The southern press., 1851-08-13
Political cIIquss In New York.


the control of the city police, condemns in strong
terms the corrupt politicians, composed Of ad-
venturers from various quarters, and broken
down spectators of all Sorts" who control that
city.
The Empire City is really TO be pitied. The
great capital, in point Of population and wealth,
of the Western world, is ruled, it would appear,
by adventurers and spectators. The faster it
gets on, the worse it is managed. The more it
extends, the more easily is it the prey Of rogues
and refugees. The greater the multtodes that
crowd into it from all parts, the more certain the
influence of cliques and parties. The masses,
congregated together without order, and almost
without control, are here the more easily enticed
or forced to support impudent and ambitious
schemers Charlatanism triumphs. The many
yield to the few, and follow their. bell-wether
like senseless sheep. Happy city. and most
prosperous population !--what may not be ex-
pected from it when it counts its millions?
In all times, multitudes thrust into limited
spaces, have ever been the dupes of imposters
and political schemers If this vice Of weak
headed dependence should show Itself in as
strong characters on this continent as in the old
world, we must expect about the same results
namely, to be governed by imposters and char
latans. And the result Of the legislation, infiu-
enced by the brass and the position, of these
Inferior minds, will be to modify the laws in the
interests of parties, until corruption shall creep
in everywhere, with dictation and violence in lis
train
If the New Yorkers don't look sharp for their
more honest government of their city, we shall
be under the painful necessity Of recommending
them to the care Of M. CABET, the disciples Of
FOURIER, the Rappists, or the Shakers-any one
Of whom shows more Of the right spirit by
which alone societies can live and preserve their
liberty.
We consider New York as model city. All
reflective men can follow with attention, and
calculate with wonder, its progress in wealth
and progress in immortality. She goes on fast
both ways, and will require some little taking in,
at least in the latter quality.
The country preserves it's independence, and
understands it better, than the town. It's no.
tions of it are more honest and patriotic, while
the latter only loves it by fits and starts, for the
pleasure of row, or an excitement, caring little
| for the substance.
| As the country, however, is in the end infu-
enced by the town, corrupted by it. and led into
all sorts of political scrapes and suicides, the
sooner we on this side the Herring Pond fall into
some more liberal mode of managing it, the
better.
Small communities are generally well gov
erned there is organization, and every man feels
the moral influence Immediately about him. As
the population increases, this influence dimin-
ishes, in the ratio Of the distance from the gov
erning sources; and these sources become cor
rupt, as the moral influence of the mass van
ishes in the indifference of everybody. The
man who would blush at meanness before few
friends, becomes Indifferent an brazen-faced,
when one of clique, in the presence of multi
tudes. In the first position, he is honest, up
right, scrupulous, and liberal in the second, he
condescepds to be either charlatan or dema-
gogue, TO lead and gain the applause of stupid
multitude.
| IL town was but congeries Of small, inde-
pendent, and wel.governed communities, il
might stand, in point of character and independ.
ence, on as high footing as an equal number
of country towns or villages; but this can never
be the case so long as the government of vast,
and, consequently, unknown and uncared.fo
multitude, is placed in the hands of body fit
only, and constituted only, for the government
of few.
| We object TO great towns, not because they
are great towns-haying immense populations
but because, governed as they are, they become
great centres Of corruption and vice, and corrupt
and vitiate, at length, the whole community.
Governed-we mistake-they are not gov
erned. They are watched over artally-given
up to chance. Some attention is paid to the
sidewalks, and the CUTTERS and little 10 rogues
but little or none to the multitudes who perish
of hunger, disease, immortality, and crime, close
by those sidewalks and cutters.
| SERIOUS RroT AT WEST PoIsT-SEvERAL
PERSONS REPORTED TO BE MoRTALLY WOUNDED.
Yesterday the Wright Independent Rifles, of
Jersey City, went on an excursion, accompanied
by a large party of guests, in the steamer Hud-
son, to West Point. The company numbered
several hundred persons, including women and
children. We have received information from
several sources, all to the effect, that serious
riot took place between the rife company and
the servants and other inmates of Cozzen's
hotel Some of those statements are at var
ance, as to the real cause of the riot Some state
that portion Of the pleasure party were in the
barroom drinking, and that a slight offence
offered to one Of the bar.keepers caused the