The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-02-26
Modern AAsassIns.

There was once tribe of people who lived
in Syria and Persia. near . thousand years ago.
and had their chief and headquarters on Mount
Lebanon; they were known BY the Arabic name
of."Assassins" and II is from them that we derive
the word. The principle of their organization
was very simple. They agreed not to sssassi-
nate any prince or potentate who paid them for
sparing his life; otherwise, if he would not pay,
they aseassnated him at the first convenient
opportunity. For a couple of hundred years
the bulk of the princes of the neighborhood
preferred paying the "Old Man of the Noun
TAIN" as the chief of the Assassins was called,
to run the risk of being killed by his followers;
and be was enabled to raise an army of over
fifty thousand men, and to spread his fame and
his power far and wide by the assassination of
over score of leading potentates, among
whom were the great Marquis of Montserrat,
Lewis of Bavaria, and no end Of Oriental
shieks This lasted, as we said, over two hun
bred years, at the end of which time the Tar
ars and Egyptians Joined hands, cut off the
old Man of the Mountain" and put him and
all his followers to the sword. .
It would seem as though some of the publ
cans of Europe had been reading this chap.
ter of medieval history, and had resolved
to revive the sect of Assassins at the pre-
sent day. On no other hypothesis can
the attempt of Orsini and Pierri, and the
sympathy aroused for the assassins among GER
tain of the European republicans, be satisfac-
torily explained. We had here, for instance, on
Wednesday evening an anniversary dinner of
French republicans to celebrate the historical
twenty. fourth of February. Several of the
speakers alluded covertly but approvingly to
the attempt in the Rue Lepelletier; and, at
last when the wine had circulated, and the
guests feelings were aroused, a Monsieur Mont
faucon gave the toast, "Pierri and Orsini =
they are our brothers (Which execrable senti-
ment was saluted, we are told, with tremendous
applause.
OF course we are to infer that the gentlemen
who drank this toast and applauded it consider
themselves colleagues and associates of assas-
sins-that they give notice to the world that
they are themselves assassins in embryo. We
presume that no one of the Frenchmen who sat
round the table in Leonard street, on Wednes-
day evening would desire to have it supposed
that he is prepared to commit murder; yet
such is the inevitable inference from the
| tone of their speeches and the character of
| their last toast. This is neither more nor less
| than democracy run mad and if anything
could ruin the high and holy cause of liberty in
Europe, it would be precisely the wicked and
insane rawlings of such men as the abettors of
Orsini and Pierri.
Not many generations since, religion went
mad in like manner, and persons, styling them
selves ministers of God, secretly if not openly
advocated the assassination of their sectarian OPP
ponents The Jesuits are commonly accused of
having proclaimed the doctrine that it was law
full to take life if Z" the kingdom OF Cod (mean-
ing the temporal benefit of the priesthood)
could be thereby assisted. The belief, whether
well or ill-founded, contributed largely to dis
credit the order and precipitate its downfall. 1t
! is a sad thing to see the noisiest champions Of
European democracy borrowing from the priests
the very worst and most scandalous of their
vices. Assassins, gentlemen democrats, can
never succeed in planting liberty anywhere!
Strange to say, while the exiled republicans
/ VI ETuuCc uIc auu SOutcmpt
upon themselves by their murder conspiracies
in England, and their wild rawlings here, the
| Emperor Of the French is sedulouslv engaged
in repairing the damage done to the cause of
European democracy. His recent measures for
the suppression of nearly all the useful journals
of France. and the further measures which have
been laid before the legislative body with a
view to arm the Emperor with still more power
! in view Of the possibility of fresh attempts
upon his person. are admirably calculated to de-
feat the effect produced by the late attempt at
assassination and to keep alive the democratic
sentiment in the minds Of the people. The
measures by which these have been followed
the appointment Of General l. Espinasse, mere
soldier, to the ministry of the Interior, and the
general concentration of the whole power, pa.
tronage, and spoils of the State in the hands of
few military men-are sure TO awaken a SEN
timent which the republicans themselves could
hardly have aroused.
Things point but too plainly to change of q
startling character in Europe. Perhaps II may
be precipitated by a quarrel between France
and England; perhaps the French people, horne
to the earth by the load of despotism which they
are carrying may suddenly rebel against the
last feather that may be laid upon them, and
may strike down the tyrant as they have done
thrice before. But however the ootburst begins
the sign. of the times go to show that this gene
ration shall not pass away before new revolu-
ton bursts forth in Europe which shall scatter
the Napoleon dynasty to the winds and not
leave continental throne standing except per-
haps the Russian
PHrY AND STocKs.-This devoted city is