The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-05-10
Ssperinseadent Kennedy % the Rampage
The Old Blue Laws Revived.

ride to the devil" is an old saying more forcble
than polite, but evinc;ng profound know
ledge OF human nature. Clothe some men
with little brief authority, and they will at
once become as consequential as a Chinese
mandarin with three tails, and as tyrannical as
a Great Mogul. We have in this city Metro
politan Police, wisely and fortunately secured
to US by the State Legislature, whose province
it is to act as the executive arm Of the law, to
preserve the peace of the metropolis and pro-
tect the lives and property Of its citizens.
Every respectable resident Ut New York, and
every stranger who visits the city, will attest
the value and efficiency of the force 1t Is
wonderful improvement upon the old munich
pal police, who owed their appointments to
the worst influences, and were VIGOROUSLY the
associates and accomplices of thieves, rowdies
and all violators Of the law. President Acton,
who is at the head of the commission is an
able and diligent officer, and dcvotes his whole
time and energies to his duties The Metro
politan system owes its success mainly to
his efforts and executive capacity. The men
who compose the force are, as general rule,
well behaved, faithful and courageous. On
one or two occasions, when serious riots have
threatened the peace Of the city, they have
acted with exemplary iearlessness and modera-
ton. Tho captains and petty officers are in
the main well qualified for their duties and
diligent in their discharge.
Notwithstanding all this, the Metropolitan
Police is in danger OF forfeiting all the popu-
larity il has heretofore won, through the as
sumption, arrogance and oficious impertinence
of its Superintendent. Mr. John A. Kennedy,
who at present fills that position, cannot con-
tent himself with carrying out the orders OF
his superiors, combining himself to his legiti-
mate business as the executive head of the
force--seeing that his men preserve order in
the city, that the lives and property Of the
people are protected, and that offenders against
needs rake up all the old Blue laws and dead
letter statutes that lie around unrepealed, but
forgotten by everybody, and set to work
to free them from the cobwebs of time and put
them into active operation. He is probably
melted to this by his monomania for fulmina-
uuK euiCtS clSucu WIN tuc naulU vi OOuu "a
Kennedy. A republic is not his sphere. A
government under which the people have rights
and enjoy liberty meets his contempt An
Office in which his powers are limited is no
position for him. He should have been a Turk
ish bashaw and have ruled over q province,
where nc could have resorted to the bastinado
or the bowstying, according to his hnmor. On
tas side of The Atlantic he should have lived
in the days when witches and hereiics were,
burned at the stake, or at least have been
governor under the British colonial system,
wnen be could have worn plenty Of gold lace,
have issued as many proclamations as he
pleased. and have berated the legislative coun-
Gil to his hearts content.
The last prociamations Of Bashaw Kennedy
are curiosties in their way. Finding our Ger
man population disposed to settle quietly down
under the law which prohibits them from
enjoying their glass Of lager beer in their ma
tional gardens with their wives and children
on Sunday afternoon, after the labors Of the
week, and, seeing no prospect of a forcible re-
sisiauce to the system of prying and spying
which he has initiated in the force under the
cover of the Excise law, he has resolved to
coerce the people INTO religions observance
of the Sabbath, and to stop the selling Of wares
on a Sunday. The first pronunciamento signed
by John A. Kennedy" was construed into an
order to close all BARRIERS shops, cigar stores.
drug stores, newspaper stands, fruit and con-
fectionery shops, and the ike, every Sunday.
The ediet had gone forth that henceforth the
rough-bearded mechanic must not have his
chin scraped on Sunday; that the mother
with Q restless infant must not purchase bottle
OF soothing syrup on Sunday; that
the people must not buy newspaper
on a Sunday; that the child must
not invest his pennies in taffy OF bulls
eyes on Sunday; and all by order Of that
terrible Metropolitan Bombastes Furioso, "John
A. Kennedy" A great excitement was created
in the city, and the old women and children
threatened a revolt, and uttered fearful threats
against "John A. Kennedy SO supplemental
illumination bearing the name Of "Johu A.
Kennedy" made its appearance yesterday. ex-
planning that the former edict was only in
tended TO hit the Jews, who refused to obey
the law of Moses, or some other party, and to
close up their shops on the Israclitsb sabbath,
Saturday. These men the Metropolitan Mogul
declared should pay for their lack of reverence
to their own day of rest by being prohibited
from opening their stores on Sunday 60 the
Indignation was transferred from the Sarcy
Camps and little Warehouses; Of the city TO
the Hebrews of Chatham street
The people may well inquire "what nextf''
II superintendent Kennedy is 10 SET up
standard of morality for any class OF persons.
jew or Gentle, where is he going to ends
Before long We may expect another batch OF
proclamations prohibiting those citizens who
neglect to 60 to church on the Sabbath from
taking pleasure trips TO Coney Island. gocka-
way, Long Branch or any other popular resort
on Sunday, and stopping the Sunday trims