, and to the welfare of the poor, as well as the rich, prove him to be not only a valuable officer, but a gentleman and a philanthropist.

His labors during a most trying period in the cause of the poor have raised for him a monument of affection and love in the heart of every good citizen, for while many have been engaged in amusements and the pursuit of gain, he has been seen at all times entering the abodes of poverty and distress, and relieving the poor.

He is truly worthy to be Chief Magistrate of this great Metropolis.

But, Fellow-Citizens, whilst we have thus stated to you the strong personal claims of Mr. Clark upon you, for your support, we beg leave to remind you, that the approaching election has strong claims upon you as good citizens, upon other grounds.

A crisis has arrived in public affairs, when it is to be decided whether the people will rise in their majesty, vindicate their rights and preserve their liberties, or tamely submit to be dictated to and be governed like slaves, by a despotic aristocracy, who have obtained possession of the high places in the Government, and who seek to enlarge and continue their power by corrupt, dangerous, and arbitrary measures, and who, in the prosecution of their schemes, have brought upon the country a prostration of credit, and interruption of the pursuits of industry of the whole people, unparalleled in the history of this nation.

The extension of executive power and patronage so boldly commenced and so successfully accomplished by the late President of the United States, justly excited the most alarming apprehensions in the mind of every true patriot. He established as a rule of action that every officer of the government should be subservient to his will, that the laws should be administered as he understood them, and that if any officer in the performance of his duty differed from him in the construction of laws prescribing that duty (no matter how conscientiously he acted) he should be displaced and a pliant tool be appointed in his stead; he treated with contempt a co-ordinate branch of the government, which had a right to ratify or reject such appointments, and repeatedly re-nominated officers who had been so rejected : He avowed that he possessed the right, and he did exercise it, of controlling the purse of the nation, and violated laws which provided for the safe keeping of the public money, and prescribed plans which all are ready to admit will probably result in the loss of millions of the public money; he prescribed measures under the assurance that the metallic currency should be increased, instead of which those measures so unwarrantably interfered with the business of the community that it was altogether deprived of specie as a currency; and not only brought ruin on thousands, but interrupted the pursuits of the whole people, and deprived them of the rewards to which their industry and enterprise would have entitled them.

The present Administration have trodden in his footsteps, and seek to carry out those destructive measures, which although perhaps less arbitrary, are equally dangerous, and we believe more corrupt. Always acting upon the principle openly avowed and proclaimed by Governor Marcy, "that to the victors belong the spoils;" they have gained a victory in which the people are the vanquished; true to their motto, the Aristocracy as victors claim the spoils upon which they are now seen to lay their hands.

At first they were content with the power of bestowing on their friends the offices which were necessary for the administration of the Government; they next distributed favors in the grant of monopolies, execution of treaties, the creation of additional offices, and an enormous increase of the expenses of Government. But all this does not suffice, and they are now taking the last step, and boldly seek to assume among themselves the control of the public funds, and under pretence of preventing others from using them, they have devised a plan by which a new swarm of officers is to be created, who, together with those now existing, are to collect, keep safe, and hoard the public moneys, in specie, under the pretence of paying the Government creditors in the best possible currency, but in truth, with a view to constitute one Great Government Bank with a thousand cashiers, all ready to do the will and pleasure of the Aristocracy at the Seat of Government, and to maintain the ascendancy of The Victors.

It would far exceed the limits of an address, on such an occasion to attempt an enumeration of the grievances under which we have cause to complain, and of the gross errors of the present administration of the General Government; but who can refrain from speaking with indignation of their total incompetency, when we consider the outrageous misconduct and enormous expenses of the protracted Seminole war; the prodigious increase of the public expenditures and waste of the people's money; the diminution of the public revenue, occasioned by the interference of the Government with the currency, so that it is inadequate to meet the disbursements--and the inevitable necessity now apparent, of incurring a new National Debt to meet the payment of Treasury notes (that patent substitute of Amos Kendall & Co. for the promised gold currency) for the redemption of which no specie fund has yet been provided.

There was a time when the National Representatives listened with respect to the voice of the people, and when many of them acknowledged the binding force of instructions. But times are changed. The men in power have constituted themselves the masters, not the servants of the people; they seek to lead instead of following the public will; they dictate to, instead of obeying the voice of the people. When the people, from Maine to Louisiana, in their primary assemblies, and in many of the States through the ballot boxes, have loudly expressed their disapprobation of the course of measures which have produced extensive ruin and distress, they have been insultingly told that they have been bribed by the very chartered institutions which were created as abovementioned; that the business of the Government was to take care of itself, and that the people must take care of themselves. The Government has been wilfully blind to the ruinous consequences of their measures, and have turned a deaf ear to the remonstrances of the people.

