Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-12-29

would have crushed tho plot at its biith. lie
would have warned the constructors 10 70 not a
stop further, and if necessary, would have prosccu.
ted and arrested them, and indicted them for con.
bpiracyi or bound them to keep the peace. But
ALEXANDER ~llENRY, instead of thus vindicatiDg
cur laws and our rights, actually seconded the
purposes OF the counter-hopping constirators by
resorting to every e%xpedicnt in his power to pre-
vent CURTIS from being heard by the poaceablo
citizens who desired 10 hear him And this, too,
when the lecture was not q political one, when no
one had any right to suppose that 1t would allude
at all TO any exciting topic, when the lecturer was
known by the Mayor himself to be a mild, gentle
and courteous speaker, and when his subject was
1.-THE Policy of Honesty ?"
Mr., HENRY went so far as to address to Mr..
WnITE the following note:
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR OF THE CRY OF
PHILADELPHIA, December II, 1860.
JAMES W. WHITE, Esq, Chairman Lecture Com
mittee, Peoples Literary Institute.
Dear Sir-The appearance of George W. Curtis,
Esq, as a lecturer before tho Peoples Literary
Institute, on Thursday evening next, will be ez-
tremely unwise.
If l possessed the lawful power, 1 would not
permit his presence on that occasion.
Very respectfully, Sc,
(Signed) ALEXANDER HENRY, Mayor.
Now, is not that note a precious confession Of
both cowardice and imbecility ? a few bigoted or
Venal fools threaten to disturb u literary lecture
because the gentleman lecturing is not to their
taste the Chief Magistrate Of the City, with SIC
hundred efficient policemen at his back, covers be-
fore the would-be rioters, and does his best to in
duce the "Institute" TO surrender their rights to a
knot of lawless %plo'ters.
When be found that he could rot intimidato the
Institute" ne sends for Mr.. THOMAS ANDREWS,
The agent Of the owners of Concert Hall, and tells
him that il CURTIS were allowed to lecture, the
Hall would be in great danger of destruction lie
ralso told him that after the notice which he was
chen giving him, in case of the destruction of the
Hall, no damages could be recovered from the
city. Now, herein the Mayor betrayed very gross
Ignorance Of the law. TIL Act of Assembly OF
5lst May, 1871, which gives damages for property
destroyed by mobs, provides, that in order to be
within its remedial provisions, upon knowledge
had of the intention or attempt to destroy the
property, or to collect q mob for such purpose, no
tice must be given to q constable, alderman or
Justice of the peace Of the ward where the prop
erty is situated, or 10 the sheriff Of the county;
and it is made the duty Of these officers when they
receive such notice, to take all legal means to pro-
tect such property; and if they refuse to perform
their duties in she premises, they are themselves
liable in damages, and guilty of in
Office"
Wrought on by the inhpcriocs appeals, and the
absurd statements of the Mayor, Mr.. ANDREWS
very naturally refused to permit the Hall to be
..-.I f. ,Lo Nrnr,. Iootura. opH hnaturallp the
.proprietors Of other Halls declined to open their
doors for the purpose. And thus the Mayor OF
Philadelphia, ALEXANDER HENRY, SUCCEEDS in
preventing quiet and inoffcnsive citizens from as
sembling together to hear a literary lecture.
Not a word of excuse can DO imagined for this,
pusillanimous conduct of the Mayor. There is
nothing in the "Peop les Institute" or its lectures
or in the antecedents ofGEoRGE WIN CURTIS, or 10
the advertised subject of his lecture to offend any
human being, or to arouse a particle OF excite
ment. Mr.. BEECHER has said aud written a hun.
bred sharper thugs about slavery than Mr.. Cur
tbs; yet Mr.. BEEcHER's lecture passed off in per-
feet peace. None dreamed Of molesting Mr.. CUR
IT'S except a few Market street merchants, who
were last winter, with perfect case, bafled in their
attempt to break up the meeting at National Hall.
Concert Hal! is much more easily protected than
National Hall. The present police force is so well
drilled, able bodied, and active, that a squad of
them could, with perfect ease, have maintained
quiet in the hall, and dispersed any gathering in
'the streets.
But even if the danger of o riot had been great,
# is too plain for argument, that it is the first duty
of the Mayor to preserve the peace, ard maintain
constitutional rights at all hazards. What! shall
che Mayor Of The civilized and free city of Phila-
'delphia basely quail before the threats of a few
liquor-sodden y~ardstick brandishers, met over their
'toddies at a hotel2 Was it for this that he was so
generally and enthusiastically supported and ell
,ected last spring? Was he right In vindicating
.:he freedom of speaking and hearing last winter?
Then lie must be wrong now.