Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1865-05-18
THE Mob SPIRIT.

lence and the disposition which manilests
itself evorywhorc--in city and country
to disregard law and commit outrages upon
persons and property with impunity.
This is, undoubtedly, ono of the legii-
mate results of the terrible state of things.
which has prevailed for tho last four years,
and brought our once peaceful and pros,
porous country to the unhappy and humil-
iating position it now occupies among the
civilized and christian nations .oi the
world.
1t is true, this state of thing is in a
great measure attributable to the bad pas
sions of wickcd and lawless men---mcn
who are influenced only by rasn and do
prayed impnlscs--men of base and craven
spirits. The leaders and instigators of
mob are always coUards. This is shown
by the fact that the victims of q mob are
always few in number-sometimes but
single individual-while tho assailants
are counted by hundreds Or thousands.
Mono but the most abjoct towards act IN
this way.
But there is another influence, and
mighty one, which has prompted, encour-
aged and fostered the mob spirit. We
mean the press of the Republican party.
That has been used as q powerful agent in
melting and urging on bad men to acts OF
lawless violence. The men who compose
mobs are, as a general thing, persons with
out influence, or position, or moral char
acte.; but the approval given 10 then acts
by newspapers of their party, invests their
conduct with an effect it would not other
wise have, and raises their offenso $50 to
speak to sort of Infamous dignity. And
it may be added that individuals Of rey
spectacle standing and position in society
have contributed their influence in the same
direction, and are equally responsible,
Recent events prove the truth OF these
assertions. But a few days ago, arespect-
able and orderly citizen of Philadelphia
was mobbed without the slightest pretext
about the same time one man was muir
dered and another wounded in Maryland
almost simultaneous with these outrages
Democratic presses were destroyed in San
Francisco. Mobs murder men, beat them,
destroy property and commit all sorts Of
outrages at will, yet we look in vain for
single word of rebuke or condemnation
from the republican press or prominent
men of that party. This tocit Opprov-
al Of the mob spirit which is abroad in the
land is melancholy illustration Of the de-
genoracy Of the times. THOSE ahc dp-
proae of MOI laiO encourage assassination!
And it seems almost inexplicable that
newspapers which seem honestly and sim
cerely to lament the death Of the late Pres
ident by the hand of an assassin, should
be SO regardless of all the rules Of consis-
tency and morality as to commend in the
same columns the lawless acts of men
seeking to assassinate their fellow men
Yet so it is.
There ought to ben remedy for this state
of things, and we think there is one
Public opinion, if rightly directed, can
accomplish the work; and it is the pocu'
liar mission of The Democratic press--al'
weys conservative, aud always the advor
cate Of law and order--to, give force and
directness to popular sentiment on the sub
ject.
The New York Journal Of Commerce
in most excellent article on the preva.
lence of the mob spirit, remarks: H
| p Let ths be stopped at once by the voice o.
I honest Indignation and patriotism. 1t Ia in
the power of the press to stop IT, II editors
Will tell the men who 90 in mobs that they are
cowArds that they disgrace their names az
Americans, thRir county, their local habiia
ton BY doing acts of rebellion in crowds
amounting to insurrection, that they deserve
to be shot down by the police, and that the po
lice ought everyWhere TO auppress mobs, first
by mildness aud moral suasion, but il thai
fails, then with powder and hall--ifthe press
will take this tone, mobs will soou cease tc
disgrace country which has made such 4
struggle for the establishment Of law as nc
other country ever made In all history. =
Commenting on the above, the New
\ York Express terms it most timely re
lLl ..,d aada. s..s. 3. ban .f.is. ..I..5 I'D
Duke, "hu auus' .stf altTo aa-gs H
We denounced the mobs OF 1863, and w
denounced the mobs of 1865, Just as we de
nonnced the Barns and Jerry nssene moba o