Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-09-14

large numbers associate In the commission Of
an on TRACE, they are secure fEam amenability
TO criminal statutes. The natural result of
the incalcation Of that opinion into the minds
q the people, is fearful to contemplate. Every
individual who has . private grievance to re-
dress, and is able to sffect-by hiring, or other
wiso inducing combination of his friends or
nsighbon, may redress his own grievance, even
though sacrifice of life is involved, without
fear or punishment. In other words, crime is
licersed, in their estimstion, provided sufficient
| numbers join in its preparation.
In such state of society no mans life or
property would be safe for who among us could
say at what hour We may become obnoxious to
some individual who is destitute OF the princi-
/ pies OF humanity, but yet Possesses influence
and wealth enough to combine against US
mob by whom our property shall be destroyed
and our life sacrificed? Then, again, who is to
declare what must be the number comprised in
mob to clear it of the penalties of the law
If an association of some two hundred is not to
be held amenable, why should ono be, com.
prising a hundred, or fifty, or twenty five, or
even ten ? There is as much justice in allow
| Drunity to two hundred or five hundred, There
is really more cause for alarm in this lax ad-
Ininstration of law than we are willing to be-
leve; and, to illustrate it, we have only to direct
| attention to the various scenes of mob violence
that have occurred in different parts of the
| country during the past few years. The most
conclusive evidence of this danger, however, is
furnished in the following, which we clip from
a letter of a New York correspondent of the
Albany Argus, who speaks thus of the Quar-
| antine outrage:
''The affair was planned and carried into exc
cution by few property owners on Staten island.
Their names are known and 1t Is hoped that
public sentiment will be vigorous enough to
| drag them down from the respectable position
they occupy before the public. The chief rioters
were hhed at so much head, with guaranty
that they would be protected from prosecution
/ In word, 1t is roundly asserted that the whole
af1air was an infamous speculation, and that
| some OF the best known and wealthiest citizens
| In the vicinity had a hand In it,
This much is certain. 1t was well known to
number OF persons, outside Of the conspiracy,
Quarantine buildings were to he burned that
| night. 1t was a topic Of conversation on the
| River and Bay steamboats,"
We see these manifestations of popular VIC.
ience increase in frequency, too, as the nation
| grows older. They grow out of more trivial
causes nowadays than they were wont, and
| proceed to greater extremitiss. 1t is high
4 time, then, that the laws should be enforced in
A such cases, and that we should conquer that
\ weakness of excusing crime and exempting its
perpetrators from punishment because a large
number engaged, collectively, in its commission,
and because "there were among them a good
many apparently respectable and, certainly,
influential citizens
BOGUS DEsPArcHEs.-Not long since the
telegraph announced the resignation of Gov.
ernor Richardson, of Nebraska, to take par,
IN the Illinois canvass in favor of the re-elec-
tion Of Stephen Arnold Douglas. despatch
received this morning, ion which the public
may rely,) states that his resignation is only to
take place in January next-long after any in.
reference on his part in the present Illinois
canvass could be Of any avail as that termin-
| ates in November next So, that falsehood, for
the benefit Of the sore head cause, is nailed TO
| the counter.
AT length the public also have an authentic
despatch from Judge Breese, denying emphat-
ically the truth of the previously published
| despatch attributing to him the purpose Of
I AAoha euo AihuOiS CdutdSS, tW0ere
he is candidate for the Senate of the United
States,) in order thus to strengthen the re-elec-
ton of Douglas. He has not withdrawn; but
remains in the field, in order to vindicate. by
his candidacy, "the honor and integrity of
the Democratic party" assailed, as he ex.
presses it, by the desertion of their principles
on the part of Douglas and his followers.
1t Is very certain that most extraordinary
means are resorted to by Douglas and his man.
| gers to compass their current ends that of
adopting the bogus telegraph despatch dodge
of the Republican party, being thus evidently
among them. Such tricks when essayed so
long in advance of an election, as in this case,
| cannot fail to recoil on their authors
NAvAL.-From the New York Herald of
yesterday we copy the following interesting ma
| val intelligence
The United States sloops. Of war Savannah
l Saratoga and Plymouth were at Greytown on the
istinstant. The Savannah arrived on the 26.h ult
from New York, after passage of twenty one
| days-ofacers and crew all we'll The Saratoga
and Plymouth from Port-au- Prince, both arrived
On the 18th ult. The latter would leave for home
| in a few days, via Vera Cruz
| The Board Of Examiners Consisting of CHIEF
| Engineers Wood, Sswell and Kin, that convened
| at the Navy Yard, New York, on the 5th of Julv
| last, ana re-cOnvened on the LIST instant for the
| examination Of Assistant Engineers for promo
| ton, and candidates for admission, have closed
their proceedings The following are the results
| OF their recommendations: Second Assistant En-.
gineer Alexander Henderson to be First AssiStant
Engineer from 9th Of May, 1857, and to take rank
next after Charles H. Loring. Second Assistant
Eng neers to be First Assistant Engineers of the
date Of appointment: No. !, Edward D. ROBBIE !:
| =, e. X. johnson; 3, VIM. Ii. Brooks; 4, n w
spooner: Third Assistant Engineers to be Sec
ono Assistant Engineers: No. 1, p. 9. Peltz; p
| J. ,. ALBERT 3, VIM Roberts; 4, Charles H. Ia
ker; 5, Ten Eyck Biles; 8, Robert w McCIery.
2, Iohn " Grier; G, Jackson McElmell; Q, VIM.
Cushman; I'D, Thomas J. Jones. Twenty II We
candidates passed the Board for admission ms
Third Assistant Engineers. They belong prin
cipally to the Middle States, but some are from
the South and from the East.
Second Assistant Engineer Glenity King has
resigned from the Navy
IHE INDIAN DIFFIcULrIEs.-From tho Pa
cifc files received by the late mail we Ieorn