The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-08-25
NEW YORK HERALD.
American Reputation Abroad.


As We anticipated, on the reception in Europe OF
the accounts Of the riots in Philadelphia, and the
bloody massacre of the Mormons in Illinois, the
English journals teemed with violent denuncatons
OF the institutions of this country, and i-conceale
Joy, at what was regarded as the evidences al our
decentralization and Reorganization. The British
Journalists loudly proclaim the utter inadeqlacy Of
OF our constituted authorities TO preserve peace and
order and appear very much delighted at the pros
pect of the downfall of American institutions.
All this is very natural and only whatwas TO be ex
pected.
II is very true that the outbreaks ia Philadelphia
afforded melancholy evidence of the predominance
OF spirit OF mobocracy over law and order, but IN
some OF the circumstances attendant on these very
events there was much that had tendency TO as
sert the supremacy and power of our popular inst-
tutions. The p'omputude with which the citizen
troops from the rural districts proceeded to the
city OF PHILADELPHIA, and the speedy success with
which their efforts to restore peace and order were
crowned, discovered very clearly that have
within US, power more than sufficient, in any
emergency, TO vindlcate the laws, and efieclually
suppress the ouburst OF domestic treason to the free
Institutions OF the country. But it is, need
hardly say, absurd 10 take the case of the Phila-
delphla riots as sufficient proof Of the in
ability OF the lawfully constituted authorities
throughout the land. TO preserve the public peace,
and the security Of Institutions That
was but isola ed instance of the bad re-
suits OF inefficient and inadequate municipal go
vernment In New York, deficient as il is in
proper police system, such outbreaks could not
have occurred. Here, the mob never could have
so insolently put the authorities at defiance The
case o. the Philadelphia riots was like that of "lhe
Lord George Gordon riots" in London, or the
"Porteous mob" in Edinburgh, an illustration Of
the weakness and uselessness of corrupt, vaclat-
ing, and powerless municipal government and
threatened more danger in itself to the security
of the republic than the other occurrences Just al
iudedt 10, did to the general safety oil the British
empire.
But American reputation abroad has not suffer-
ed so much by those riots, as it has for years past
by the vile conduct of the party newspapers of the
United States. This is the proper quarter to which
we should direct attention in investigating the
sources Of the bitter attacks on the character and
working Of American institutions, which appear
from time to time in the journals and reviews pub
lshed in Great Britain. And c. rtainly every can.
did and impartial mind must admit that these par
tizan prints present this country in the most Gesp-
cable light. Their vile personal slanders-their
vulgar abuse-their ceaseless magniiy, attacking
both the living and the dead-lhe degradation of
OF the liberty Of the press-must OF necessity pro-
duce In Europe an impression xce ed;ngly injurious
to the reputation of this country. We have given
our readers a number of specimens of the manner
IN which the party journals of both the great do
minant factions are conducting the present Prcsi-
dental contest What an idea must thus be con-
veyed to the European public Of the purity Of our
public men, and the decency Of our political con-
ficts
And yet these very papers-the Courier & Emgui-
yer, for instance, which calls the President Of the
United States "a jackass," ga filthy ANIMAL" are
constantly IN the habit of calling out against this
Journal as the vifer Of the American character
and American institutions. The public, however,
have been oflate gradually coming to knowledge
OF the truth in this matter Intelligent and impar-
tial men-the men who really honor and revere
the glorious institutions OF the country, have had
their eyes fully opened to the msnner in which ,he
vile tools Of faction have been bringing the nation
al character into disgrace. They see that the la
borlous efforts OF these partizan prints to convince
the civilized world that the people Of the United
States are at present engaged in violent conflict
for the election Of or two OF the greatest mis-
creants TO be found within our borders, are not
exactly the best means of exalting the national
reputation.