The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-11-21
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

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to see the effect Of the law providing for the
arrest and punishment Of all who are detected
with dangerous Weapons about their persons
Already, peaceable and order.loving citizens have
been arrested and fined for having on their per-
sons weapons to protect themselves from violence
and assassination, while those who perpstrats
t,ese acts are not reached by the law. It is per-
fectly innocuous in relation to them, for the
reason, that If detected the amount Of the fine
canIot be made out OF them, and the officers of
the law are only carrying out principle of human
nature when they arrest those only out of whom
the fine can be made. 1t is perhaps expecting
too much to ask them to spend their time in hunt
ing ZIP infractors of the law from whom nothing is
to be obtained, for of course, the informer Is
entitled toaone-half the amount of the fine.
We mean no disrespect to the officers by this.
We assert that it is perfectly natural for them to
act in this way, and we blame them not for 50
doing It was thus with infractors of the bread
laws, in times past. The small dealers could
evade the law with impunity, while those who had
money or property were watched and pounced
upon, and offered up sacrifice at the altar of
violated law, as an example Of what could and
would be done with the rest if they had ha the
means to pay the fine. S.s ,.a.
Who is there that will not protect himself
when assailed by violence? Who that will not
meet force by forceS If it be reasonable for a
man to Get all he can in lawful way, even to the
extent Of the arrest and punishment of the
orderly and quietloving citizens, surely it is rea-
Honal,le for the citizen to protect his life when it
assailei, and to provide himself with the means
If doing so in the most effectual manner espe-
Tally when the law fails to protect him by reach.
ing those who are al,cays prepared and armed for
he purpose. 7e
1t lis paE ably evident thatsthe present city gov
rrnment is not capable Of providing for the safety
Of the people. The people have no confidence in
the administrators Of the law. The administra
tion has no confidence in itself. This fact was
Nbun lantly evident in June last What but want
of confidence in himself induced the Mayor to
apply to the General Government for troops to
Iuell riot which it has been proven did not
exist? He has no confidence in the citizens over
whose welfare he presides. The citizens have, if
ossille, still less confidence in him. Under such
circumstances what else could be expected than
Dad. ~.
Infinitely better would it be if we had no city
government. OF what use is city government
to the people Of Washington2 It only serves to
mplicate matters. Why not look to CongressG
Where DO our corporate powers come from?
Why delegate those powers to sub-egislature
Congress legisates for the District, and never has
It's legislation been improved by the action of
corporate authority.
George Washington, with that far.seeng wis
'om which looked to the future happiness and
prosperity of the country he 80 loved saw and
provided against every contingency He was sat-
SIZED that it would be impolitc, nay dangerous for
he President of the United States, during times
Vt great political excitement, to reside in city
'ubject 10 violent political outbreaks--that the
victorious candidate, when about to take his seat
IS chief ruler of the American people-elected, as
lie would be, by the votes of the dominant party
or the tin,e-being-might be subjected to rude
assaults and improper interferences in the dis
barge of his duties, and he therefore provided
LONE for him entirely exempt from political in
tuencos--a home in which the residents were to
deprived of all participation in the exciting
contests which would periodically convuse the
alton. as
The District Of Columbia was set apart for that
Ipress Object. Here were to be congregated the
different experimentation were to reside the
resident and his Cabinet, and the army Of clerks
ecessary to conduct the business of Government.
he design was that they should interfere in no
way with elections. Tlic clerks resident in Wash
gton were, for thu tiinc being, DISTINGUISHED.
lie forssAw that the time would come when the
rover Of the Government would be great in this
aspect, aud, il brought ntqucompetiton with the
(, eedom Of elections, might defeat the will Of the
eoplc, ard render nugatory the voice of the bal
t-bor, and place in official stations those only
who were friendly to the existing administration.
He looked with precient eye into the future
he power OF the Government is openly brought
ito competition with the freedom Of elections In
the city Of Washington it has been exerted with
a virulence unprecedented in the history of the
world. To this exercise Of power we owe the ele-
vatior of the present incumbent to the Mayoralty,
a nd al tho long catalogue OF ills which have re.
suited TO tlis community To this we owe the
present denominations in our midst. To this we
owe tie hlooIy deeds Of Bloody Monday, /" and
viii owe all future ills which the power of an un.
Irincipled government may inlct upon us, through
the fundamentally of the unprnciplsd men whom
/ power and influence have made rulers over the
Ieoplc. ...
ANOTHER RowDY ExPLoIT.-0n Thursday night
of lat week number Of rowdy rascals entered
the residence of quiet and orderly person in the
irst Ward and after insulting the occupants of
the house proceeded to smash every article OF
rnture they could find and toss it into the
street, while the unfortunate inmates fed for
secu,ity Of cir lives Thus we gol Under the
se',t reckless dynasty there is neither safety
r lerson or property. Will not the people de.
an Ia remedy for these evils, and that remedy
" i'll I've removal of the present corrupt and de.
grading city administration.
Ma. LANAuAN.--We learn that il is the opinion
o This physicians that Mr. Lanahan cannot recover
ON the wound inflicted upon him on Monday
st. He has no idea Of the danger Of his situa.
on -,loe not dream that he is about to die, and
has high hopes Of getting WELL
TIE ball cannot be extracted. Il has changed