New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-05-09
NEW YORK DAILY TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 1860

lily of more than ordinary measure. The truth o.
the matter simply is, there was too much money
bet against Hccnan to allow him even the chance
TO win. To those acquainted with tho practices
of English sporting life this truth will sound nei-
Their strange nor improbable.
There was time perhaps in the story of En-
gland when fair play in any crowd Of Englishmen
of any class or calling meant something more than
ON empty sound. But this time is long gone by,
tie time when men fought for fame, the time oil
Richard of the Lion Heart, when Gurth and
Locksley measured stats upon the forest sward,
and Ivanboe and de Bots Gilbert struck lances on
tie field of Ashby do Ia Couch. But, as Ed
mund Burke too truly deplored, the age OF chyairy,
the nurse of manly sentiment, has gone by, and
that of economists and calculators has succeeded.
A new race of sporting men has sprung up, who
have degraded and debauched the noblest pasilmes
Of England and with whom one might as well
expect to meet fair play as to meet pelican on
Broadway. With them, man, like q horse, i'
mere machine for converting so much muscle INTO
money. What American stranger is there VINO
has ever sauntered in the paddock ut Iattersaiis
at betting hour, or taken his seat on drag IRON
Piccady Corner on Derby morning, VINO mas
not heard the remark made with the most careless
freedom, "Ob, too much mOneyis bet against that
"horse to allow him to VIM" The character
of the morality which prevails among the
most exalted of the trade Of the Turf may De Judged
from the admission of Lord George Bentinck, the
beau ideal of the sporting chiyalry of England on
the celebrated running rein trial. that he hadbeen
" in the habit of employing baker named Glynnto
{" bet against bis own horses" The trade oil the
Turf in England is not limited 1t includes, as did
the Marlborough crowd, dukes and Marquises
" and Minister'S" Some of the order may wear
white Kids: and some 60 gloycless; but the same
broad girdle spans them ail, and within It's circle
fair play, honor and truth find no entrance Inc
man who enters the inclosure OF Tattersalis must
leave outside its gates all the more re-
fined feelings and delicate determinations
between right end wrong which mark gentleman.
We doubt not there may have been around the
ring of Marlborough some brave gentlemen ana
some stout women uncohtaminated by the treach-
ery and trickery of modern sports and with honest
have loved TO see fair play between the combat
ants; but they were few and far between
With crowd composed of men such as We have
described, with select sprinkiing OF Americans OF
similar tastes, if not of equal practice, can any
Summer cloud of wonder overcome us when we
learn that fair play was not especially considered
at marlborough Will men who do not hest
Gr,,, ,,,ritn inn on fnp
racc.course when too much money is laid against
him. hesitate, under similar circumstances, to
prevent the best man from winning in the ring
We do not believe that the foul play at Farm
borough was the offspring of any feeling against
Heenap as an American, but against Heenan as
brute heavily bet against In this country, INNS
much as it at present happily does not afford the
same field for betting large sums as England, we be-
leye iairer fight would have been obtained. STILL
no one could have seen the group that clustered
round the battle at Long Point between Morrissey
and Heenan without feeling that we, too, had
soil ready for The seed, and which only needed cu-
tivation to produce an unequaled crop of r'lffans
| in good time
While, then, we are convincedt that fair play was
| not extended to the recent fight at Peterborough
| we should be sorry to afix upon nation stain
which belongs only to class, and that the worst
and most deprayed We should not like to have
| our national character judged by such gentlemen
| as Mr. John Morrissey, Mr.. Dad Cunningham, Dir.
| Billy MulIigan, or any other of those Americans
who represented this country, and who we doubt
moi largely contributed to that " grandeur of ap-
| "pearanee which, according to the poetic pic
| turing Of correspondent of one Of our sporting
Journals, characterized the ring. Our only regret
| is that their visit has not been more prolonged
Having no desire to resent the unfair play accord
ed cur champion, we should not by any means
grudre to many future English rings the splendoss
of their presence. Our especial wonder is that
Mr.. Mcnissey should so soon forsake a country in
which by his own account he was rcceyed like n
victorious hero to return to in which, after his
recent exploits, his path is not likely for some time
| to be one of particular pleasantness or peace.
| As for the poor brutes who made holiday and
bettng-butt for all that was coarse and ruthanly
| in England, although we cannot, like The London
| Times, accord to them those qualities which
80 make nation great" they showed themselves,
at least, worthy of some less degrading occupation
than battering each other out of human SEMI
blauce for two hundred pounds sterling.
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BLACK MAIL.