The New York herald., 1845-12-02

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OUR PoLIcR.-This subject is fruitful one The
arrest and couluiittal Of two OF our policemen to
grand larceny, during the fortnight, has caused
much conversation in certain quarters, and has
been, generally considered, stain uporlthe charac
ter of our city. II has been remarked, with much
TRUTH that, if policemen rogues and thieves
and plunder such unfortunate creatures chance tc
fall into their hands, there will be no safety for ho
mes, men. II is, no doubt, true, that the great mass
of our police officers are worthy men, of honorable
feeling and devoted to their respective duties. II
is probably equally true, that there many unprn
ciped fellows, holding office as policemen, who are
decidedly more dishonest than the very thieves they
have to grapple WITH the dark corners of the Five
Points, and other infected DISTRICTS in the dead
hours of the night. This ought not TO be; and
when policemen are detected in stealing from
thieves the very property which the thieves them
selves have stolen from others, an example should
be made of them. There should be no mercy shown
to such scamps. Hanging is too good for them.
1t is OF the utmost importance to our citizens that
all our policemen should be men of tried and un-
doubted honesty; for, the discharge Of their re
sponsibe duty they often thrown into situations
ly to be unable to resist temptation Scarce night
passes but men with money and watches in their
pockets, are picked up in the streets of New York
in state of stupied inebriation, and taken to the
station-houses. What would become OF the proper
ty of such poor devs if they should fall into disho-
nest hands! il would be an easy matter for watch
men to rob them, and then swear that they were
robbed by others We have no doubt that this has
been done.
In a city like New York, with population, resi-
dent and floating, of nearly half a mllion-and that
population, to considerable degree, made up OF TO-
reigners, from every nation the habitable globe
we must expect to find crime, drunkenness, and po-
verify in every form, and in almost every section of
the city The enticements for dissipation meet US
at every corner and in every street. There are no.
torious places, as is well known, which gamblers
pckpockets, thieves, burglars and robbers most do
congregate )" and there are other more respectable
points which are rarely troubled by any of these in
famous characters. 1t is necessary, however, to
have strong and vigilant police every where
Without such force, it would be danger, for our
citizens to walk the streets at late hour of the
night But of what would our police be to us, Il
it was composed exclusively of rogues who, every
time that favorable opportunity offered, would
plunder the very individuals that were entitled to
their protection? We have heard it stated, that
about one-half the men connected with our police
establishment are natives of Ireland. The whole
police force numbers nearly thousand men. 1t is
to be feared there are many policemen who, if they
are not dishonest, have no more feeling for their
fellow man than so many wild beasts. They look
upon every unfortunate who falls into their
hands as rogne, and treat him accordingly. They
do not appear to know what belongs to human ma
ture. Having no pure Christian feeling themselves,
they think that all other persons are destitute OF SEN
slblllty and they too often exercise their " little
brief authority" with an iron hand. This ought not
to be. They should be taught the first prin-
cipes of humanity as well as Of honesty /;
and when they find a miserable woman, or
an unfortunate man, in the streets, in gong
their rounds, they should treat them with mildness
instead of severity and not drag them to the watch
house by the hair Of their head They should ''use
all gently" as the poet says The poorest creature
that shivers in the midnight blast should be
kindly treated by them; he should be looked
upon as man, after Gods own image, and not as a
brute What wide field the disciples Of Howard
would find in the watch-houses and the tombs of
New York, for the exercise of their philanhrophy.
Much might be said on this subject, but it is an
even chance that it would only be an Improbable
waste of words. The law, and not our policemen
should punish offenders
wWe cannot close this article without expressing
hope that little of the feeling evinced by old
King Lear, IN the extremity of his distress, while
an outcast and wanderer, may be infused into the
hearts of some Of our policemen whose hearts are
now as hard as adamant
"Poor naked wretches, wherssoeer you are,
That bide the peltng Of the pitiless storm,
How shall your houseless heads, and unfed sides,
Your loopd and window d raggedness defend you
From seasons such as theseP
FROM SOUTH AMERIcA.-The brig Cohansey ar.
rived here last evening from Rio Grande, which
place she left on the 18th October. Capt. Sherman
states that great preparations making
the Emperor and his lady, who were expected to
arrive on the 9th of November from Rio Janeiro
The city has been thoroughly cleansed and reno.
vated
The English Consul, occupying the palace, was
obliged to vacate it to make room for the roya
party. The English and French commanders have
left Montevideo with their fleet for Buenos Ayres
which port they intended blockading, and had no.
titled all the French and English vessels to leave
the port.
ARRIVAL OF THE YoKKsHIRE.-Ths packet ar
rived off Sandy Hook yesterday morning, and oul
newsman boarded her soon after She left Liver
pool on the I'd ut, and has, therefore, been twenty
nine days in crossing the Atlantic. This rather
beats the time of the Massachusetts, 1t will be re-
collected that the Yorkshire and Massachusetts rur
sort of neck and neck race over the ocean in Sep
tember last, the. former with wind propulsion, anc
the Massachusetts with steam. Other packets also
have beaten the time OF the steamer-the Liverpool
which arrived the other day, made equally as quick
a trip as either the Yorkshire or Massachusetts
FROM PORT AU PRINcE.-The brig Hayt, Capt
Cults, arrived last night from Port au Prince
whence she sailed on the 18th ut Every thing wa,