The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-07-23
The Orange Procession.

!, to whether Orange professions ought to bt
protected or not by the authorities. There
, is unanimous consent that all religioul
and political demonstrations must DO pro-
tected, and We think that Mayor Hall il
entirely indefensible on tho ground that he
assumes for suppressing the Orange pro.
cession in New York. He says that the
defence Of an abstract principle ought to
be abandoned whenever such defence be-
comes too costly. II, for instance, a legisi-
mate procession is about to call forth great
mob violence, which must be repressed at
great expense and trouble, it would be
better to suppress the procession. 1t is no
| woader that the New York press grow in
dignant over such q proposition, and con-
slider it ga surrender" No matter what
the cost may be, Government must en-
force its laws and protect private rights, if
it has the power. If it is sensible that it
has not the power, then it may temporize
and do the best thing that circumstances
will permit.
If the Oraugemen had a right to march
| in procession through the streets of New
York, there can be~no doubt that Mayor
Hall ought to have protected them in that
right, though it had required ga platoon
escort for each man." or, indeed, necessi-
tated the calling out of the whole police
and military force of the city, or of the
State, or of the United States. Let justice
be done though the heavens fall. But had
they that right
We think that very good answer to
this Question will be found in the subjoined
extract from a letter of Mayor Hall to the
Superintendent of Police, dated August 4,
1870, and upon the same subject. He says:
In the first place, it is the undoubted right
of bodies of men, small or large, peaceably to
assemble and peaceably to march in procession
gious or political. But, in my Judgment, the
right becomes limited when there exists valid
reasons to believe that tho intentions of the
professions are not wholly pacific, or that their
route of march method of accessory pro-
cedure is calculated to provoke o breach of
the peace. A local statute of the State appli-
meanor for any person to use threatening OF
abusive language or gesture in the public
streets. If number Of citizens should desire
of nitro glycerine, and should propose to pa
rade through the streets with packages of the
explosive material in one hand and fireworks
of the authorities to prevent such display. If,
on the Fourth of July a procession of ultra !
subjects of Great Britain should be had, with |
banners, music and cries to celebrate the origi- |
nal occupation of New York city by Sir Henry |
Clinton, think such right of prevention would |
also exist. l should incline to claim a similar |
parade the streets of q Southern city with !
obsolete or haunting banners or cries, although |
they were all of Union nature. 1 would
deny the right of extreme sympathizers with
the Southern side of the late war to parade
through Northern street. with inscriptions,
cries and music provoking, retaliation from
men to whom the sight and sound would be
distasteful. In short, unnecessary professions,
or necessary professions attended by unneces- |
sary circumstances, it is always Of doubtful |
policy to permit. Under these circumstances
deem it my duty to take this occasion to |
communicate with you, and to take the respon- |
sibility, disagreeable as it may be, Of asking |
you to consult with the Board of Police upon |
the recommendation which l now make: That !
if any procession, sooner or later, or at any |
time undertakes to walk through the streets |
of New York, with banners, music cries
woke a breach Of the public peace, you deny to |
the professionals the claim SO to march and |
that you arrest, under the special statute, all
persons, whether in or out of such procession, |
who, by cries favorable to the ideas of such |
procession or hostile to them, violate it's letter
and spirit. While, at the same time if any |
objects or accessories, and peaceable in de- |
meanor, gesture and words, it should, on the !
other hand, receive police protection in every |
laudable, benevolent religious political, scien-
tific artistic celebration.
A. Oakley HAIL. Mayor.
1t will be remembered that this was
written nearly year ago, and not under
the influence of momentary excitement.
It's doctrines we consider good. In the
latter part Of the extract instructions are
given which draw the proper line of dis
elimination between processions-legal and
illegal ones. AS the Mayor we'll remarks,
there is q statute of the State of New York,
and there is an ordinance of like import in
the city of New Orleans, which makes it
misdemeanor for any one to use abusive or
threatening language or gestures in the
public streets. If misdemeanor may be
punished it may be prevented. If an indi-
vidual parades the streets with the simple
intention of haunting and insulting por-
ton of his fellow citizens, fully announced
before hand, that parade could be prevent
I'd