The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-08-31

JUSTICE AT LAsr-The announcement that the
trial Of the Aston Place rioters would be commenced
at the earliest possible period at the next term
or the Court Of Sessions, has been received with
intense satisfaction by the great masses Of this
community. Our confidence in the integrity of
our criminal judiciary, shaken by the extraordinary
delay in this important case, begins to revive. We
do not believe, indeed, that the public, in general,
have any idea Of the pertlnaclous, ingenious, and
desperate efforts made by the authorities them
selves-we mean the cooperate authorities-to
stave off this investigation. Nor do we wonder
at this uneasiness or these efforts.
During the recent investigation which was pro-
secuted by Judge Edmonds, some very curious
facts were elected, and portion of them found
their way to the public eye, through the instrument
talty of this journal. 1t in this way that the
community was startled by the revelation of the
important part taken in the riot by certain of the
individuals who signed the card to Macready
which paved the way for the final catastrophe.
Nobody had till that moment suspected that gen.
tlemen of the highest responsibility had actually
distributed tickets gratuitously to individuals who
pledged themselves to 60 to the theatre, and sus-
tain Macready, If necessary, by brute force. But
such was the extraordinary fact revealed on that
investigation. A food of light was thus cast, by
the unfolding Of this single circumstance upon the
mode and manner in which the magnates of the ton
were accustomed to coerce opinion, and maintain
their own supremacy as dictators In matters of
taste and theatrical movements. 1t was shrewdly
suspected by many, that great deal more curious
matter might be exhumed and dragged to the
light of day, it we could only get public trial of
the persons arrested on the night Of that memora-
bic tenth ofMay. Hence the intensity of the feel
ing of indignation that the dispensation of justice
was delayed; and hence, too, the extraordinary
degree of satisfaction which the movements
Of Mr.. District Attorney Nixon, have now
awakened.
I'll not at all strange, that the present civic au
thorities Should feel nervous with regard to these
singular trials An election is approaching. The
people, often apathetic in regard to the capacities,
the crimes or the virtues of the local authorities,
have been rudely and thoroughly aroused in this
instance. Those fatal volleys still ring in their
ears. The sight of the bleeding bodies of their
fellow. citizens, shot down without moments
warning, has not ceased to present itself again to
thousands of our hard-working people, as at night
they seek the repose which attends on the pillow
Of honorable toll 1t was, indeed, a terrible ex-
ample of the weakness and incompetence Of the
present rulers of the city, that was presented on
that fatal night; and it is only human nature that
the authorities should seek to bury all in everast-
ing oblivion. But justice must be done. The whole
truth must be revealed We await these trials
with unaffected anxiety. Whosoever stands, or
whosoever falls, let us have truth made manifest,
and justice measured out to all.