The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-09-04
The Quarantine War.

State property at Quarantine, and recapitula-
ton OF the circumstances which have led the
people Of the county Of Richmond to take mea-
sures, in defiance Of the law, to rid them
selves of dangerous and growing nuisance.
The destruction of the Quarantine buildings is
the most important event Of the day and the
leading topic ofconversation and discussion with
tn publ and press The act of the people Of
Staten Island was not the result of sudden pas
son-rot the outrageous license of crazy
mob, but the execution Of calm, well settled
determination. The time chosen was the night
of a grand city celebration, when the island
would be more quiet than usual. The people
received semi-official license from the Board Of
Health, of their own selection, and resolved in
public meeting that the lazaretto should no
longer contarlnate the atmosphere Of their
homes; they proceeded coolly and deliberately
to remove the sick, and then destroyed the hos.
pital and other buildings, including the private
residence of ,h4 Health Officer, whose personal
unpopularity undoubtedly brought about this
indefeusible attack upon his property. We do not
defend mob law; but experience shows that
when the constituted authorities attempt TO
force upon the people tyrannical and danger
GUS enactment, even an illegal check on the
part of the sufferers will be excused by a large
portion of the community. Certain it is that
in all civilized countries such checks have been
used from time immemorial. England, France
and the United States have all witnessed exam
pies to the point. They are to be regretted,
but the fault is with the authorities When
official stupidity is carried to excess-when,
after repeated warnings, the authorities per
sist in expressing the people-when pest
houses are put up in the midst Of dense
population-when all peaceable and legal
means to abate the nuisance have been tried
without success-then 1t Is not In the tenn
per Of our people to avoid doing present
wrong that future good may come from IL.
Hence the action of the Staten Islanders
rhis Quarantine now been going on
for more than two years Not less than four or
five parties have been engaged in it, and there
has been q series Of collisions, annoying ex
pensive and inconvenent to all concerned As
we have steadily increased in commerce and
population, the Quarantine difficulties have
been more and more perplexed, until now,
when the people have cut the knot which no
one could unite. Two years since the buildings
at Seguine's Point were destroyed; and at that
there would be danger In rebuilding them. But
official stupidity is something colossal in its
proportions, and the buildings we're restored
only to be again destroyed. Then were COM
menced the negotiations for Sandy Hook The
Staten Islanders succeeded in getting . bill
through our Legislature, which act provided
for the removal Of the Quarantine. Bat the
merchants Of this city we're opposed to the re-
moval Staten Island Ia easily accessible from
the city; the Quarantine has always been there,
and the merchants think II always should be
there. The State Of New Jersey was not pro-
perly approached on the one side, and the mer-
chants who were opposed TO the removal
we're active In their efforts TO prejudice
the Legislature Of our sister State against
the project Of coding part Of the Hook for
Quarantine purposes So that affair fell
through; and we find early in the summer
OF this year worse state Of things than ever
before. On one side arc the merchants and the
Quarantine oflicials-the latter, IL Is claimed,
greedy, overbearing and avaricious They have
the monopoly ofthe lighters, and are pecuuiarily
interested In making the Quarantine as strict
as possible. Every fever panic puts money in
their purses they trade in the pestilence, and
traffic upon the fears Of the credulous, the weak
and the timid.
The owners OF property on the island find
their estates deprecated In value by the con-
tieuity Of the Quarantine. All the residents
view its establishment as an outrage. They are
assisted by the unemployed stevedores and
lightermen; popular indignation rises to the
point of incendiarism, and In one night the
State property is laid in ashes. We do not say
this il right; but we do say, that II IL is, as
claimed, high-handed outrage, there are many
palliative circumstances connected with IL.
The question that now arises Is, what is TO be
done in the futures II would be worse than
useless to exasperate the Staten Island people
still further by attempting 10 restore the build
ings there. They would not remain In security
day. But the sickly season at the South will
not be over for month or more, and something
must be done with the yellow fever patients
who are constantly arriving heS. The CON-
merce of the city must not suffer for the want
of decent, secure, safe and well located Qua.
rantine buildings. The most available location
for them Is al Sandy Hook. kisalittle further
off, to be cure, and may be temporarily incon-
venient to the merchants but we must think
about something else besides dollars occasion
ally. Then, the Quarantine should be perma.
nently established under the authority Of
the general government. Already there
have been serious collisions between the State
and the federal authorities, arising chiefly from
the stupidity Of the former, Under thai section