The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-06-06
Street Preachers and Riots.

press the right OF Tree speech IN this city anu
| to prevent street PREACHERS from addressing
audiences in any public thoroughfare. The
runner created considerable ferment, and quite
a stir arose among the more excitable cl ,sses
of our population. It was freely asserted that
the tyranuical movement sprang from our
| Irish fellow citizens, whose sensibilities it was
urged, could not tclor rate the aspersious usually
caat on their faith by the most popaas Of these
field preachers. This story gained considerable
credit. People were not wanting on the one
hand to inveigh against the assault made on
one Of our most valued liberties, in the person
OF the street preachers; or, on the other, to ex-
cuse the outturst of Hibernian warmth and to
deprecate the language used by the orators.
To the debates which followed, between these
two classes Of individuals, much of the import
ance now belonging to the societies styled
know Nothings," &C., must be ascribed The
point of the argument was lost for a time, when
the most notorious of the street preachers sue
cecded in addressing large crowd of people in
an open place, without the slightest molesta-
ton. Whether from policy or from principle,
it was clear that the enemies of free speech
were vanquished for the nonce; and content with
the triumph, for some weeks the stump orators
allowed us to live in peace. It seems, however,
that this happy period has now ended; the rage
for street preaching has been once more aroused,
and simultaneously with its resurrection, all
the worst passions of its enemies have burst
forth afresh. On Sunday last, in the quiet city
of Brooklyn, when good people were bordering
over the mornings sermon and strengthening
| themselves for the next weeks work, q dis
| graceful fight was going on between the hearers
of a street preacher and band of men who are
| said to have been Lishmen. This scene, though
the most violent that has yet occurred, is 10y no
| means the frst of the kind that has disturbed
| our Sunday rest: on several Sabbaths, OF late,
similar scenes have taken place, snl we are
now duly notified that they viii be regularly
repeated hereafter in all probability on larger
and more extensive scale. In one word, roting,
between professors of rival creeds, who choose
the Sunday for their performance threatens to
become chronic in New York and the vicinity
! The fact is very surprising. Our mobs arc
usually so very sensible and practical-diiier
so widely from mobs in other countries, aud 50
seldom display any of the wild traits Of charac-
ter which are understood to be peculiar to
! large bodies of city bred men, chat repetition
OF the Lo-Popery riots was, under ordpary
| circumstances, the last thing in the world
one might have expected here. 4 large nu4.
Der of trivial causes have combined to produce
the phenomenon. The violent preachings of
Gavazzi, on the one side, and the brutality
displayed by his opponents in Canada and
4 elsewhere on the other. were not without effect
in arousing a spirit of hostility between
Catholics and Protestants. Equally potent
was the course pursued by the Roman Catholic
press; which, forgetting the minority occupied
by its coreligionists in this country, and how
small advice they are entitled to use in direct
ing our national concerns, assumed dogmati-
cal tone of authority, and actually ATTEMPTED
to revive pretensions which tie enlightened
members of the Papal Church have loag since
abandoned. The Pope's legats Bedni rather
| aggravated this folly, and gave handle to
| parcel of infdel Germans and Others who
sought nothing but an opportunity of abusing
| Christianity. Riots in Canada at Cincinnati,
at New Orleans, at Baltimore, famed the
| flame. Men were ready for an explosion when
| the Irish attempted to silence the street
preacher Parsons there arc not wanting
| symptoms of n similar readiness at the hour we
write. Private designs Of ambition in the
| leaders, fiery intolerance AID bigotry in
| the rank and file, together with the natural
| heat Of youth, aud the proyorb,al pugnacity OF
at least one party among the combatants, have
wrought matters to such a pitch that at any
| moment a dreadful conflict may take place.
and the scenes Of 1914 at Philadelphia may be
renewed.
Before blood is actually she'd It is well that
We see what we are going to fight about and
dat we understand what Is the law aud what
The right OF the matter in question Tie right
Of any one, duly provided with a license, TO
preach and harangue an audience In public
place, is clear and uudoubted; provided only
hat he shall not, by SO preaching, impeie lree
circulation through such public place, If il be a
thoroughfarc in law. This il the law as We
lind il in the books We 90 further ana say
that the municipal ordinance declaring that a
license is requisite in order TO authorize st eet
preacher to address crowd, Unconstitutional
aud void. being in direct confirmation of the
constitution Of tn United States aad of this
State: but this IS OF no consequence at present.
leis enough Tor rs to know that no oac has
right TO modest or silence a licensed street
preacher 70 matter what thing lie may soy;
provided, q course, that he shall uot outrage
public dccency cr morals. IT. therefore. A Or
deem II Ills duty % address 4 crowd in a.y
such place and to exp4tate - the folly OF sic.
thcdism, Irotasiaatim, C.,holicsn or a1y
Other creed he has 4 right p 10 %; all sao-
ever molests him commits an offence requiring
punishment IL may be very CALLING 10 the
feelings OF the professors Of the creed assailed
TO know that il is 50 attaeke 1; but tolerant en-