The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-09-08

The burning of the Quarantine Buildings upon
Staten Island, and the unblushng justification of
the rioters by portion of the New York press,
afford practical illustration of the extent to which,
in the larger cities of the UNION, the 'gor popu-
Uor dei' theory of government has taken hold of
the popular mind. a daring outrage upon hui
manity and the laws has been deliberately COM
mitted, public property has been destroyed by a
mob, and war has been barbarously waged upon
the sick and helpless inmates of an hospital and
leading journals of the country have been found
not only failing to express in adequate terms their
own and the popular Indignation at the crime. but
actually siding with the criminals, and becoming
their willing apologIsts and defenders. To destroy
the States property, it is conceded was wrong but
TO abate public nuisance, it is asserted, is at all
times the prerogatve of the people. To burn
the roof over the heads of the sick and dying and
to turn them out into the chill night-air and the
drenching rain, with no pillow but the ground
and covering but the sky, it is confessed was an
extreme measure, but to plant pest-house in the
neighborhood of a growing population, it is de-
clared, was an outrage to which no community
could be expected to submit. Smallpox and yellow
fever are pleaded in justification of riot and arson
The edge of censure is taken away by the sug-
gestion of "eytenuating circumstances" and the
magnitude of the ''provocation' is made to
conceal the greatness of the crime. Dsap-
probation, therefore, is mildly limited, where
indignation should have been freely expressed
and the qualified condemnation that is uttered is
diluted with the apology that is insinuated. Nor
have the authors and perpetrators of this great
outrage been less tendery dealt with by the public
authorities, State and Municipal During two
nights and day, they were permitted to proceed
mmolested in their work Of destruction. On
Wednesday night, they burnt the fever hospital
On Thursday, they held public meeting to cele-
brate the event, and after passing resolutions ap-
pauding the act, adjourned to complete the work
which they had begun. Then, after all was over.
and the mob had retired, the Police Commissioners
sent two hundred men, armed with repeating
rifles, to encamp amid the ruins of the Hospital
and mount guard over the smouldering embers:
and the Governor sent parcel of tents to replace
the shelter of the walls which he had neglected to
defend. The conduct of the Federal authorities
was if possible, even more disgraceful body
OF UNITED STATES marines was sent to guard the
y
tive disclaimer on the part of their commander.
OF any intention to interfere for the protection
OF the property Of the State, that their presence
on the ground operated rather as an encour-
agement than as a check upon the rioters.
The ringleader Of the mob, on the occasion of his
arrest CORDIALLY received" we are told by
''his friends,' Commissioners NYE and Bowen
of the Police, and on Sunday, after his release
dined with the UNITED STATES boarding officer
Mr.. LOCKE, and the commander of the marines
Captain RICH. Even the application of the Quar-
antine authorities to the Fire Department, for the
use of an Engine to save a quantity of coal be-
longing to the State, which had been burning since
the first night Of the fire, refused by the Chief
Engineer, Mr.. HOWARD; and the notifying spec
tace was presented to the world of a Govern
ment unable even to protect its own property from
destruction. Words cannot measure the dishonor
which has been brought upon the American name by
such an occurrence. The burning of hospital filled
with sick people, is a crime without precedent or
parallel in the history of nations. We blush to
think that it should have been reserved for our
own age to witness and our countrymen to per-
petrate such an act of infamy. Nor we hope
that the disgrace will end here. The sympathy
which has been manifested for the rioters leaves
little ground to anticipate that the government
which has shown itself unable to prevent, will
prove able to punish this great outrage. That
inability from no want either of
legal authority or of physical power. All
the force at the disposal of the Police Commits
sioners of New York could have been used for the
suppression of the riot. The Governor of the State
Sath hand dinipo with tho
men. The whole military power of the city, had
that day been paraded in pomp through the streets
and Broadway had cleaned for miles with the
bayonets of a citizen sodery. All these could
have been brought into requisiton had their ser
vices been needed. Why then was this great crime
permitted to be consummaed without let or hin
drance on the part of the public authorities? Was
it because the constituted authorities of New York
are imbecie or corruption 10th? Was it because
they were in secret league with the rioters and in
their hearts reoiced at the destruction the State
property? Or, was it because they recognized the
voice of divinity in the voice of the people.
and an exercise of popular sovereignty in the I'M
bridled action of mob? Such was the pretence
of the rioters who assumed to abate public nui-
sance. Such is the theory of the New York Hcr-
Wd Wnlch openly approves their conduct. Is it
the theory of our government? The Staten Island
outrage, the Herald tells us can be justified on
grounds of necessity. Can that be so? Are our
institutions really grown so bad, that to punish
crime we must have recourse to Lynch law
that to obtain justice, we must appeal to
Vigilance Committees, and that to redress public
grievances we must resort to mobs? If so-it is
best that we should know it. If so-then is, in
deed our boosted republcansm failure, and the
we rid ourselves of our present cumbrous
and inefficient machinery of government, and
supply its place with something that shall better
answer the ends for which governments and socie-
ty are supposed to exist, the better for ourselves
and for the world.
AiIafai IL: