The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-07-31
THE REIGN OF ANARCHY, LAW
LESSNESs. AND CRIME.

LEbSN EsS, AND CHiMEs
There il scarcely paper upon which We cast
our eyes that is not more or less occupied With
accounts OF lnui der, assassination, burglary rob
berry, assaults with intent To kill and ahnost every
other crime known TO the laws, MS well as with
statements Of resistance TO the tuted author
iles beating aud killing the officers whose duly
il is to execute the law aud preserve the public
peace, by gangs OF rufians and scoundress un-
whpt of justice, perhaps but lately inmates OF
some penitentiary, or those who ought to- have
been there years ago.
Is there any part OF the country where the laws
are enforced, crime properly punished, and order
preserved, as they ought TO be- and We've III the
''better days of the Republicy" If so, we are not
aware of the contrary, t'e spirit Of lawless-
ness has spread over the whole land aud pervades
every part of the connuy-not cities alone, those
fostering sores Of Statebut even the rural dis
trcts.
Is this the result anticipated by our patriotic
fathers who won our independence, and estab,
lshed the right of the people to govern themselves,
believing them capable of doing SO wisely and cifi-
centlys If it is then were they most wofully de-
ceived as to the intelligence of the people Of this
country, and their capability of governing them
selves.
What rue-hearted American is there who does
not blush with shame at the light in which are
now behed by the moral religious, and intelligent
portion of the people Of all nations through the
doings of our courts and the coums Of our own
public press. Americans residing abroad suffer
the greatest modification from the accounts with
which our papers TEEN Of crime and anarchy, and
their cheeks crimson at the comments made by
those around them, and by the foreign press
" And this say the latter "is the boosted hand of
law and liberty. Their law is the law of strongest
-of the mob, of the pistol, the bowie knife and
the rife and their liberty is licentensness--th
right TO do as they please, to set at defiance all
legal restraint, to respect no rights Of person or
property, to run riot in anarchy"
1.-THE iawlessness which now pervades all parts
of the country, and which would be disgrace to
barbarians, is the legitimate result of the great
experiment" our fathers commenced, to see whether
the people were capable of selfgovernment then
it has, been tried and found TO be failure.
But we contend that this is not the legitimate
solution of that great problem. We believe that
if to Americans, and An.ericams only, or Amer
leans and such intelligent, moral, upright, order
loving and law-abiding naturalized citizens as we
have among us, of whom there are not few. were
committed the destnes Of our country-sf the
worthless vagabonds poured out upon us'by tens
of thousands from the prisons and poor-houses of
Europe, were excluded from the polls, especially
in our large cities, where, by acting III body to.
gether and as organized cohorts of locomotive and
omnipresent voters, they have everything their
own way, very different would be- the character of
our country. We cannot 60 into extended remarks
upon this subject at the present time, but we APP
peal to the recollection and experience of every
honest American offorty years OF age and upward,
if the increase Of crime and lawlessness in our
country has not kept pace with the increase of i'm
migration
That the root of the evil is in the fact that for
eigners and not Americans rule country, we
have not the least doubt; and if We are correct in
this opinion, aid We know many enlightened Dem
ocrats who concur with us in this view Of the sub
ject, then there be no cure but in Graduating
1t. Like cancer, IL must be wholly and entirely
cut out it will continue to grow and spread un.
til il destroys the body upon which it has made its
fatal Judgment; this, however, can never be ac-
complished so long as the Democratic party can
acquire or retain power, pelf, and spols by the aid
of these "IIsh brigades" and foreign metcena.
RES" and secure their allegiance by upbolding
them in their violation of law and order.