The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-07-16

OF the minds OF the people. Even If we could
forget the trivial quarrel between the Orange
men and the Ribbonmen, the sad funeral pro-
cessions of yesterday and to- day would not
allow the remembrance of the consequences of
the quarrel to pass away. But we all have
had time to think calmly on the event Of the
week, and on this Sunday morning we may
speak few calm words to the public on the
lesson which it teaches. During the excite
ment of Monday and Tuesday, while we hoped
that disorder might be prevented aud blood
shed averted, We spoke boldly in favor of en-
forcing the laws at every hazard against any
violence which should be attempted. In like
circumstances we would again follow like
course. But while doing so we did not IN
fairly condemn those who differed with us in
opiaion, or seek to give to the occasion a false
and unworthy Importance. We contented
ourselves with performing what we considered
our duty and the duty of every good citizen.
That our work was well appreciated we have
abundant evidence; but it will not be finished
till we shall have exposed the purposes Of
those who would make the triumph Of peace
and order an element for promoting discord
among the people.
Our prompt action, when prompt action was
required demonstrated most signal!y the great
power of the HERALD and of an independent
press. But, unlike some Of our contempora-
ries, we stopped just where our duty ceased.
We did not fan the fame for unworthy pur-
poses or seek to make capital of any kind out
of the lives of the people. When the autho-
rites did their duty we gave them due credit,
praising the Mayor, the police and the mill
tary in fitting terms for their cooperation with
Governor Hoffman. When the rioters were
subdued We ceased our attacks upon the
unruly element which we had SO sternly and
severely rebuked. To us the occasion seemed
one where it was necessary to attack wisely,
and then Wisely to let well enough alone. If
our contemporaries had seen their duty in the
same way We would not be required now to
recall any part Of the hearty praise we
accorded them in the outset. But they have
mistaken their mission. They cannot become
magnanimous when magnanimity is virtue.
They seem to snatch at the tragic results of
the riot as so much political capital. Like
avaricious children rushing hastily from a
fathers grave to examine into the provisions
of his will, they count their gains and losses
till they turn into blood money in their hands.
If they did no worse than this we might be
constrained to let our praises stand, and not
to utter word Of reprOacb. Bat in addtion
to their effort at making political capital out
of disorder and riot, which sprung from preju-
dice and bigotry, some of them are seeking to
evoke the terrible spirit of religious fanati-
csm. A war is being made upon our Catho-
lie population as body, which is as unjust as
it is reprehensbe. We can have no sympa-
thy with such movement, and the sensi-
ble people of New York, whatever may be
their religious convictions, cannot sympathizs
with it.
| We want no religious wars in this country,
| and no chickering's sprnging out of religious
antipathiss. Those who incite these new disor-
ders defeat their own argument-they forget
that they opposed the misguided attacks of the
! Hibernians on the Orange element out of love
for civil and religious liberty. They are as IN
! reasonable as the poor rioters themselves, and
they are more culpable, because they are
more intelligent. lie. us do simple justice in
this matter. The respectable Irish and Catho-
lie population will probably suffer much from
the late riots, though most of the Irish and
most of the Catholics were as much opposed to
these hostile demonstrations against the
Orangemen as the American Protestants.
This is shown in the address Of Archbishop
McCloskey, the counsels Of the Catholic
clergy, the Fenian proclamation and the reso-
lutions of respectable Irish societies. Only
INSCRIPTIONS demagogues and the vulgar I'M
reasoning crowd, which could be swayed by
the harangues Of unprincipied leaders, are to
blame. But even were it true that the whole
Catholic community was in sympathy with the
rioters, their mistake would be no excuse for
preaching religious warfare. The American
people are as much opposed 10 religious per-
| secution as to r eligious bigotry They have
no sympathy to waste either way, and
! care nothing for Orangemen as Orangemen.
! Neither King William nor King James has any
interest for anybody outside of Macaulay' 8
! History. Everybody despises the maievo-
lence which prompts one body Of men to play
''Croppies Lie Down as a taunt to another
part of the community. But all are deter
mined that the rights of all shall be preserved
inviolate. We have shown that we can pre-
serve order without yielding to either side,
and this is all that we ever desired. Our po-
lice and military, in which there are hundreds
OF Catholics as well as Professionals, have de-
monstrated that they are always ready to do
their duty. The gallant Sixty-ninth regiment
proved itself gallant as ever. The Eighty
fourth regiment, composed mostly of Irish
mon has even heap en,ured for Tho .jo r;tv