The New York herald., 1871-12-27


been fought In vain II 1t brings us . sound,
logical charter. For generation or two the
worst thing about New York has been our
local government. A metropolis mightier
than Rome. the pride and boast OF every
American, a. the great example OF the rePub-
lies enterprise and progress, full Of noble i'm
pulses, its history . history Of generous.
princely deeds, ever leading in any work Of
industry. charity or patriotism; the frst TO
draw the sword when Sumter fell and to
open Its purse when Chicago was destroyed
her government has been q scandal and
shame. Good mon have governed the CITY
and have done their best to serve the peoples
but the scandal has always been In the sys
tenn of government
The great oity has besn kind Of foraging
ground for adventurous politicians. When
Rob Roy, in his Highland fastnesses. desired
little ex element or recrsation or booty he
simply rode into the lowlands and robbed
village or q township. Every year when our
legislative Rob Roys arrived at Albany the
first thing in order was to plan q raid on the
metropolis. Here was all the money; here
| were precious franchises to be stolen; here
were mighty railway corporations ready to
bleed or surrender at the 6rst pressure, and
all that was ne esessary was bill. Then we
had the vast machinery of municipal gov vern-
ment. with its sssQF@ous ssgsQ sums q money: The
way to reach that was by "a charter" or,
sometimes, tax levy. So every year
we had the charter amended or ex-
tended, or abolished or recreated, to meet
the exigencies Of the needy and ambitious
men who happened TO be ia Albany.
Look at the long line Of valiant clansmen
whose horse hoofs have ridden over our fur
rows. There was the old Regency tribe; and
what tribe they were, and how gayly they
dashed upon us season after season Then we
had the illustrous veteran, Thurlow Weed,
whose boys ''went through us (to uss a
phrase from the Bowery) annually for dozen
years. Thurlow, however, has goie into
dgni6ed and Interesting retirement, and sits
by the camp fires telling stories 10 the squaws
and the children, while the young bucks are
on the warpath. Then we had Boss Tweed
and his tribe, whose achievements have filed
the world. What gorgeous, gorging time he
and his clansmen have had in the great city
What booty they have gathered! Diamonds,
yachts, club houses, bonds, mortgages, fine
raiment, linen and purpes, aud goody sums
of gold and silver They were splendid
raiders after their fashion, and scattered their
largess in Highland fashion, little caring
where it fell. Let that be remembered to their
hnnnr-if fhou al &1,o,x AZ
back through the gamblers and tavern keepers
and other odd. uncomfortable channels.
So from bad to worse from worse to what
really seems to have been the worst Aud we
have had q reaction, and citizens assembling
to ''devise remedies" and get themselves into
Office. Well, we respect these most respect
able people, but we have been dreadng lest
even they would turn out to be Highlanders
after all. Remember that old Rob Roy him
self was fond OF going down into the low
countries, dressed as an honest cattle
drover. just before making a raid. If
we are not mistaken, many of the faces
we see in this reform movement we
have seen before-riding after Boss Tweed,
or Thurlow Weed, or Dean Richmond keen
for plunder and eager to harry the poor
city. 1t would not surprise US to have this
Committee of Seventy turn on us booted and
sDgrred, and deal With Us after the old fashion.
Such things have been known, and it is mem
orable and significant that the committee have
never risen above condition of drowsiness
except when an Office was to be won. Let
them do all the good they can while they are
10 the humor. They are for day. We want
som ething that will last for all time.
We want charter worthy of the grea atness
of New York. What is New York; Geo
graphically speaking community settled upon
Manhattan Island to the number Of eight hun
dred thousand souls. Speaking from the facts
it is q community Of two millions, dwelling
within a circumference of dozen miles from
City Hall. Brooklyn, williamsburg Hoboken,
Jersey City, Staten Island, Newark, and even
Westchester county are all practically New
York. Here they do business. Here most of
their active life is spent. Here they buy and
sell and make money, and find amusement and
instruction. There are probably two millions
of souls who are as much citizens and resi-
dents of New York as dwellers in West
minister and Kensington and Chelsea are
citizens Of London. London is moth
ing more than an aggregation Of
towns. The city proper bears as much pro-
portion to the city Of politics and fame as New
York below Wall street bears to Manhattan
Island. Yet the English, with a wisdom
which we should emulate. as soon as the
spreading city threw its web over village or
an Independent municipality, embodied it. 1t
was no longer Southwark or Hampstead or
Bayswater, or any Of the twenty local names
that !inger IA the traditions and enable cab
men to dnd their way, but London. Sc should