Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1858-11-25
Desnotism in o Renuhlic.

The history Of our country, thus far,
has justified the wisdom Of its early
fathers in placing the government on a
republican basis, and giving the people
the right to choose their own rulers anG
make their own laws. The success
which has attended this form Of gov
eminent in this country, is credit to
the virtue and intelligence of tho pee
pie, without which, history assures rs,
it is impossible for a republican form o.
government to succeed or be OF adyan-
tage to the welfare of nation. There
is one small portion Of our country,
howeyer-but the greatest in CONNER
cial importance-which seems to be an
exception to the general rule, and where
despotism might be, in some respects,
an improvement on the present order Of
things To prove this, we need not 90
into a detailed account OF the amount
Of crime in New York city-the small
chances Of punishment to criminals
the frauds perpetrated a. the ballot box,
and the excessive influence exercised
by the deprayed portion Of the commu-
nifty, by means Of which they manage
to place the law in the hands of those
who care little about It's enforcement,
and whose interests seem to consist in
shielding the guilty from punishment.
We have not yet forgotten the out
RACES perpetrated not long ago at Sta
ten Island, by which the Quarantine
buildings were destroyed, and the sick
and the dying deprived of the friendly
shelter Of its walls, by mob violence.
And there were those who justified
these proceedings, and endeayored to
extenuate the enormity of this crime
against law and good order-the excuse
being that the buildings were a" nu.-
sance," and therefore that any mode Of
removal was justifiable. Bat the fact
is, the people had not regard enough
for the wholesome restraints of law to
wait for its slow but peaceful and HUI
name process of redress Of grievances.
And it is question for these defenders
Of mob violence to answer, whether the
rule may not be still further extended,
30 as to justify the virtuous and temper
ate portion Of the community, if they
should choose to burn and demolish
certain other nuisances in the shape Of
those various resorts Of dissipation
which abound in all cities, and exert
far more injurious influence on society
than all the Quarantine buildings in the
world.
We have been melted to these re-
marks by the announcement that has
been made, that Judge Metcalf, who
had before him two individuals charged
with arson in the destruction of the
Quarantine buildings at Staten Island,
has given his decision that these per-
sons were guiltless Of any violation of
law, and perfectly justifable in the
course they adopted. And thus, to the
outrages upon persons and property, is
added another outrage upon Justice,
by one who is specially set forth as its
interpreter and defender. Now we as
sert with freedom. as we know we say
it with truth, that such decision is a
dishonor to the judicial bench, and the
court which could give it is one unfit
to sit in Judgment on human deeds.
We rejoice to see that the New York
papers are awake to a vigorous discus
sion of the defects Of their municipal
government, and we cannot forbear
giving the following extracts as ample
evidence Of the justice of the preceding
remarks. The N. Y. HeraM says:
We cannot shut our eyes to the truth, and.
therefore, we are beginning to acknowledge that |
our governing power is the mob and that is a
deSP0tiSm 1corSe than that Of RuSSia or France, |
because it is senseess cruel and bloody. Here |
we have, within ten miles Of the City Hall, |
population of over n million of people pre-
sumed to be eminently blessed in their political |
surroundings. The law guarantees to every |
citizen the right to choose his own rulers, as
well as protection to life, liberty and property
that is, according TO the common reading of the |
Constitution of the State and the charter of the |
city. But what is the fact 1t is that the laws
are set at naught-that the power of the mob |
is supreme, and that this million of people trem-
Dies before few thousand scoundrels who
ought to be in the pententiary.
The same papar adds, what it is pref,
ty well qualified to know, that the mum
Der Of "scoundrels' of various grades,
in and around the city, is about Is, 900.
The N. Y. Times also says.
We believe we express only the settled judg
ment OF rejecting men, when we say that SELF
government, tciH UniEerSGl su6rqge IN IarGs cH-
les, has proceed failure 1t does not answer
the purpose OF government 1t does not give
lis security either for our persons or our prom
erty. 1t does not preserve order or prevent
crime 1t is neither terror to evil doers nor
a praise to them that do well. 1t gives us dis
honest lawmakers, corrupt judges, and imbe-
cile executives. 1t elevates the worst men to
the highest places, and stiles the voice of rood
'Sh "HVu idiSGu even III ItluOHSlIalCe | mere !
is no certainty. of justice no fixed meaning to
aw-no reliance upon magstrates-no security
for hte-noue Of the guarantees and guards
against violence and fraud which government
was made to secure, and without which all Coy
eminent IS nuisance and o sham. This is not
the experience Of New York alone; every great
city III America Is showing the same results and
teaching the same lesson.
RzE There are apparently only some
three or four democratic journals, out
of the whole number published in the
State, who openly express their adhe-
renee to the fortunes of Buchanan