The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-09-06
The Lesson Of the Quarantine.

IL Is understood that the individuals who have
been held to bail as accomplices in the burning
OF the Quarantine and Us trespasseIs on the Quar-
antine grounds, on the night Of the fire, intend
to rest their defence on the iniolerahc misman.
agemcnt OF the Quarantine under the existing
authorities They propose TO show, il il said.
that the Quarantine was both corruptly and
recklessly administered that men employed on
the hospital premises in cleaning yellow fever
vessels were, by the Health Officer. sent from the
hospital direct TO political meetings; that no
care was taken to prevent the conveyance Of
yellow fever bedding into the town Of Cast'eton;
that by some means or other some infected YES
sells were allowed to anchor ir the upper bay.
and thus to infect the vicinity, while others
were kept below that extortion was practisod
on the owners ard masters Of vcss.h plying to
and from infected ports in word, IL. not
only was the Quarantine station IF the port OF
New York rendered husstory by the constant
and undisiurbed intercourse between that eta
ton and the city, hut that the particular .d-
minis'ration nov IL charge CT that department.
Of the public service had, by ckless and i'm
porper practices, actually rendered the hospital
nuisance 20 intolersblc that ii was sacred
duty to abate it This is The lice OF defence
which We arc given to understand the prisoners
will adopt; II IL stated that evidence will he
abundant to substantiate il
Certain il Is that the proceedings Of the past
week. on whatever shoulders the real burthcn
msy lie. are in the highest degree disgraceful
60 Hp Ill Efneg .f
face OF IT. what can b. more shameful than the
burning Of a hospital full Of sick people
in the midst Of hceGlities. at the most
enveDomed period Of international strife, hos
pitals for the sck arc spared the casualties Of
war; an officer 1ho 6ree on hospital il dis
grsced. What then can be said Of him who In
time Of peace deliberately applies the inccn-
diary torch to the retreat Of the helpless and the
dying: And if, a. is positively stated, things
had reached such pitch that the people who
fred the Quarantine Hospitals found themselves
forced TO choose between that enormity aud the
ttil more cruel strait OF seeing their wives and
children die Of disease propagated by the care
iesrness and greed Of inscriptions Quarantine
officials, what terms shall describe the infamy of
the men who placed them in so unexamplcd
dilemma.
There is too much reason TO believe that the
incendiaTies of Staten Island and the Board of
Health Of Castleton, under whose orders they
acted will be able to make ont clear and ir-
refrsgahle case. 1t isvery sad to think that In
The heart Of THE enlightened country. incen-
dlarism may be justified and the burning of hos
pi'sls defended but there is ground for beliey-
ing that the justification and the defence am he
ample and conclusive. No man could be blamed
for resoriing to extreme measures 70 protect his
familys life. II were threatened by car.loss
or corrupt neighbor; 1t will be very humiliatine
TO learn that this was &c situation IN which the
people Of Castlcton were placed by the Quaran-
tine authorities
" would lie wrong, however, to suppose that
these authorities, who, IL IL stated, made sport.
IN the blind pursuit - gain Of The lives ofthosc
Ground them and Of the trade and health Of this
great city. constitute an exception 20 the ave.
rsgc rule Of State officials In New York They are.
on the contrary, no worse than their neightors