Let those who conscientiously approve of all the measures of the administration continue to give them their support. But we call most fervently on all those who disapprove of them, and who feel for themselves and their country, to rally in defence of their rights and liberties; to persevere, and since they cannot succeed by addressing themselves to the patriotism and sense of duty of their Representatives, let them address themselves to their ears, that when their term of office expires they must expect to be hurled from the stations they have disgraced, by the voice of an indignant people.

Speak then, fellow citizens, in your primary assemblies; your voice must be heard. Let every man repair to the polls, and exercise the invaluable privilege of the Elective Franchise; the virtuous use of which is the best means of arresting the progress of corruption in our councils, and the only sure safeguard of our Liberty and independence.

Mr. Hone accompanied the presentation of the address and resolutions with a few pertinent and eloquent remarks. He stated that he was appointed as the honored representative of the delegation selected to nominate a Mayor for the ensuing year, to be presented for the suffrages of the Whigs of this city. The committee to whom was delegated that power had found in the office a gentleman who at the last election had received a large majority of their votes. They found a man who had fully justified the expectations and hopes formed of him, and one who had never failed, faithfully and diligently, to perform the duty he had undertaken. He meant Aaron Clark, (immense cheering.) and he would say that no gentleman who had ever filled the office of Mayor had attended more assiduously to the duties devolving upon him, for he had never missed a single day from his business since he had been elected to the office. The speaker warned the audience of the importance of the approaching election, and exhorted all to attend faithfully to the performance of the duties which would devolve upon them at the polls.

RESOLUTIONS.

Resolved, That this meeting highly approve, and unanimously confirm the nomination of AARON CLARK, for the office of Mayor of the city of New York, and do recommend him to the earnest and cordial support of all our fellow citizens who desire to promote the prosperity of the city.

2. Resolved, That the unexampled unanimity with which the selection of Mr. Clark, as candidate for the Mayoralty has been made by our delegates to the city Convention, is at once an evidence of their just appreciation of the ability, independence and unwearied application with which he has discharged the duties of his office during the past year; and an encouraging presage of the complete success of the true FRIENDS OF THE PEOPLE at the approaching election.

3. Resolved, That the election of Charter Officers in this city, although in a measure local in its effects, derives at this time, the greatest importance from its influence upon the great national questions now agitating the country, and so well understood by the friends of absolute power at Washington, brought, to bear upon the fears of those who hold offices under the Government and the hopes of those who expect them, to counteract the efforts of that part of the community whose sole objects are the prosperity of the country and the welfare of the people at large. Recent experience has taught the administration party, that our long abused and suffering city will no longer support the man to whom its present calamitous condition is mainly to be attributed; but they rely upon the apathy which (among those who act from disinterested motives) is too apt to follow success. This hope we are confident will be frustrated; there is evidence on all sides of increased exertions in the good cause-the swelling note of victory which proclaimed the triumph of our regenerated city in November, is still sounding in our ears, and we doubt not the cheering echo of a louder strain in April, will convey to our Whig brethren in every town and hamlet in the State, the assurance that we like them, are still found faithful.

4. Resolved, That this meeting highly approves the conduct of the Whig members of the Senate and House of Assembly of this State, during the present session, who have steadily pursued the interests of the State, and obeyed the express will of the people, notwithstanding the insidious attempts of the majority in one House, and the little unit of opposition in the other, to defeat their patriotic measures, and embarrass their proceedings.

5. Resolved, That the Whigs of this city have especial cause to be proud of the contribution which they have made to the mass of intelligence, patriotism and civic virtue in both houses of the Legislature.

6. Resolved, That the measure which the National Administration is about to force upon the people of this country, against their consent, but which they dare not consummate until after our Charter Election; and the adoption of which will cause to be inscribed upon the page of our nation's history in letters blacker than those used in the famous expunging operation-THE REPUBLIC IS AT AN END-is fraught with greater evils to our devoted city, than any other portion of country. Whatsoever may be to the immediate effects of the passage of the Sub Treasury Bill, whether the volcano shall burst with instant ruin over their heads, or in scorching streams, gliding more slowly and insidiously, shall destroy in detail the hopes of the husbandman, and lay waste the pleasant places of the land, whether the plague shall walk openly by noonday, or approach us in the silent and unguarded watches of the night, its effects are equally certain. The enterprising merchant, the skilful mechanic, or the industrious tradesman, whose most available capital has hitherto consisted in his probity, his perseverance and his ability, supported by a well earned credit, which those attributes were wont heretofore to command, must fall under its baneful influence. The small freeholder, whose honest earnings, aided by loans prudently contracted, have been invested in real estate, will find from the diminution of the value of his property, the failure of profitable employment, and the loss of mutual confidence, his inability to meet the payment of interest, and must finally consent to sacrifice that which was his main dependance--even the long established capitalist, who relying upon the accumulated resources of many prosperous years, has not heretofore had occasion to resort to that credit which forms the cement of a commercial community, will be unable from similar causes to contribute of his abundance to the support of honest industry, and the encouragement of the mechanical arts, and our noble city "curtailed of its fair proportions," checked in its laudable enterprise— its interests betrayed, and its hopes blasted-will serve at least, for three years to come, as a monument of the ingratitude of "New York's Favourite Son."

