The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-07-12
oransemen and Ribnonmen.

That good men and trae in the year oil
grace 1871, in these United States, should
be found ready to shoot, stab, beat and break
each others heads, on the twelfth day OF
July, who live at perfect peace with each
other on the other three hundred and sixty
four days in the year, is surely c remark
arjle phenomenon That James, the. last
King o; TIE house of Stuart, and the last
Catholic sovereign in England, was on that
day defsated in, the now celebrated battle OF
the, ,Boyne; and that William OF Orange, the
Dutch hero, should have succeeded in break
Ing the power Of the old dynasty, and estab-
Isha himself and Professionalism successfully
in the three kingdoms=-all this appears in
sufficient cause for the brawls and riots
which annually disgrace some Irish cities.
The ministers OF religion, both Catholic and
Protestant, with exceptions rare and few,
have uniformly pronounced against these
encounters, as might naturally be expected
from the characteriof their holy office. To-
day this unblessed anniversary has come
round again;. and for days past the DIR has
been thick with presages OF riot and blood
shed in New York between Protestant Or
angemen and Catholic Ribbonmen. Although
difference in religion is the prime cause Of
this difference in politics, it is quite safe to
assume that the leaders and followers on
both sides can have but little real concern
for religion, when they resort to such means
as regularly disgrace the celebration OF the
twelfth Of July. The institution OF Orange
men, with their lodges, badges, songs, tannt-
ing speech and insulting practices, naturally
evoked a counter organization-the Rib
bonmen-whose raison Getre, whose whole
end and object would appear to be to see TO
it that the 0rangemen shall not ride over
them rough shod. This being the temper OF
the two parties, both Irishmen, be it remem-
bered, it is not difficult to conceive that the
encounter on this unblessed day generally
results in bloody eyes, broken heads, and
much bitterness Of spirit.
Now, all this is wrong. 1t is bad enough
that these abuses should continue to exist in
the old country, bat it is lar worse, and
much less excusable, that this bad blood
should be transfused into the rising genera
ton on the soil of America. There is nc
strife for domination here, or. for ascend
ancy. All stand on an exact equality. The
country affords scope enough for all, and
there is no need whatever that one should
tread on the others coat-tail. 1t is right
and praiseworthy that immigrants should
preserve the memory Of the 'told country
1t ia feeling no lover of his species would
wish to see eradlcated; for around it cluster
many lovely traits, and homely virtues,
whose very existence might be endangered
| by rude touch Of the tender memory OF the
sacred soil beyond the seas. But surely
there is no necessity whatever for keeping
up old feuds, all covered many fathoms deep
by the statute OF limitation. The Gead pasl
shoald be allowed to sleep in its decent
sepulchre. How ridiculous it would be con.
sidered il the descendants OF the Montagues
and Capulets, lately emigrated from Verona
to New York or to Charleston, should get