The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-06-16

HE Ms RAIL OF THE CALIF1RNIA Rec OLUTION.--
The papers by the George Law announce the
Accomplishment Of the greatest revelation Cali
ifornia has ever seen On the 10th May, James
king, an. cid and respected citizen, and an es-
shot dead in the street. in open daylight, by a.
rInal named Casey, out OF revenge for structures
onthe character of Casey, which had appeared
i'm tie newspaper edited by King Casey was ar.
resel and con&led in the Jail; but the citizens of
'SanFrancisco, feeling certain that justice would
not!be. done, enrolled themselves into military
body, which they called Vigilance Committee,
s'esieged the jail compelled the Sheriff to deliver
them the Bodies ofsCasey and another murderer,
and held them over for trial before court Sc
lec1ad by themselves. By this time, no doubt,
justice viii aave had ats course, and the murder
ers will have been hanged.
1t is impossible to sead the account of the
''riot''-for by this most inappropriate name we
suppose we mus style it-without thrill of ad-
miration for the nerve and GOODNESS of the armed
citizens. Nor is it possible, on the other hand.
to contemplate the necessity Tor recourse to such
measures without siudder Of pity and horror.
But California society has always been ex-
cepaonal. When President Taylor was elected
in lS4S, all the democratic politicians in
the United States were thrown out of
employment; and gold being discovered
simultaneously in California they went off there
for the most part in the hopes Of making q for
tune. Being, however, but sorry workers, they
N
soon betook themselves to the more congenial oc-
equations Of gambling and political wire pulling.
They introduced the New York system of politics
into San Francisco, and soon contrived to master
the elections and grasp the appointment of all
the public functionaries, including the judges, for
the primary nominating conventions. The con-
sequence was that there has never been any law
or good government in San Francisco, and that
the citizens have relied upon vigilance commit
tees and individual efforts for the simplest acts of
administration and police.
Under the present government, this city is ra-
pidly drifting toward precisely the same state Of
things: we shall soon need a revolution like that
which has freed San Francisco, We are cursed
by the same primary assemblies as aflict the Ca
lifornians; cur nominating conventions are pack
ed like theirs; our public Offices are as reckessly
distributed. 1t is said that we have five hundred
gambling houses in full blast, from five to six
hundred lottery Offices, under various names and
concealments, and several thousand improper
houses All these are under the control Of the
police, who are under the control of the Mayor: 4
the consequence IS, they flourish. Six or seven
thousand blackguards, who live by rapine, plum
der and corruption, appoint all our city officers,
including our Judges and our Mayor: hence the
state in which we live.
When the men they nominate are placed in
Office, they will often-as the present Mayor did
commence their career by putting down illegal
establishments, and making great show Of vigil
lance and activity. But, like Mayor Wood after
q few brief and ridiculous attempts to humbug
the community by this affectation Of zeal they
will abandon the task, and will fall upon the
far more grateful and congenial one of support
ing the lottery Offices, wnking at the disorderly
houses-even sympathising with the gamblers
When reporter is by, they will not miss an
opportunity of making speech redolcnt of Ro-
man virtue and if any unfortunate gentleman
has placed himself in q ridiculous position, they
will, like Mayor Wood, talk to him like stern
but ultimately forgiving father prepared, when
the reporters back is turned, to clap him on the