Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-10-29
THE POTENTIALLY OF R wDYIsM.

THE POTENTIALLY OF wDYIsM
!" Murder last night" " riot" " street fight" or
I" an account of disgraceful pugistie battle be-
great enjoyment by gang of equally british spec
tators! Nice captions for everyday articles in a
public newspaper but captions nevertheless that APP
pear daily among the items Of our public news.
The last account of brutality with which we
have been favored describes the late encounter be-
tween two miserable wretches who went from New
ork into Massachusetts to pummel each other sci
entihcally, to the great delight Of the butes who
witnessed it, and they would have delighted the
public more if they had mauled each other into mince
meat. Nothing eynces completely the degradation
OF community than the delight taken by part of its
members in these encounters could any thing de-
monstrae the utter necency of law respects these
blackguards than the cool and mpudent in which
they dare the face of day and laugh the police after
public and most fragrant violation of its statutes One
might question the existence Of the law any where in this
State We live safely and securely by each others for
bearance, not from any fear of the statutes of the land
II we open eyes the morning light after secure
at night it is not because the law has watched over
our sumbers and restrained night providers from our
door, or if walks the street safely after dark it
not because the law its ministers exercise any nlu-
in our behalf but simply because the robber has
thought fit to attack u.s. having better game somewhere
else. Large villains smash through the meshes of the
legal net like the hppopoamus through the threads of
the fish traps the Nile and the smaller fry of rascas
not needed because their capture offers reward to
the cupidity of the police All of us hold life andpro-
perty at suerance rowdies who
inres the streets of cities and laugh the CT
forts of the law and all its ministers entrap punish
them SULLIVAN the bury prizefghter marches through
the streets with armed guard about him. and troop
of ragamuffns shouting his triumph at his heels IT
there is this land ch above all Others para
lyses the Efforts Of put down this ro,cdyism and ilsc
energy and force into The a the despotisns ofpay ,chch
fears TO offend those ho haze under their control the Aaters
Of groggere The priseghtsrs and aat class Of ,co
can be bought NTH liquor money! Mepromise Of petty office
and who important only because they have under
the liberal and ndugen provisions of our laws right
to vote
The country is fast approaching that point of moral
decay when to resuscitate it and purify life blood
will require the united and harmonious action of all
honest citizens, who shall constitute themselves special
constabulary for the repression of social disorder and
for the just and immediate vindcaon of outraged law
When patience shall have spent ITSELF and forbearance
changed to indignation, and men, sober thinking men,
who have families to and property protect and
who hope to have both in time to come when such
men shall reflect upon the sin of apathy in respect to
these matters and band themselves together put down
rowdes who are kings and lords Of now we may
hope for the prevalence of law and order over that vast
field where rowdysm regns supreme 1t is evident that
long votes desirable to demagogues so long as
ministers of the law elective, long there is
class of beings who hire sell themselves to party
brokers, long Office seekers will iatter coax and
elevate them into temporary Importance for political
purposes, just long will the country be controlled by
them though after election day they the most abject
persons in the community Our elections are so frequent
that these kept constantly important, and of
course grow and lawless for to scare po-
ceman deter judge they will very have only to
say, sir, you endangering your Office" or "your
political prospects,, and the magic power of that
will turn aside the staff of the one and stay the
sentence of the other The autocracy Of
Russia the despotsm of the house of Hapsburg the
imperial sway Of the Sultan in the days Of Uaroun AL
Raschid was fearful serf subject or slave
than viii be the Iron rule Of rowdyism in the politics of
this country the citizens of land that calls itself re-
publican The citizen dare speak his opinions through
fear Of them the policeman dare perform his duty
dare the public officer discharge his through craven
fear of these when they come up to the polls.
Brutal prize fighters 90 in triumphant procession
through the Streets mockng the law scorn; murder
does its work in the howell and GROCERY and the police
man from the shrek Of the victim, as its agony
breaks the silence of his nghtwach villains Of all dies
and skilled in every crime forth into open day and
defy the law and it has vgor to arrest energy to
prosecute the offenders Over against the Office Of the
law and in the portal Of the hall Of usce-misnomer
that itis-sands the demon Of political fear and it points
ominousy to lost votes and lost places and law and its
ministers stink out Of sght.-Bu6dto Com. Ado.