The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-07-14

The WASHINGTON STArUE.-Superintenden
Kennedy has done good thing in stationing q
good looking and well dressed policeman, who
neither smokes segars nor chews tobacco, at the
Washington Monument on Union square. 1t ia
customary in European cities, where great re-
spect is paid by the people To their national
monuments, to station guard Of honor near
them. The statue Of Washington, the Father of
His Country, deserves every tribute of respect.
Americans, with all their patriotism and love Of
country, are far behind any other people in
reverence for their great men and generation
for historic names As an illustration of this IL
may be observed that on the Fourth of July the
regiments passed the Washington statue without
demonstration of any kind, excepting the regi-
ment almost entirely composed of German cit-
zens. As this regiment filed by, each platoon,
under order of its captain, gave three cheers.
American boys, like their fathers, are irreve-
rent-perhaps little more so. We doubt If in
any city of France stone would be thrown at
statue Of Henry Nv. or Napoleon l. but
this has been frequent occurrence, in the alb
sence Of any policeman, with the Washington
statue, the little ragamufins wishing to show
their skill in projectiles, and the boys from
the classical schools to demonstrate that
the famous Trojan horse was not the only ono
that had hollow receptacle within. With
little vigilance on the part Of the police autho-
rifles these evils will soon be corrected They
are the result Of thoughtlessness rather than
viciousness. II is only recently that flowers
have been planted in the public parks, and the
difficulty of preserving them intact is daily di-
minishing. The people will soon learn that
statues In public places, and flowers and swans
in public park, are their own special property,
and guard them with vigilance. As an illustra-
ton of the utter lack of appreciation of Ame-
ricans of the nature and objects Of a public
park we may mention that about six years ago
professor in one Of our leading colleges was
arrested in Vienna for leapirg over q light
fence and plucking a flower which happened
to strike his fancy. Upon his stating. however,
that he was an American citizen, he was let gs
without further trouble SO far from thinking
or approaching that his release was attribut-
able to the ieniency with which barbarians are
regarded in all civilized countries, he after
wards boosted of il to his friends as a tribute
paid In his person to the star-spangled banner.
OvR RELATIONS Win PERC.-We learn by the
arrival Of the Panama steamer that President
Castillo, Of Peru, has been coeroed, by the pre-
sence Of French ship Of the line, into a dplo-
matte settlement Of the claims Of France in be-
half Of one Of its outraged citizens, but that,
being well aware the President Of the United
States cannot order gun to be fred by one Of
our ships of war without the previous consent
of Congress, and that Congress has sunk to too
low O rule Of action to take an honorable course
on any subject, he persistentiy refuses to make
any settlement Of the righteous claims Of our
citizens and our Minister. acting under the in
structions of the President, was about TO de-
mand his passports and leave the scene of his
fruitless labors.
The whole course Of the Peruvian govern
ment towards our citizens has been a series of
most atrocious and unjus,fable acts, defended
by constant subterfuge and regeneration. II
Is time that an end were put to this state OF
things II Congress refuses to do Its duty. the
national sentiment does not and will not so re-
fuse and the President should take the respou-
sibility Of ordering the commander Of the Paci-
fic squadron TO concentrate his feet at Calao
and give the government of Castillo twenty
four hours to settle the affair IL not settled in
that time, TO take our Minister and our resident
citizens on board, and then open fire On Tia .