The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-04-15

GOVERNOR KiNG.-Eyery fresh act which
Governor John A. King commits imparts a
sense OF satisfaction TO those who opposed his
election to the Governorship of this State. Be-
ginning with folly and imbecility, and going
on with reckless disregard of the public safety,
and the most barefaced sacrifice of duty to par
~, he seems bent on making himself notorious
for every fault which can degrade an official Of
his rank. His reolute disregard of the
charges which have been brought against the
Police Commissioners very fifty caps a career
! which began by the contrivanee of the disfran-
chiscmcnt of this city.
If Governor King, when he shall have glad
dened mems hearts by retiring into obscurity
be remembered for any one act rather than any
other, il will he for his notification of the sen
fences pronounced by courts of justice, and for
the ncfarioas proceedings which began in The
transfer of our police business from this city to
Albany, aud ends in the horrible climax to
crime. disorder, and police inetficiency which
now surrounds US
The committed sentence against Maurice
O'Connell, the convicted murderer of poor old
woman whose person he had previously out
ragged, viii stand OF record against the judg-
ment. the common s,usc aud the capacity of
Governor John A. King, so long as any one
remembers any thing about him. There never
was a clearer care. The man had been
found guilty Of the two most horrible
crimes on the calendar; ii was well known that
the recommendation 10 mercy which accompa-
MED the verdict was concession extoried from
ten jurors who wanted him hanged by two, who,
for reasons which they know best, had resolved
IL acquit him in the teeth Of The evidence; the
press and public opinion were decidedly in ia.
vor Of a rigorous administration of the law; the
circumstances in which the city was placed inn
periously called for an example. Yet in spite
Of all these considerations, Governor King
COMMITTED the righteous sentence of death which
the Court passed upon Connell; and the i'm
mense class of young rowdes to which he be-
longed have thus learnt that they may pile in
fanny on infsmy, and add rape to murder, and
yet stand in no danger Of the only Punishment
which they dread.
II Governor King was weak aud imbecilc
here. in what terms can we characterize his con-
duct in the matter Of the Police Commissioners.
The most bitter organs Of his own party have
sbrunk from the baseness OF sacrificing the ef-
fciency Of the police to party purposes, and
have begged Governor King TO think in Dis
tributing the patronage of the police q little
about the lives and property OF people here, and
not altogether and exclusively about rewarding
| his political friends But they have been treated
with as much contempt as the indignant re-
monstrances OF the opposite party. The Offices
which the Metropolitan Police act placed in the
gift Of the Governor have been uniformly dis
tributed in defiance Of public sentiment and
purely in order TO crafty the Governor political
associates; and they, naturally following so au-
gust an example have sought, in filling up the
ranks Of the police, not to promote its usefulness
or to protect our lives and property, but merely
and solely to support certain hungry republi-
cans who were out of employment The Com
missioncrs are worthy of the Governor. With
the same impudence which prompted Governor
King to withdraw the names Of two of the Com
mssiOners until the Senate could be mauipu-
lated and then TO send them in with all the
hcd'i'Ht VI PiiiV'" Vu'l g'S uubuSNcICu' Ouc
Commissioner loudly ayows that h. has made
the police sort of hospital for his relations,
and another continues 10 expect mot hope
lessly) that famous house oud TOT They are a
splendid monument to Governor King.
AS for that official himself, ne may rely upon
it that ifhc goes on rs he has begun, he will
Justify all that was said in his d-paragemcnt
by the most bitter Of his opponents before the
election, and will not have one single homes!
fri.rd " the time his term expires.