New-York daily tribune., 1849-05-15
NETWORK TRIBUNE.
The Moral Of the Riot.

hives. property AID personal 'I5"is "
We have seen that society N Ne" iO'A mas
power 70 protect itself not only against individual
rnalef.c,ors but against the threatening array oi
sma.t.,ade swelied AMI made apparently ioThnid-
able By the numbers drawn 70 the scene oi a'o'oe'
through curiosity aud taking 10 active part IN tne
oatrage 70 which BY their presence '"ey 'e'Ai-o
,cees,ary. THIS is well the lesson "as perhaps
necessary. and even It's bloody thofoOgoness must
have ia uses. thou1h every one would thonsand
times yreler tnst the triumph shoaid nave oeeH
achieved By toe civil 'ofce aud the punishment
awarded bythe calm and discriminating hand oi the
law. But has this disgraceial and melancholy star
NJ moral bu. iausketry. 10 meaning bot ,ie victory
OF the legal auth orty aad 10 lesson BAT Tor the de-
fsa,ed and punished miscreants andtheir comPaa'
lively innocent sbe;tors Does 1t Only sho" b.
wha. eyoluions Of soldiery, and what use OF arms
the hoarse iury Of the mob can soonest oe qoleted
and the promoters Of violence aud destruction
driven from their purpose !, shows and teaches
this beyond a doubt, as all may agree but ID
our Judgment IL hos other teachings aso' and those
not less worthy Of consideration. Let Us attemp'
20 set forth some Of them.
A riot such as that Of Thorsdsy night has other
causes beside the special fact which serves az tns
occasion Of the outbreak. Thst is the accident 90
20 say. which develops the disease previously ex-
is.ing in the system. The elements OF bruislity
and rufianism, disregard Of the Law, contempt Tor
the rights Of others I'd for the peace Of society
love Of disorder and violence, were there before
they had been generated and strengthened b.
macy perverse aud unwhoesome Influences 10
.s.1Tf
the riot they were only combined and directed "
the accomplishment Of a particular purpose'-
While we cOn3emn The purpose and the motives
which formed IL, shall we be sent as TO the causes
living back OF the whole We DO not 60 appre
bend the duty Of a public journalist
lis certainly universal fact, that the pecu'la'
kind Of population which furnishes 70 moo i''
roost active and desperate members, 70 met win
mainly in large cities. Such characters may be
found in rural districts, but rather Is strangers
than as permanent residents. ~ a na'urS' a.
traction they Aock 10 the large towns as vult1res
H. their prey There they find opportunity most
easily to obtain living while they crafty their
tastes, and there they are not alone, but form
class and thereby gain in their own eyes so.' Of
respectability. For ourselves we are con'lncc'
that did Society assure 70 all persons fitting ed
ucation and sphere OF action 10 one not PosllVciy
diseased by BIRTH would grow up with the propen
sities Of a rowdy or uian. but for the present we
do not urge that consid deratioo we merely aim to
convince our readers that the class referred TO-
gathered by sort Of necessity Into cues are
there greatly ,treDg thened rendered more vicious
and potent for evil by certain mischevSus and
unfortunate agencies which il is at this moment
n the power Of The respectable aud Influential
portion OF society TO sbate. And let it not be for
gotten that where there is the power there also
is the responsibility
Whils a few are impelied 10 the great centers
Of population by the superior ease aud certainty /
,of yicious life amid the crowd, larger number
are brought ,htber by the desire OF fortune anu /
the idea that where the battle Of HE is intensely
waged its most glittering prizes may be gained
with the greatest facility. the routine of produc-
tive labor is not 80 attractive nor in their eyes 40
hoaorsble as many pursuits which the City has
70 offer. The number OF candidates Tor such EN-.
plcymentis thus constantly larger than the demand
leaving great number OF persons either waiting
for places or disappointed IL obtaining them, ex
posed 10 evil influences aLd consequently certainto
fur Dish recruits for the army OF the vicious. Then
there is the vas. mass OF the poor and those who
live perpetually on the verge Of poverty on the
verge Of al abyss into which the slightest accident
may cast them beyond escape. Not very strong
10 the allegiance " hich men feel to the public order
when they experience under it little but suffer.
ing relieved, when il can be borne no longer, by toe
gifts OF ohafty. Whocan tell how much discontent,
blind. ignorant perhaps au: only therefore the
more dangerous-fel; by this class, comes IN TO IN
crease the fury Of mob 2 Now is there no means Of
the numbers of these two classes no
means Of preventing SO many young men irm
rushing to the cities aud giving the less Fortunate
the poor direct personal interest in the property
and the order Of society, that when 1t is attack
ed they shall feel that they are themselves at
tseked1 These are questions of moment; we
commend them to the meditation OF oar readers
The presence Of So many emigrants in the |
cities also goes TO swell the elements o! disorder |
both directly and indirectly. Here We are far |
from casting any reflection upon our adopted ci.i-
Iens. indeed, We only do them justice when We
say that in the late crisis they were even more |
ready than those Of native birth IN the msinte
nance OF order But ii Is plain that our surplus
population is Increased by thousands OF foreigners
who have no means OF living but manual labor aud
who are not yet accustomed to the control OF tie
civil power alone. What is necessary Is 10 lemove
them to the interior, TO establish them upon the
and; to convert them into citizens having rea'
aud tangible stake in the general welfare. Not
that we know OF eny such person having been en-
gagged Ia the Riet OF Thursday the shame OF which
was brought on us as we believe by American bui
lies but while there is large poor ioreiSn popu'
la,ion In New York there Is material for diso'-
der which for every reason should not remain -
The necessity Of a wise scheme of settling our
emigraL.s in the West is lesson which may
fairly be deduced from the events Of Thursday
No man need DC informed how much ini'mpeF-
aGce has to do with rowdy ism. Had thsre been
no srosgeries in the City, there would have been
no not The ram.shops are the council rooms IN
which the mob was organized and its plan Of oP
erat'oDs ma,ured. They are the nurseries aud the
ooncaves not ooly OF private vilany but Of public
outrage. How shall they be suppressed, and their
fruits nth them Can the Temperance Societies