The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-07-12

Row OYIsM IN DANGM.-We perceive that the
District Attorney Of this county, at the close ofast
We 1k, declared in his public capacity, his intention
to prosecute, without finching, all those cases Of
fowdyim that may be brought before him, and that
nothing will make him swerve from the ful6lment
Of the duty which he owes to society in endeavorng
to put down the growing system Of roting and row.
dyism which has forseveral years past prevailed to
great extent in this city.
To this wise and patriotic resolution of the pub
lie prosecutor we have only to say" better late than
never" For more than year-including the whole
term Of his present official postion-he seems to have
paid less attention to this portion Of his public du-
ties than was expected from him by the people Of
this city, when he was voted for and elected to his
office in preference to any other candidate. It is
very true that the newspapers, with degree Of
shallowness too frequently observed in miserable
party organs, have thrown the blame Of the
progress and increase of Iowdyism on the police
and the aldermen. Possibly both these classes Of
funetionaries may be culpabie in small way But
if their axity is injurious to the peace of the city,
the remissness Of the public prosecutor is still more
detrimental, because it wihdraws entirely the con-
slant check held over malefactors and awless char
acters by the dread of punishment. few years
ago, it may be well remembered, gang of row.
dies for series Of months, kept the city, or GER
tain portions of it, in continual dread and alarm
This batch of Williams we believe, was usually
called the Chichester gang. The public officers of
that day had the violators of the peace belonging
to that gang arrested. They were indicted, were
tried, were convicted, and some of them were
punished with six months imprisonment in the
penitentiary. The firm and decided conduct OF the
criminal authorities on that occasion had most
desirable effect the peace and tranquility of the
city for years after But Of late years, our public
prosecutors instead of being organ for protecting
the citizens from violence and lawlessness seem as
they were put into that position merely to encourage
rowdyism, and allow it full sweep in every direc-
ton. For many years past, what gang of rowdies
has been arrested, convicted or punished? What
violent street brawler has been brought up and
served as his conduct merited Public prosecutors
seem to have, of late, entirely abandoned repudi
ated this portion of their official duties. In such a
state Of things, the sudden resolue appearance of
the present District Attorney, and his declaration in
court that he means to do his duty firmly and in
exibly, in putting down rowdyism so far as he can,
seems as an unexpected vision from the spirit world
transmitted through some Of the mediums patro-
missed by Judge Edmonds or the Misses Fox.
New York roting and rowdyism has grown out Of
political grog shops, and political committees, and
political nominations of both parties. Unless the
public officers of the law such as Judges and Dis
trict Attorneys perform their duty fearlessy and
dotcrminedly, it is needless to call upon the police
or to exclaim against the aldermen. Even those
very row dies who have been arrested by the police
over night and discharged the next morning by the
aldermen, should not be permitted to escape thus
The public prosecutor can find out the evidence in
every case, and have the culpris tried, convicted
and punished according to law, in spite of all the
friendly feelings and political sympathies Of alder
men or any one else We only require firm, fear
less, intelligent and faithful District Attorney, to
put down rowdyism in New York.