Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-03-29


ance. From Grand street many squares up
it was thronged so as to be almost impassa
BILE, and the crowd which extended over the
curb far toward the centre of the street look
ed with eagerly expectant eyes for the ap
pearance Of some object Of unusual interest
Many waited long time before they were
gratifed; but finally their autIcipatiOns were
satisfied by the appearance OF that Tor Shlet
they waited. 1t was stately hearse, cover
ed with tall nOdding plumes OF black apc
white, and drawn by horses richly decorated
with sable trappings. The hangings wee
looped up that the coffin might be exposed
TO the public eve, and showed a costly shell
of rich mahogany. The hearse was accom-
panied by pail bearers with the now unusual
decoration Of scarfs aud knots, and was fol
lowed by procession first of men walking
eight abreast, and then Of carriages which
stretched square after square through Broad
way into Grand street A crowd waited for
it, crowd accompanied it, crowd followed
it. Citizens beat upon their daily business
along its route were seriously iucommoded
if not entirely restrained from moving; ADD
al unusual police force was present to pre-
serve order.
Such a concourse on such an occasion
means something. Did this mean that the
body thus borne to its last resting place was
that of s1me benefactor to his country or bis
race? Was the man thus hOnored one who
ruled senates, or enchanted the ears of lis
tenng throng8 of his fe!low-citizsns while
be pressed upon them their political duties
or defended their political rights? Was be
oHe that had attained distinction for himself
and won honor for bis country in the walks
of literature or science? Had be led armies
to victory, or even himself performed one OF
those heroic acts which sometimes centre the
sympathies of community upon 40 humble
and private individual? Not one of these.
The man whose funeral attracted this atten-
ton had, on the evidence of his own brother,
no trade or occupation; he was by habit and
almost by profession a rowdy though be
could hardly be called bully, because he
lacked the physical strength to win him
even tina; brutal distinction, and he had only
made himself prominent among his deSrad-
cd companions by his recklessDeSs and i'm
pudeuce; and be was killed by another OF
his own kidney Ia midnight brawl proVok.
ed by himself in low rum-hole. dc had
indeed another claim to distinction: 1t was
that he made one of the party of ruthans at
the hands Of ooe of whom that professional
bully so well known as Bill Poole received
his death shot year or two since; and IS
Poole was honored at his funeral by con.
course which he'd hardly been equal!ed IN
New York, il PERHAPS was to be ezpeclci
that one of bis murdarers would not be al
lowed to 90 off the stage Of life by the same
exit without a somewhat similar distinction.
When what was mortal Of BerangeT was
borne through the streets Of Paris, the honor
done to the dead poets memory was not IN
tho military pomp, or even 50 much 10 the
presence OF q thrOng Of Academcans and
other men Of emineOce 10 letters, science
and the arts, a. III the mourning, the intelIi-
gent and heartfelt. mourning Of all the popu-
lation, the very populace, OF Paris. L.
Paris, 10 Vienna, in London, IN any OF the
great capitals Of Europe, rowdy shot in
brawl would be buried by his humble
friends, even if they sincerely noQrned hIm,
10 the quietest and most unpretend:ng way;
a paragraph 10 the police reports would re.
CcTl n.s uCdku III iiOi obt NN0i'' % INV
terms; and that would be the last heard C!
him; while tie death Of any man vino has
reached real emInencs, mes only political or
military tGt Ia literature, science, or arr, Is
more or less, not only by the
weather. and more cultivated classes, but
by the whole people, who leave their occupi-
tons 10 do him funeral honor. But IN detnO-
cratic America where We ySunt our freedom
and our knowledge, where our very form OF
govern nent is based upon the presumed IN
telligence and political capacity OF every
citizen, where every man can be educated
aud every man is supposed to read, where
tYrnnnical force has been ~ theory, dethron-
ed by right and reason, here, the hearses OF
political rowiies and tipping house DULLES
are accom- panied by throngs, while men who
have made themselves honorable names, aud
added to the real glory Of the country, un'
less they are politicians or generals, are
borne to their graves unnotlced, except by
those to whom their death is personal loss.
1t is true that the persons who thronged
the streets through which Patrick McLiugh-
Inns coffin was borne were not OF what are
called the influential, or the cultivated, or
the respectable classes of society. They be-
IUnged chiefly 10 what may be well called
our dangerous class; but this ooly darkeDs
the aspect of the case. For it is trighttul t.
think not only how numerous as well as bow
dangerous this class is, but how openly 1t
shows its character and its sympathetic
think that dangerous as 1t IL, numerous as It
is. and brutal as are It's instincts, it Is yet
great element of our pJiitica! end socIa!
structure; an element that has to be taken
into consideration by al! politicians, and by
some journalists; not as class to be cared
for and controlled, but to be pleas: do
think, that it seems 10 lack those softeDng
aud humanising instincts which temper the
of corresponding classes IN other
countries. and neither knows nor seeks otder
euioymeuts than those Of the rinE, the gam
bling hell, or the bottle, ana that it's Vi5iOly
increasing! II will not do Tor US to turn Up
our noses at such cxalbltlgns a. that Oi y6ster-
day, which, however, was out the ieesler re-
flex Of that which challenged our attention
yhea the victim of this Paudeeu was buried.
They are significant of great and growing
power among US; power which has sym
pathies only with force aud fraud; q power
which our boosted system Of education seems
impoteot to control or even to modIty;
power which il, which must be felt in the
State. and which must always be exercised
for i'll. II is the sign OF terrible unknown
quantity 10 the problem which we have 40
iertaken to solve. Solve it We WILL but at
present we cannot deny that dark AMI
gloomy cloud hang5 over the sJlutlon.--A.