The Office-holders' Gathering

Frora the Xcw York Evoning Post, April 18. Tho meeting held iast oveuing at the Cooper Institute was, we believe, without a precedent in our political history. It wiis cxprossly callcd as a gatheriii'í of that branch of the Itopublioan party whieh desires th reiiomiuatiou and reelection of President Graat ; yet when it eame togother the oflicers and speakers assumed that it was a mass-meeting of the li'!j)ublicans of New York. That is to say, aoeording to tho organizer and promoters of tuis gathoring, tho ono test of Kepublicanism aow is tho politioul support of one mans aspirutions, and that btfure auy nomination has been madfl by the party. This Í3 a singular poiiitioii to receive the approval, at lenst by their ucqmeseeuee, of sueh men as sume soores of those whose names are prominent in the report of the meeting, and who, as wo know, would inuch prefef sume other candidato than Genera) Qrant, if they eould hope to control the Philadelj'hia nomination. But this meetiug Ims no mort right thnn the liberal meeting of last Friday to represent the Bppubliouu party. It was a gathering oi' the ürant inction of that party, and luitliinsi more. The probabiUty gro w8 strougor erery day that the faction in questiou will díctate the nominationa at Philadelphia, but until thcy ara made the pretenso set up ïiy the speakers last tv mug that opposition to their pet l'uctiori ia onough to eut off lttpublicans from the party, is a notion whieh, in the better and more earnest days qf Ecpublicanism, would have received no sanotion from sueh men :is most of tho vicepresidents numed last night. The power of thisnieetinjr was wholly in its organization. The list of oflicers chosen by it is on the wholo tin; b'ff, most respectablo, and most infiuen1i:l commanded by any partisan moctinjr M ithin our recol■i. Thore are a few naincs on it whii.-h disgraee tlieir fellows; there are mauy whieh carry no weight ; but an unusually large proportion of the very long list are eminent and representativo ñames in this city. The audienoe assenibled was in many respects in keeping with thn officers. It consisted mainly of reapëetable, thoughtful votere. To what extent the names of tho vico prosidonts were usod without Consulting them we cannot soy. Homo of them wero surprised this morning to learn that they had servcd in that capacity. But we havo not yet heard of any among them whodisown all sympathy with the meeting, as six or suven of the gentlemen made vice-presidents of the meeting last Friday have sinct' protested against the use of thoir names in a movement whieh they oppose. In " the organization" of the meeting we may include tho telegrams and letters whieh were "cut and dried" for it. Among these wero some effective despatches from State delegations in Congress, inolading many meuibers who have heretofore, on good grounds, been believed to desire some other nomineo than Grant. Arnong the lefters, whieh might have boen read Wit-.li „...-t-c-. - --- " DUlKllor Öonkling, oontaining a really eloquent eulogy on the public and Private oharacter of the President, whieh would have deeply impressed a popular assembly. But then it would have been neoesgary also to read Judge Balcom's letter, whieh offers bis judicial eharacter as tho reason why he eannot appear in a political assembly, and proceeds to give in writing one oí the most bittor, abusive and nnfair stump speeches of the campaign. In the action of the meeting itself there was literally nothing of value or of power. The speeches wero entircly beneath tho character of tho assembly. General Sickles was so abusivo that half liis imdienco 1 oame indignant, and hiased Lim, wliilo giving loud and repeated cheors for the men he misrcpresonted. Senator ' scn's spooch was not strong, nor was it '. successful as an attenipt to answer . tor Triiiubull's speech of Friday last. Senator Morton scat.tered tho audience rapidly. The resolutions wero far worso than tho speeches. They were merely personal. Not a political principio is enunciated ia them ; not an issuo drawn which will bo atstake in the coming eloction. Thore is a denunciation of the Cincinnati ïnovement as favorable to tho Democrats ; and the rest of the platform i-; given up to various forms of eulogy of General Grant and his administration. The Republican meeting could not even speak a kind word for tho Presidont's own favorito plan of civil-serviee-reform. This gathering of New York merchante (lid not daro to ask even for a reform of the turiff. This body of humane men and patriots could not cali for a genend aruaesty. Not a word on. the flnanoial polioy of the government, at this time when all is unsettled; not a word on the deplorable condition of the Southern States, to which they have been reduced by " carpot-bag" plunderers and by pvoscription ; not a word againgt tho gradual cuMci . ntrution of powers at Washington, which is undernuninf the Constitution. Tho strictly personal tono of all the olli cial aelion of the meeting, as if eomposed of Goneial Grant's own followers, is enough to prevent it from exeroising !;n';il iiiiluoneo on the country, even if the meeting had boon more united, enthusiastic, and respectablo than it was.