The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-05-16


week. full and complete history Of the recent a'or Place
Tragedy.
Single copies, in wrappers, sixpence; annual sub
cription 81, to include the postage.
The Late Tragcdy-Opinions of tho Press
Verdict OF the CorOncr's Jury-SOcialism
In New York.
The occurrences which cast so much gloom over
our city during the last week, have of course, at
tracted the attention of the press throughout the
country. We give in our journal of to-day mum.
Der of extracts from the columns of our contempt
raries at a distance, and have no doubt that they
will be read and studied here with intense interest.
Our endeavor has been, to present. as fully and I'M
partially possible, the general tone and charac-
ter of the opinions elected by these melancholy
events.
II will be perceived that, with few exceptions,
the press sustains the action of the authorities
natural and proper solictude is expressed by all,
tor the preservation of the public peace; and the
evident anxiety experienced in all directions that
the mob should be efectually crushed, shows the
magnitude and importance of that influence
which this great metropolis exercises throughout
the whole country. PROFESSIONALLY, until this
outbreak, New York had for many years exhibit
ed most reputable example of peace and order,
an this respect contrasting favorably with certain
other cities of the Union. Some of the newspa-
pers at a distance severely blame autho-
rites for not taking preventive measures, and
our readers have seen that the Coroners
jury entertained the same opinion. The source
from whence all the sad occurrences origi-
mated, seems to be the subject of universal and
pointed apprehension. Both the play actors, whose
names must ever be unpleasanty associated with
this awful tragedy, are the subject OF denuncation
on account of their quarrelsome behaviour and in
flammatory publications, while each has his de-
tenders, who insist that he was entirely faultess.
On this feature Of the case, the public judgment,
however, has pronounced sound and irreversble
verdict. The njudicious remarks of Mr.. Macready,
in his speeches, and the ll-empered letters of Mr.
Forrest, were undoubtedly the remote melting
causes of the irritated state Of feeling in certain
portions Of the community, which was finally exas-
perated into ungovemable fury by the card calling
upon Mr. Macready to proceed with his engage
ment. That was the proximate cause of the
tragedy.
While thus adverting to the sentiments of the
public press in relation this lamentable affair." we
must not omit notice of the cool impudence with
which one of the journals of this city-the organ
of French socialism and kindred denominations
ascribes the riot the efforts of other presses to
create feeling of hostility between the rich and
the poor. Who needs to be reminded that for
years that very print the Tribune, has been assdu
ously engaged in disseminating the most anarchi-
cal and destructive doctrines! Year after year.
and week after week, it has been endeavoring to
array the poorer classes against those who possess
opulence and live in luxury. The ant-renters
found in that print, at all times, not only an un-
scrupulous defender, but persevering alder and
abettor. Its whole career has been characterized
by rabld and frenzied zeal lin behalf of the
nonstrous creed of those anarchists who have
produced much generalization among their
deluded followers in the French capital. Who
can tell how widely or how deeply those seeds
of disorder, discomfort, and rebellion against
the established order Of society, which the TIT
tuns has been so industriously engaged in dts
seminating, may not have sunk into the minds of
certain classes of our own community? We have
seen some Of the fruits which have resulted in
Paris, from the teaching of such men as Pierre Lee
roux, Greppo, Considennt, Thore, Lammenais,
Proudhon, and others. How we TO estimate the
mischief which may have been wrought amongst
ourselves, by this continual harpng upon the
tyranny and oppression of the rich-this per-
petual prating about the overshadowing IN
,quity Of capital-this artful contrasting the
ll-requited toll of one class with the voluptuous
ease of another-those devllish insinuaons that
the Nottingham, and the poor man, and the idle
man, have all been robbed by the rich, who are
represented as living in luxury purchased by the
sweat, and toll, and agony Of their fellow men I
10 noicule and expose the follies and weaknesses
oil certaln portions of the opulent classes of So
cioty, is one thing; TO denounce them as robbers
and tyrants, is another. To teach those who have
obtained large share Of this worlds goods. the
duties OF humility and charity, and to flagellatc
fashionable vice, pretenslon and destinations dis
play, is legitimate province of the public journal
list. But to inhame the passions and blind the
Judgment of the poorer classes, by continual art
full, irritating defamation directed against those
who possess property, is a crime OF the most afro
cious character. OF all species Of deInagogueism,
this is one Of the most abominabc and dangerous.
The rioters who attacked the Astor Place Theatre,
and stoned the police and military, committed n
most heinous offence; but the journalist who, like
the Tribune, day after day, assails the very foun
dations Of social order, incurs the guilt of whole
sale incendiary and assassin. The poison of his
false and specious doctrines ciIculaes unseen and
insidlously, working its fatal purpose in many
quarters unsupported, till, in the end, its destruc-
tive influence astounds the whole community
We have much more to say on this subject
Heretofore, we have generally treated the Tribune
and its socialIsm-ts assaults upon the opulent,
and its satanic appeals to the poor-with the wea-
pons of rldicule and sarcasm. But the matter has
now assumed graver aspect. The late fearful
riot has opened up new and alarming subject of
investigation, and that is, how far the anarchcsl
socialism of the Tribune and its French associates
has operated In this community In unsettling the
foundations of Law and order ard srraying the