J. W. Gerard, Esq. being loudly called for, rose and seconded the resolutions, as read by Mr. Hone. He said that it was many years since he had taken part in any political meeting. The question now, was not where he was from, but what he was. and for what object he arose to address the assemblage. They were all assembled to prepare for battle; a battle, on the result of which the welfare of every man present depended, and which might ultimately decide the fate of the country. This battle could be won if they would will it, for they had the victory of last year to encourage them, and it was not necessary to call again to their minds the Ides of November.

Mr. G. then went into a history of the calamities which had befallen us, commencing with the cholera of 1832, and wound up by describing the wretched position in which we were now placed by the conduct of our mis-rulers.

Mr. Robert Taylor then rose and offered the following resolution:

Resolved, That the administration of Martin Van Buren is a continuation of the "Perish Credit, Perish Commerce" administration of Andrew Jackson, against which we proclaim "uncompromising hostility;" and as in duty bound, to ourselves and posterity, we will use all honorable means to elect men to office, who will exert themselves to restore our country and its institutions to their former greatness and prosperity.

He said that Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren had been mainly instrumental in reducing the country to its present unfortunate state; and yet the opposition declared that Martin Van Buren was not accountable for the acts of Andrew Jackson. It was true that M. Van Buren had disgraced the Presidential Chair for one year, and he was not now walking in the footsteps of his "illustrious predecessor," but was openly walking over the course himself. It was impossible to separate Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren. They were one in feeling, one in thought. and one in action, and the grand aim of both had been to secure to themselves unlimited power. Mr. Taylor then reviewed in an eloquent and sarcastic manner, the character of Gen. Jackson and Martin Van Buren, as regarded the real interest of the country. and concluded by exhorting all present to do their duty at the coming election.

The resolution offered by Mr. Taylor, was seconded in an able and eloquent but brief address by David Graham, Jun. Esq. who was followed by Mortimer M. Jackson, Esq. Mr. Jackson offered the following resolution, which he prefaced with a few eloquent remarks.

Resolved, That the noble efforts making by the Whig members of the Legislature of this State-efforts in which the members from this city have borne a conspicuous and honorable part-to introduce and carry forward a system of Internal Improvements, calculated to develope the resources, revive the energies, expand the power, and promote the prosperity of the State, entitle them to the gratitude alike of the agriculturalist, the laborer, the mechanic and the merchant; and that, as citizens of this great commercial mart, we hail with unfeigned gratification the indications as furnished by the masterly and statesmanlike Report, introduced by Mr. Ruggles, in the House of Assembly, in favor of the adoption by our legislative councils of a system of internal policy by which the mighty interests both of the city and the country shall become more intimately identified, and by which the vast trade of the fertile and illimitable West, instead of being directed, by the supineness of our legislators, from its rightful course, shall flow in its legitimate channel to our own sea-board, and thus swell the commerce, augment the wealth, and enhance the greatness alike of the State at large, and of its Commercial Metropolis.

Mr. Jackson descanted in an able manner upon the conduct of the representatives who had been sent to Albany by the Whigs of this city, and who, he said, had nobly sustained the pledge they had made to the city by whom they were sent to guard its interests and protect its rights. He passed a well-merited eulogium upon Messrs. Ogden, Ruggles, Scoles, and Hall, and their faithful services, and concluded by an eloquent and glowing appeal to the Whig Young Men of this city; and from the manner in which his remarks were received, we should judge that the Whig Young Men needed no stimulant to urge them to their duty.

Redwood Fisher, Esq, then appeared in obedience to the unanimous call of the audience, and kept the assemblage in a continued roar of laughter by his witty and sarcastic remarks upon the conduct of the "Little Magician in the White House at Washington," and he concluded by offering the following resolution, which was unanimously adopted:

Resolved, That the Whigs of New Hampshire have nobly discharged their duty, although they have not discharged their Bill; that they deserve the thanks of their Whig brethren throughout the Union, for their manly and vigorous defence of Whig principles, against the office-holders and corruptionists of the National and State administration; and further

Resolved, That the result of the late contest, affords as conclusive evidence, that one year hence, Martin Van Buren will have not a single State in New England that he can call his own!!

The meeting then adjourned.