The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-06-26

store, Dy the sword, by the Harch oil foreign armies
through streams of blood, the restoration of the
head Of the Catholic Church to political position.
from winch he fled, and tn which he never again
can be raised but by foreign bayonets, and which
he never can hold except by hrelng and for-iga
sodiery, and at an immense sacrifice Of human
| life.
THE Aston PLACE RIOTS, AND TrE GRAND jury
| OF THE COURT SEssIoNs.-The tragedy which
occurred in the vicinity of the Astor Place Opera
House, On the 10th of May last, has been fruitful
topic of conversation from that day to the present
time. If the public had disposed to let the
matter rest they could not, for it has been brought
before them every few days since The occurrence,
by some official act on the part of the authorizes
| First came the arrests by the police; then the in
vestigation or rather the nquisitorIa proceedings,
came on, before Judge Of the Circuit Court; aud
then again, the resolutlonsipresented in the Com
mon Council. All these proceedings, following
after the other, kept alive the embers OF excite
ment, and after all these came the charge of Judge
| DAILY, to the Grand Jury of the Court Of Sessions
when that august body commenced their deliberl-
lions, at the beginning of the June term. That
charge worthy Of the grave occasion which
called 1t forth; and 1t is yet to be seen how the
grand inquest have treated the matter which was
submitted them in such eloquent terms by the
learned Judge.
| That the Grand Jury have labored assiduously
during the term, cannot be denied. They met day
after day, and only received their discharge on
the last afternoon of The term, when they brought
| their papers into court and announced that they
| had completed their work. 1t will be recollected,
that the principal burthen of Judge Days charge
was the subject Of the Astor Place riots; and
in view of the importance Of the subject, it
be supposed that the ndcting jury would have
made presentment, and set forth such facts as
they could, consistently with their sworn duty
But no such thing has eventuated from their de-
| beratlons. All that we know is, that twenty-one
persons have been indicted, and, from all that can
| be learned, are forced to the conclusion that
these unfortunates the persons who most
likely to have been made the cats paws of more
able and designing men. After charging the
jury, in general terms, as to the law applicable
to the case, and the apparent circumstances
attending the riot, Judge DAILY said The
jury should also look into the conduct of the
police force and if any member Of that body gave
aid or countenance to the rioters, he should be in
dicted, and made example Of If he wilfully
neglected his duty, he Is liable to be prosecuted
it was not necessary to be conslderate for the
influence of human fear, for if an officer lacked
the constitutional courage essentalto the discharge
Of his duty, he should abstain from iniruding him
self into such an Office Aud he concluded his re-
marks upon this point by stating. that hswever
high In authority any delinquent was, he should be
made an example Of. He was no more entitled to
the sympathies Of the jury, than the coward who
enllsts for a soldier" Now, how have the Grand
Jury followed the reasonable instructions which
they received previous to commencing their du-
ties! Have they inquired with inquisitorial care
whether there was any persons high in authority
who had avoided the responsibilities of the office
| into which he had "intruded himsef?" Have
they, during the three weeks Of careful inves,iga
ton, taken pains to ascertain whether any person
or persons left the ground Of tumult when the dis
| turbance was rife I Have they sought a solution
to the problem, "what did they at the New York
Hotel, when they were wanted in Aston Place and
Eighth street p Have they carefully inquired how
many tickets were given away, and by whom an
to whom! Have they, according to their oaths,
| made careful investigation into all matters sub.
mitted TO them, and true presentment made, with
cut fear, favor, or hope Of rewardl We suppose,
of course they have; but they did not see fit to
offer any general presentment in the matter, we, Of
course, left to conjeciures for probabilities,
and the tardy operation Of the law, for certainty
| in the matter under consideration. No bail cases
are to be tried In the General Sessions until the
| September term. Meantime, the anxious specta-
tors who have the first four acts, the two
nights In the Opera House, the legal investig aons
and The returns Of the Grand Jury must await with
| patience tor the denoIenent Of the grand plot We
feat that the persons who have compiled the work
for enactment, have ! fl out much Of the by-play
| and counterpart but
TuK PANAMA RALRoAD.-We alluded, yester-
day, in general terms, to the success OF the
veyors in their efforts obtain short route across
the Ishmus, and to the probability Of the immedi-
ate construction of the railroad from Chagres to
Panama but we in stating that the
parties interested had determined, themselves, to
| L. l.. IL H.. w - LII.