The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-05-18
The Macready Riot in New York.

we are without any further authentic details o
the great riot in New York, attended, as the tele
graph has informed u.s. with so great loss of Life
from the cannonshot of the preservers of the public
peace. We wait with good deal of anxiety tt
learn all the particulars of popular disturbance
which must have been more turbulent and dan
gerous than we can we'll conceive of, to require the
extreme remedy Of artillery-fired without scrupIe
into dense crowd, in order to restore public order
We do not readily concur, of course, in the fire.
quent approvals we hear of the vgor and decision
which put down mob in this short and summary
manner. There was of course great provocation
there may be full justification, but it will require
very strong case, very explicitly proved, to recon
Gle our mind to such exhibitions of official vigor
There is something abhorrent in the idea Of
shooting down dense mass, of whom it appears
women, and probably children, formed a part and
with whom were mixed undoubtedly many guilty
only of imprudence and thoughtlessness-th while
we must forbear to condemn, we cannot consent to
approve until we see the demonstration of the
extreme necessity which alone can form justfca-
ton or excuse for the act.
Even after the first nights disturbances the
extent of the riotous feeling must have been grev-
ously misunderstood, or criminally despsed by the
authorities, else precautions might have certainly
been taken to avert the horrors which ensued. A
committee of gentlemen, numbering in their list the
names of about fifty of the most discreet and SUBJ
stantial citizens of New York, signed public call
upon MIR. Macready, requesting him to reconsider
his determination and not to discontinue his en-
gagement, assuring him that he would be supported
by the good sense and respect for order prevailing
in the community In this request they were sus-
tanned by the public press. We have heard of the
result of these assurances, and we cannot refrain
from expressing our great surprise, that some pre-
ventive measures had not been taken to make these
promises good. There must have been strange
neglect somewhere, that sufficient preparations had
not been made to repress disturbances that must
have been foreseen, and repulse rioters who were
thus defed to repeat their disordery efforts We
shall be glad to hear how it is that with these warn
ings, mob was permitted to come together, undis
turbed, until grape-shot only could disperse them
The Courier and Enquirer, which, the morning
after the first riot ercely assailed Mr. Forrest as
the author of all these disturbances, made a re-
cantation the next day. The charge was so often
sive that Mr.. Forrest directed his counsel, Theo.
dore Sedgwick, to pronounce it absolutely and
grossly false and to demand its retraction and
WltnQTdWdi IN the most immediate, ulfeCE, and
ample manner" Mr. Raymond the associate edi-
tor, who had written the offensive article, had
before this demand was received, written para
graph, in which he stated that he had "no know
ledge OF facts which could establish any connexion
between Mr. Forrest and the Astor Place disturb
ances, and Col Webb added subsequent para
graph, regretting that any charge against or alu-
sion to Mr.. Forrest should have been made and de-
clarng it to be certain that there is NO evidence of
Mr. Forests being party to the proceeding al all
But Mr.. Forests moral responsibility for good
part of these dsgraceful proceedings is not the less
clear, because it is inferential and indirect He
would doubtless shudder at the idea of riot, and
mourn over the sacrifices of life. He might, too,
and probably would dsapprove of the lawlessness
of mobs, and join in an exhortation for obedience
to the law, and the preservation of the public peace
1t is nevertheless not to be denied that he has done
much to provoke the state of feeling out of which
the riots grew-to foster popular prejudces and
nflame popular resentment against Mr.. Macready,
and to determine that class of his own admirers
who are effective in mobs, to resolve that Mr.