New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1855-11-20
ooMposrTIoN OF oIry poLIoE.

Al great deal is expected from the Police Of |
city, ftentimes too much. Police officers are |
expected to be here, there and everywhere, at
the same time; and if they cannot multiply
themselves with miraculous rapidity, they are i
denounced, as matter Of course, as inatten-
tive, inefficient and all that sort Of thing by
such means the worst Of injustice is frequently
inflicted, and good and jealous and faithful ofi-
GERS are grievously wronged
In New Orleans there are some $50 or 10 |
police officers The corporation has river |
front of six or seven miles, and extends back
towards Lake Ponchartrain any quantity of
indefinite distances! Probably it is the hard
est city on earth to securely guard; and yet
people coolly calculate that three hundred and
ffty, or sixty, or seventy men, can protect the
whole from the onslaughts Of the thief, incen-
diary, burglar, or assassin! Why the thing is
impossible. And every intelligent man will see
and feel the force of the remark, after rejecting
moment.
We believe our police force, as at present or
ganized, with active and energetic officers, from
the efficient Chief, Moynan, down, is as good as
the city has ever enjoyed. Carpers and sneerers
may say what they please, but such is, never
theless, the fact.
The police especially the American portion
of them-haye been violently denounced by
prints not supposed to entertain any particular
friendship for anything that don't suit their
views Of Americanism--as entirely derelict in
| their duty ON the day Of election. This has
caused us to investigate the matter, in order
that the blame may rest upon the shoulders
where it properly belongs.
We find that there are some 1858 policemen
employed by the corporation of New Orleans.
OF these 1893 are of foreign birth, and f65 born
upon the soil--leavipg balance of 80 in favor
Of other lands This simple fact is sufficient to
throw the blame-if blame there was---at least
q majority of it, upon other shoulders than
American shoulders.
But this general statement does not do justice
to the natives of the United States employed in
the police force, as the analysis we are about to
make conclusively demonstrates. We propose
to take the subject up by districts In the First
District, where there was little or no trouble,
| there were fifty -four Americans and eighty one
foreigners employed in favor Of for
eigners, g. In the Second District, where
things were unusually peaceable, the police
force stood sixty four native, ffty-six foreign
balancein favor Of natives, eight. In the Third
District, where fve-sixths Of the disturbances,
and most, if not all, of the bloodshed occurred,
there were twenty. eight American and thirty
five foreign policemen In the Fourth District,
where the voting proceeded smoothly and quiz
city, there were nineteen American and sixteen
foreign police officers.
| We have entered upon this relation of facts
| with no other view than of doing simple justice
to all the parties directly concerned, not with
the smallest idea of arousing unpleasant sensa-
tions or eliciting odious comparisons. If the
Police did not duly maintain the peace on cleo
ton day, let those who were in the fault suffer,
District by District, not forgetting the Third.
The rule should be invariable, and must work
both ways in q country of republican institu-
tions like ours.