The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-12-30


for jails, penitentiaries or hangmen.
The Republican Scheme 10 Dfsfranchisc
the City.
It cannot be too strongly impressed on the
mind of the public that it is the intention of the
party called republican, if it has the power, to
disfrancbise the city of New York at the next
session of the Legislature. Our contemporary, the
Courier and Enquirer, one Of the leading organs
of the party. has paraded the scheme before the
public at great length, and has accompanied it
with comments whose unexampled holiness in a
jcurnsl dependent upon the residents Of the city
for support, may well provoke remark.
The argument of the Courier, and of the head
ers Of the party called republican is that after
full and complete trial, the people of this city
have been proved to be incompetent to govern
themselves, and that therefore it devolves upon
the State authorities to set governors over them
from other parts of the State. We submit that
this is perfectly fair statement of the ground
occupied by the republican leaders We leave it
to the merchants, to the mechanics, the wholesale
and retail dealers, the professional men, and the
people at large to decide how far this assumptit
does them justice.
The plan of DISTINGUISHING a community, OF
Withholding from it the right Of self government;
is Dot novelty in politics or legislation. 1t is
on this plan that British India and the Russias
ore governed. If You ask Lord Canning his
ideas about the hundred millions of Hindoos
over whom he reigns, he will answer you in the
language Of the Courier, that theory and practice
prove the incompetency of these people to
England to govern them. Just in the same way,
the Emperor of Russia thinks that he knows his
people too well to trust them with the right of
making or administering their own laws; and
consequently, as the Courier says he resorts to o
source of authority which is not liable to objee-
ton, namely himself.
But it is something startlingly new and origi-
nal to propose to apply this system to the me
trOpois of the United States and to want to treat
the people of New York as the Governor Gene
raj of India treats the Hindoos and as Alexander
treats the Poles
There is an impression in certain quarters that
a moderate amount of intelligence turks among
the people Of this city. There arc persons who
think that information and common sense arc
almost as widely spread here as in the
butter and milk counties Of the West or
even at Canandaigua and Batavia. That opin-
ion is evidently not shared by the leaders |
of the republican party Their sentiment, |
based on several years experience, is that on the
contrary, intelligence, common sense and probity |
arc rare here that we require that the country
people shall come in and govern us for our own |
protection. This may be so. We do not under
take to dispute the principle. But we win thank
the republican leaders to vouchsafe to us little
Information touching the method 10 which this |
new plan of government of theirs is to be |
adopted. What shall hereafter be considered |
evidence that the people OF city or county |
cannot govern themselves and require pro-consuls
from abroad? Shall VIC have a chance of govern |
ing Albany, Troy, or Syracuse? Are there any |
fat counties which can be DISTINGUISHED, and |
s'aced under the rule Of some Of our loose politi-
Clans? Is It the rule that the peoa OF every place
which votes the democratic ticket thereby prove |
themselves incapable Of self government How |
far does the principle 90, Can Congress apply |
it, and declare that this or that State is incompc
tent - govtrn itselfg May We hope that the |
time Wul come when the President will appoint
Govsn ors to take charge of South Carolina and
Nassae husettsg Or il the scheme merely intended
for Stale purposes
Onr neigbbor Of the Courier will zee the necos-
sity OF throwing some light on these questions.
II is something 20 new In this country for large
community TO be DISTINGUISHED and pro-consuls
set over IL from elsewhere. that we must be for
given for not seeing at the first glance where
the plan VIII tend. We are we'll aware Of the
peculiar advantages OF despotism.r They have
undoubtedly benefited Paris in one point Of
view, that is to say they have improved its looks
DO the republican leaders want TO improve New
York with the same nostrum!
Whatever they do, we hope they will deal with
us merciiully. We have been brought up sim
pie republicans and have been taught that the
idea of the governments and institutions Of this
country was, that men should make and admins
ter their own laws. Now, II seems oil this Is
wrong, and We have got to 90 back to the old
methods which the Romans employed in their
provinces, and The English tried 10 establish in
llcir American colonies. Well, the Lesson Is a
tough one, but we suppose il must be learnt; and
the sooner we make our minds up to receive our
masters from the country villages the better.
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GIEsT SACRIFICE y SnKs-IwoHrANT TO rus