The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-11-13


Total governing iat'
other New York papers give a similar accouh,
OF the character OF "the new power 10 the STATE
These men not only vote, and vote several times
at the came election, but they prevent other met
from voting at all; they shoot down their poiti'
cal opponents and with their hideous faces, slune
shot. REVIEWERS aud bowie knives, keep up per
prtual reign Of terror over oil peseeabie persot
who come aDyw In contact with them. They
are, as described by the Herald, "of all grades OF
outward respeotabiliiy. from the dirty emigfan'
runner about the docks to the dist'nga" ieougei
ia Broadway, glorious 10 purple and nne Iihen'
broadeloth aud diamonds, kid and patent leather,
sweet smelling and Ct spicy favor, with nothing
but the vulgar brutality of the physiognomy 70
indicate the innate savage malignity-'he braod
~. crime which is eternal" These are the men
= ahom the polls said to be surrendered either
through indifference or fear; these are the oarta
rans in the mdst of the civilization of The North
ern cities, rho form the governing class-thc new
power 10 the State.
The quiet and order Of the large slave cities OF
the South present a most refreshing contrast 10
snch scenes as are of frequent occurrence IN Ne"
York and Baltimore. 1t would be arich idea, tha'
of pugists shoulder hitters, and other "lewd fell
lows OF the baser sort dreaming. in their widest
delirums of intox cstioD, that they could Keep
singie voter from the polls Of Richmond, Peters
burg Charleston, or commit single outrage, SUCH
as ill the police reports Of the FREQ cities, Win
out drawing down upon their heads instant amir
b iation We are not in favor Of Lynch Law-un>
less In certain exceptional cases; but va think
there are some Of our large cities in which vigil
lance committees might accomplish at least some
temporary good. The only mode oil Keeping such
wretches in order, as those who constitute the
governing powers" Of New York, is al sointe Phy-
steal terror, either by the execution OF the law.
or by the administration of Judge Lynch. lhey
are as cowardly as ferocious, for, as a general
rule, there is no better proof OF a rank paltroon
at heart than ruffian who selects quiet and
non-comb blatant persons to hector aud bully, and
carefully avoids giving offence to persons Of q
different stamp. Such these miscresnts, who
drive inoffensve citizens from the polls and then,
when they fall into the hands of justice, they
sometimes do. and find it impossible to escape
their inst doom-a rare commemorative the
utmost agony of apprehension and pusllanimity
The people Of the mob ridden cities would better
be under despot like Louis Napoleon than under
their present governing powers. Louis Napoleon
would give them quite free access to the ballot
box as they now have under the reign of the
shoulder hitters aud security of life and property
besides, which they do not now possess. Even IL
kept from the polls altogether, nan could retire
with more dignity before the pressure of gltterine
bayonets in the hands of a gallant soldiery, tina
to be elhowed, thumped and bruised out of the ex.
ercise OF his undoubted rights by gang of filthy
aud brutal ruffans. Either the population # the
free towns will have to rise in armed rebellion
eyerv ten years against their governing powers
and hang them every one to the lamp posts, OF
they must change their constitu tons, Increase the
executive authority, place the appointment OF mu
nicipal officers 10 the hands Of the State, and re
move the election Of judges, justices aud every
branch of the police from the hands of the people
For il is not the people into whose hands it now
fails but of the puglists. bur glars and murderers
who intimidate the people from exercising the
right of suffrage, and absorb in their reekng
mess of ruffanism the sovereign powers of the
State.