The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-05-15

MAY ID, lB57.-TRIPLE
and tbey utterly repudiate him They will have
nothing but disunon, revolution, aud equal rights
Of all sorts TO all co,ors and sexea They are
wild and furious for the French Jaoobin Goddess
Of Reason and all her accessoriea Massachusetts,
should send police force for the capture of these
borid lunatics thus running at large, and they
should be locked up In some humane asylum,
and reduced, If possible, by q soothing system
ard by mild purgstives to their sober senses
The Abolition Society of Gerit Smith is DIFF
ferent concern. They believe In God, and that
negro slavery to be q ain against God; they be-
lieve In black rebellion, incepdlarisu and mr.
der and the underground railroad, &C.; bat
they stand by the federal constitution,
ms an anti-slavery document and they are in for
tho war against the bred Scott decision. Fred
Douglass, (black man, who can't swallow the
shocking atrocities, blssphemies and insane raw
ings Of Lloyd Garrison, (white man, belongs to
this Gerrit Smith society. Fred sticks tn the
constitution, but goes In for negro instructions
with peculiar JUNCTION, and his white brethren
seem to like it. In word, abolitlonism is ram
pant among us In these terrible orgies Of knaves,
fanatics, lunatics and traitors, of all sexes and
coaors and bedlan Is broke loose. If they were
to 60 on another day at this rate II would bs Inn
possible to hold Captain RynderA Thus far, we
dare gay, in Watching the slave traders he has
forgotten these abominsble abolition interlopers,
and hence their escape
The Conflict with tho Legislature-lmport-
ance 0f tho Issues involved
The mas meeting which assembled in the Park
on Tuesday to resist the recent usurpations ofthe
State Legislature has, in one sense, disappointed
public expectation. In numbers, in feeling, and
in unanimity Of action, 1t was all that could be
wished; in the position and influence Of the par
lice who took the lead in Its proceedings, it fell
short Of what We had right to anticipate from
the importance of the interests at stake. DO our
leading citizens and politicians understand the
real character and extent of the constitutional
| issues which this meeting WAS called upon to
consider, or do they feel satisfied to leave the
protection Of their rights to men who, whatever
may be their ardor and sincerity in the cause,
lack the capacity and influence necessary to en-
force attention 10 thems The United States Mar
shall is no doubt a very efficient and useful man
In party demonstrations but on this occasion he
had better have attended to the duties Of his
Office or remained at home His mind is not ex-
actly of tho calibre to take the lead in q great
constitutional question like this. II is evident
from bis speech, and indeed from those of most Of
the other persons who addressed the meeting, that
they do not comprehend it's full scope and gravity,
| nor the comprehensive and decisive nature Of the
measures which it will necessitate.
1t is not exaggerating the character Of tho
pzeseut contest with the Legislature to say that
il is one Of the most Important political conflicts
tdEt has arisen In this country dnce the Revolu-
ton. II puts to issue for the first time the ques-
ton whether the spirit Of Capitalization and the
love Of arbitrary power are to be allowed to
sap the foundations Of our Institutions. and, per-
haps, 10 lay the basis of an entire alteration in
our form Of government Suoh arc the Issues
which the meeting Of Tuesday Was called upon
to consider, and which the people Of New York
will have to decide before the influence Of this
REASONABLE precedent Ia allowed to extend to
other States Of the Union. We stand, In fact,
precisely In the position which Franco occupied
under the ID. Lvu5 tavvrvus iveo, which
England was placed In under tho Staarts In
France the municipal charters obtained from the
crown by the cities In return for the effi-
cient aid afforded to It in It's struggles
with ia feudatorieH, were gradually iuiringed
upon from the time Of Louis XII down to the first
conyocaiion Of the States General, until scarcely
shred Of their privileges was left Ia the
changes effected Ivy the first revolution the peo-
PIE Of France, in the fullexercse Of the pleaitude
OF their sovereignty, unfortunately forgot to
restore to their original integrity the rights of
the Municipalities Had they been sagaclous
enough TO provide against the spirit of centrali.
cation by such safeguards, the Institutions of
filnce might have been different to-day. As
they left the work Of reorganization incomplete,
II was not to be expected that the firs Napoleon,
the restored Dourbons, or tho reigning Emperor
should reconstruct barriers to their own despotic
tendencies, or revive power in the State which
must always hold the crown in check. Hence it
is that often a. France has won her lib critic ~
the price Of her blood she has never b,eo able to
retain them. And 10 Il viii DO until some pslri.
otto and constitutional ruler, or tho Inauguration
OF "a new republic, restores to the municipalities
Of France the chartered rights which form the
great bul~&Bs Of popular liberty and local self.
government
That these conclusions arc not strained 10
meet the purposes Of our present argumeat can
eesiIy be shown In England constitutional 60
vcrrEcnt made steady progress only becauss Of
the checks ard restraints held over the monarch
and his edSisers by the Municipalities The TO-
naciy with which the Inhabitants Of the greet
cities clung to their charters and the readiness
with which their train bands turned on. In dc