New-York daily tribune., 1849-06-11
Rfshf against Riot.

The AV4av Alas IS Journal constitut.onaly
afflicted with malice and propensity to ialsehool
80 inveterate that We hardly know whether 70
deem it morally responsible. It naturally takes
tie SD q the rioters against the authorities in
discussing the late dep'orabe stsay in our City,
and. commenting on Z recent article in tbs paper,
Gays:
7ll Tr.5ans. which advocates in general the most
restrictive course 30 regard u licensed estao hmeni-.
comes t0th- opposite conclusion IN regard % this
What the Atlas means by licensed establi.h-
ments is not clear, but we presume that Grog-
shops are runnng in its head. Bot whether the
reference be % grog-.hops. theat rs or anything
else. our course IS Uniform and decided. We insist
the protection of al in their legal nights at all
hazards. We should prefer that neither theaters
nor rrogaeries were licensed, but being licensed
We demand that the civil authorities shall main
t-in the rights which have been legally accorded
them. In Republic ike ours we hold the Law
70 be tie end Of controversy save in the way OF
effort FOR a legal modification of that law, and he
who would deprive any citizen OF his legal nights
by violence or intimidation traitor and rebel
who should be defeated at whatever cost No
matter though the house attacked By e mob were
q den oi infamy the most detestsbie, We insist on
the imperative day Of defending it against al
other IL an leral measures Of repression. No mat
ter how vile or how despicable the party law
lesslv assaied, we ins.st on as stringent measures
being taken u protect his shelter as if it were the
Mayors mansion or the City Hall. For the at
tack on his right, is virtually an attack on all
rights, and the practical question concerns not
the value Of his property or even Of bis life, bat
the safety Of all property and Of life generally
In defending the rights Of Mr.. Niblo Mr.. Macrea-
dy, their associates and patots, the authorities
were defending our right to speak our convictions
through The Tribune ard the right Of Ministers Of
the Gospel TO denounce Slavery, IntemPerance or
any other wrong which may happen'at some time
10 be popular. The whole question of Liberty or
Slavery, Law or Anarchy, was involved in the is-
sue forced upon our authorities at the Astor place
Opera on the night OF the 10Th ult.
The Atlas plainly seeks to make party capital
out Of this Riot, in defiance Of the fact that both
the Civil and Military chiefs who gave the order to
fre-Sherif Westervet and Maj. Gen. Sanford
arc opponents Of the Whis party. Whether the
Mayor might or should have been there also las
no shadow Of bearing on the main question 1t IS
se that The Tribune ever proclaimed its salts
faction AT the wholesale and wanton slaughterof
fellow-citzens '-basely false. Our satisfaction
was ELECTED by the vindicaton Of the Laws
supremacy. We deeply wish that could have
been effected without bood.hed, bat We rejoice
that, even at cost 80 deplorable, it has been set
tied that our citizens do not hold their own houses
subject to the mercy of any hundred rufans who
NAV choose 10 tear them down and can find a thou
sand reckless idlers to stand behind and cheer them
on II is false that the verdict of the only legal
tribunal that investigated the matter affirmed I'M
necessary boodshed on the part of the nasistracy.
That part OF the Jurys opinion amounted sabstan-
tally to ths-That the authorities had been gifted
with prophetic Wis ION, and so had known beforehand
lust what desperate, icrocous mob would besiege
the theater on that OCCASION, they might by send
ing thither the entire Police and leaving the rest
of the City Tor that night to the mercy OF burglars
incendiaries and cut throats, have queled the Riot
with their civil force only.
There are twenty or thirty other falsehoods
crowded into half column Of The Atlas that We
should be glad to reprobate, but cannot find room.
Its assertion that more than twenty inH0cfnt
persons were killed at the Riot, stands in de-
lightful prox nifty with It's assertion that " The
Tribune and its associates have uttered false ac-
cusations against the dead Wecannot imagine
What The Atlas expected to gain, beyond the
mere pleasure Of yins, in calling The Tribune
the Law Roiormer who is willing to dispense
with court, law jury and proof ror by its
assertion that The Tribune protects Property
at the unnecessary expense Of innocent liie' We
have repeatedly explained that the considera-
ton paramount in our minds was that OF Liberty,
or the preservat on Of the lawful rights OF the
assailed though We believe if the rioters had
been permitted to destroy the Opera House, the
loss OF life would have been far greater than t
was-But we leave The Atlas to the nndisturbed
enjoyment Of the residue Of It's wanton calumni,s