The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-01-05
NEW YORK HERALD. TUESDAY. JANUl


aaissioners.
The removal Of the Police Commissioners BY
Seymour. and the refusal Of the Com.
missioners to sbdicste without . trial and
thorough investigation Of the charges against
them, have attracted much attention and caused
considerable excitement among oil parties IN
this city. Opiaions in regard to tho legality OF
the Commissioners course may perhaps differ
but II Is unanimously conceded that Governor
Seymour has made another blunder. and etill
moro clearly demonstrated his want Of capacity
for the position he holds.
About year ago Governor Seymour took
the oath Of ONCE. The Police Commissioners and
Superintendent Kennedy had then made them
selves very obnoxious to the people by their
arbitrary arrests, their extraordinary stretches
Of authority their ll-treatment Of lady prison
ers, and other unauthorized acts. Superintend-
ent Kennedy had been very unwisely appointed
provost marshal, and seemed to think II bis
duty to become the willing tool Of the War De-
partnent, and 70 ass oW police force
to carry out Secretary Stanton's odioi5
orders. This was sad mistake on the part Of
Mr. Kennedy, and 1t was an equally sad mis-
take for the Police Commissioners to endorse
Mr. Kennedy's errors Governor Seymour was
therefore, expected to remove tho Police Com
missioners at once, upon sworn evidence
against them. The evidence was all ready
and accordingly, on the very day Of bis inau-
guration, he summoned tho Commissioners to
appear before him at Albany on the following
Saturday. The Commissioners declined to ap
pear but, instead Of removing them forthwith,
the Governor, who Is badly afflicted with the
cacoethes sc,Ibendi, wrote them another letter,
promising them % full and fair trial." and
stating that he would name an carly day for
that purpose This letter was written on the
9th Of January, and the Commissioners did not
hear from the Governor again for nearly 6ve
months, during which timo they went on with
their duties and he wrote silly letters to othcr
people upon other subjects.
At length, on the Sd Of Juno last, the Com
missioners were favored with another guber-
Material episte The Governor sent them
copies Of additional charges against
them. and requested them to send
him their answers before the 18th Of Juno.
s'When your answers are received" added the
resolute aud reliable Governor, ~ will mako
the proper order for an inquiry into the truth
Of tho charges made" Tho Commissioners
sent in their answers on the IIth Of june The
Governor at once subsidized. and The Commits
sioners did not hear from him again until the
3lst Of December-about six months after
when he peremptorily dismissed them and ap-
pointed their successors. There had been no
ssfair and full trial." no "therough investiga-
tion," no enquiry into The izath Of the. charges
made" The Governors promises in respect
to these matters wore like piecrust-msds to
be broken. The Commissioners fell back upon
these promises, however, and refused TO vacate
without trial This they have moral, though
they may not have legal, right to do. Gov
ernor Seymour, with his customary want Of
tact. has caught his own fingers In his own
trap. n he had dismissed the Commissioners q
year ago he would have done very just and
popular thing. II he had dismissed them six
months ago he would still have made soms po-
litical capital. But BY removing the Commits
sioners now, after his opportunity has long
since passed, and without the trial he promised
them, hs shows that he lacks sense as we'll a.
backbone.
"Ciroum stances" a. the proverb tells US,
"sIscr cases." Tho Commissioners might have
been justly dismissed last January or last June;
but in July last came tho dreadful draft riots.
Then the Police Commissioners more than re-
deemed their regulations and more than atoned
for all their previous faults. From the most
humble roundsman up to the leading Commits
sioner, our policemen covered themselves with
glory, They put down tho rioters and saved
the city. For this they deserve the public
gratitude and consideration By this they re-
gained their lost popularity. and. since the
riots, nothing has been heard Of their former
accusers. Has not Governor Seymour wit
enough to see that these circumstances alter
this case' Instead Of removing the Commits
sioners he ought to have thanked them. But,
not satisfied with doing the wrong thing at the
right time, he must now do the right thing at
the wrong time. He forgets that what was
expedient last January is not expsdIent in De-
cember. He Is like tinid half itted doctor,
who is afraid to bleed the patient whom 10 Is
sick. but insists upon bleeding him year after
wards when he Is perfectly well. He began the
year by corresponding with the Commissioners,
when he should have removed them. and ended
1t BY removing them when he should have cor
responded with them. Another draft Ia near at
hand, and another riot may ensue IL this
the time to dismiss the old Commissioners, ap-
point new ones, stir up conflict Of authorities,
and thus demoralize the police force. Does
Governor Seymour wish to place us at tho
mercy Of the mob? We do not believe thst no
has courage enough for such a scheme, but,
like a child playing with powder. there Is no
telling what damage he may do by meddIlng