The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-08-07


the public, and will continue to command great
deal OF attention, as the events have done of which
this document takes cognizance. Public opinion,
IN that unfortunate city, has all along been greatly
divided on the topics furnished by the late out
breaks there and notwithstanding the degree OF
credit and weight that ought to be attached to the
declarations of an intelligent, calm, and, We trust,
fair body OF men like the Grand jury, diversity
OF views and cscordant feeling will still prevail in
relation TO occurrences in which the public peace,
individual character, and domestic safety OF its In
habitants are deeply involved.
great deal of excitement has been created
amongst the different parties in Philadelphia by
this important document BY the great mass Of
the intelligent and order-loving portion oil the CON-
munty It has been well received, but many Of the
natives speak Of 1t in very violent terms OF denun-
| catien.
| An attentive perusal OF the presentment of the
grand jury leads us TO believe that they approached
their responsible duties in dispassionate and pro-
per spirit, for which they should get credit, no
matter what there may appear erroneous in their
conclusions. AS might naturally be expected. they
| properly considered the origin OF the outbreaks
the immediate causes which led to violence are of
primary importance, and therefore investigated
them at an early period Of their inquest 1t is.
however, be regretted that their inquiries extend
no farther back than the month of May last, Tor
although the disturbance which occurred at the
public meeting then held obtrudes itself upon the
attention, as the first cause Of what followed they
do not look far enough who cannot perceive thai
others were at work prioi to that event, to which
| in its turn it may be attributed.
! The Grand Jury take very correct view Of the
e. - - 60 q l. y.sl.
out attempting 10 deny the inalienable rights Of
men to defend their property well as lives, and
appeal to force repel force, when the exgency
Of the case demands it, they do not exaggerate in
asserting that the presence Of arms and men 10 use
them, in large building, capable perhaps of being
| turned into point OF hostile aggression, was ade-
quate to excite feelings of hostility. None can,
however, assert that such hostility is defensible,
nor can it be reasonably alleged that the right Of
those who were under apprehension for the safet,
Of the church to arm its protection, were at all
vitiated by the fact Of their fears being groundess
1t may be true and indeed, we feel convinced tina,
Priest Dunn acted precipitateyi turning the house
Of God into fortifcaton; it may be that he did
wrong in hasty assertion Of right which is bet
ter in theory than practice, especially the very
frivolous ground Of an anonymous letter; but whe,
tier or not, there can be no mitigation Of the fla
grancy and guilt Of those who had already burned
| one church, and again were seeking to lay their
| sacrellgious hands upon another. That was the
opinion Of the civil authorities, when, to their
credit, they moveo in its defence; and we are
| glad to perceive that their view is endorsed by
the Grand Jury If any justification were want
ing of the conduct Of both the civil and mill.
| tary forces in interfering to protect life and
property il is found in the impartial conclusions to
which the Jury have arrived, after protracted and
searching investigation. But it is easy to conceive
! that there are numbers Of the people OF Philadel-
| phia who will cavil at this decision. Men who
have respect for the most sacred rights of their
neighbors, are likely to prove very i'll adapted to
relish unpleasant truths; and whatever favor it may
find in the eyes of the orderly and discreet citizens
1t is be fairly calculated that by the disaffected
the turbulent, the vile and, let add, the cupably
Indifferent, it will meet as cold a reception as the
appeals of the legitimate authority in support Of the
law, and Of the public peace
No person who has given proper attention to the
| whole series Of events to which the Grand Jury
have directed their enquiries, refuse his assent
to one Of the principal conclusions set forth in the
presentment-ihat an organized force is required
for the vindicaton Of law, for the suppression OF
disorder, and for the protection Of those who,
specting the rights Of others, prepared defend
| their own. Severe as is the lesson which has been
taught to the lawess rowdes Of Philadelphia, there
| is reason to apprehend that it will be effaced, and
that where there is so much rottenness in public
sentiment generally, this turbulence, and spirit Of
| aggression, 'crue and cowardly as it is, may re.
turn with an absence of that cause OF wholesome
fear which alone keeps these wretches in order
the military force Of the State. Philadelphia can
not be trusted to its own keeping as il is The de-
generacy of the public mind is such as leads one to
suppose that that instructive Of right and
wrong, which sometimes will resist the promptings
of vicious education, is entirely oblterated But
in addition to this, the municipal arrangements oil
Philadelphia are most unfortunate, and as badly
adapted to ensure the efficiency of the legally con-
stituted authorities as can be well imagined. -
Instead of plurality Of disconnected and isolated
Districts little concerned in, and having little sym
patty with each other-there Ought to be but one
cify-one municpality-one strong and energetic
acknowledgement Of means, and will, and in
| terest for the preservation of the general good
order OF society. A police force Is very good
| in its way; but if, in cities like New York,
complaints are frequent of the conduct Of the
police, what might be expected in Philadel.
phia, where theygwould be subordinate to less
compact and united, and, therefore, less Ineffective
control; where, if chosen from the body of its in.
habitants, as is likely, the members Of the body
would be imbued with 1.-THE preudices, the hatreds
and the partialities which have been the active
elements in generating the very evils which il
would be their duty to prevent An efficient poles
system, if properly organized, would prove highly
valuable, but i, is to be feared that without othel
concurrent changes it would prove worse thar
useless.
Although necessity TO call in the aid of mill
tary force, in a country peculiarly jealous of mill
tary encroachments, there can be but one senti
ment Of respect and gratitude to the brave mer
who did their duty in the Southwark riots with