The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-07-15
Erpm he Phila.l.luhin Gn-.t,.


The mob principle is deeply imbsdded in the mind 5
Of large Portien Of our population 1t Is not likely
soon to be eradicated. The crowd which resisted
the military in South.ark defend their conduct on
the ground that the officers did not wisely and
that therefore the reople had ri ght to take the mat
Ter into their own hands They do not acknowledge
themselves TO have been a mob. They claim that
they acted a the sovereign people and that it as
proper for them to set aside the legal authorities and
direct affairs as an unorganized democracy We
hear these principles openly, and we NAV say gene
rally advocated in Southwark They are principles
which subveri all good government They " ould
leave no man secure IN the protection which he de-
rives from civil institutions. Adopt the principle
that the people have right at any moment to do as
they please without regard to the established leg
methods Of conducting afiars, and our governmental
organizations are a mockery. And vet III S principle
svowed by the Southwark popuace and was
acted on and Is yet most loudly and even angrly de-
tended by thousands in streets II ha. received
rebuke in the settlement Of affairs at this crisis
II is felt to be triumphant
If social organization does not bind the rajor,-
~ well as the minority, (until 1t is regularly
changed) il IS worth nothing II the majority are TO
set aside the constituted authorities whenever they
do not happen to relish the proceedings Of those au-
thorites, system cannot be relied on Tor a day
and the the plain truth is told in respect to H.
the better If the troops which come bravely for
ward TO defend district are TO be controlled not
by settled system, and by estallished arrange
ments, but by the immediate dctation Of the excited
crowd and IL they are to be abused for not doing lust
what the crowd at any moment directs, this condi-
ton under which they should be made no secret
The military decide whether they disposed to
peril themselves in defence Of their neighbors on such
humating terms
There are multItudcs among us who, il we may
Judge from their conversation, have not the primary
ideas Of regular and permanent government They
cannot be reasoned with. They begin and end with
the assumption that when the mass Of the p ope act
there IS no wrong, and can be appeal Whoever
doubts in respect to The prevalence of suob ,en,i
ments would do well TO mngle for half dsy with
the crowd IN Queen street. lie may learn where
lies the dfhculty In giving to our community well
secured peace.
From the Journal Of Commerce
Here then we have the principle which makes mob
ocrscy strong in Philadelphia 1t IS precisely the
principle of the Dorr treason in Rhode Island with
which Mr.. Van Buren,, Judge vanderpoel Mai Da-
Wac, and their friends, so culpabiy sympathi,ed -
Philadelphia exhibits the inevitable working ~ the
principle, that the majority the rulers without
reference TO the Constitution. This fatal error mus,
be exterminated from soil, our boast of the
Cons Itution and the laws be abandoned fore,
err. The doctrine on both sides is that the msiority
are the rulers But on one side 1t is conended that
the lorIty Is TO be asceraned and Is To govern ac
cording to compact written out called & Copstitu-
ton In these compacs II Is provided that al certain
specified intervals, toe majority shall be aso,rtan.d
by the ballot and that each result shall stand as The
order of the majority and repealed by another cleo
ton.
At these elections the majority select from their
own nur her, their agents, TO administer the govern
ment IN the exercise Of such powers as by tie Con
sututon are placed IN he hands OF the majority In
this manner, John Tyler elected Vice President
Of the United States, and by the providence II God
and the provisions of the Constitution, succeeded 10
the Presidency. The majority elected him and com
mted to him for four wears the executive admins
rstioo OF the country. At the end Of three months
from the time Of hrs entering upon the duties of h.,