Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-08-15
THE RIGHT TO PARADE.

The London Times ON an Inter.
esting American Question.
From the London Times.l
To English eyes all this can be moth.
ing else than sheer folly. 1t must seem
incomprehensible how the entire mill
tary and civil force of powerful State,
for such is New York, should be Assem-.
bled and massed on strategic principles
under able commanders, for the protec
ton of ninety men, bent on performing
an absolutely useless and certainly pro
vocative parade. We have put stop tc
this sort of thing in our own country
But the matter is not so easily disposed
of at New York, and it cannot be said
that the folly-if folly it be-has been
perpetrated without due consideration
1t is an old difficulty, and an experience
has accrued upon it. Up to the very
night before this last affair the authori-
ties of the city of New York had forbid
den the Orange parade, and published a
proclamation accordingly. One result
was that many Orangemen of the city
went off to join the parades at neighbor-
ing towns, and the Orangemen of these
towns did not come to New York. 1t
was only late at night that the Governor
of the State, by virtue of his superior
authority, countermanded the prohibi-
ton, and proclaimed that the parade
would be allowed and protected with all
the forces at his disposal. OF course,
when morning came, and large
bodies Of troops and police were
marching about the city, and hostile
mobs collecting, New York trembled for
its existence, and began to fear the fate
Of Paris. The Catholic Irish" had no
quarrel with the authorities for this
change of mind; on the contrary, they
were delighted with the opportunity
that seemed to offer; and the Orange
men, now with much reduced numbers,
had no choice but to avail themselves
of the promised protection. The citi-
zens generally felt they could hold up
their heads and :" look one another
square in the eye" when the cowardly
proclamation of the previous day had
been withdrawn. A cloud was off the
city, stain off its honor, and burden
off its conscience, when the entire State
Of New York had pledged itself TO fight
unto death for this ptiful troop of mas
queraders, celebrating an event which
rational Englishmen are doing their best
to forget altogether This is how it
seems to us, and how it must seem to us,
try as we can to see it otherwise. But
while outsiders may see good deal they
cannot see all, and for a State to shape
its policy always by the opinion or the
practice of its neighbors would be as
absurd as for a man to abnegate the
inherent right of independent action.
We are bound at least to hear the other
side-that is, the New York side--of this
question; for there can be no doubt as
to the fact that an overwhelming major
ity of the better classes in the city and
State were not only for allowing and
protecting the Orange parade, but inn
mensely relieved and comforted when
they found that course had been decided
on.
Upon our own notions the Governor
Of New York incurred terrible respon-
sibility by allowing a parade, the dan
ger of which had been foreseen-nay,
proved, and officially admitted. He
may have done right But, surely, the
State may and ought to interfere on one
side as we'll as the other. When men
ask permission to do what they ought
not to do without asking, to make pub
lie and formal procession as gaudy and
glaring as they can make it, they ought
not to be allowed to use a single device
which may fairly provoke antagonism.
The Irish may justly complain if they
are to be taunted forever, even across