New-York tribune., 1871-12-15
srVDAY-THE INTERN4TIONdLS

sCNDAT-THE LNTERN4TION.iLS
We believe, purely on civil grounds, in the
dcsirability of preserving general observ-
ance of Sunday as n day of rest. OF the re-
ligious significance and sanction of the Sabbath
we do not here speak 1T is because the pres
reryaiion of the idea of rest Oh Sunday tends
| to good order, good morals, and good health,
that we hold it the part Of wise legislation
and wise execution of law to exert as steady
and powerful an influence as may be in favor
of its maintenance.
1t is unfortunate that the question of great
Sunday professions should be complicated in
the public mind by the effort to arouse SYM
pathy in behalf of an executed French Com
mu1fist. There is no great public feeling here
about the death of M. ROssel and his COM
patriots that demands vent in banners and
martial music and long professions of men
marching on Sunday past the churches
of New-York to show tho general dis
approval of executions in Paris by the
order of the recognized Government of France.
But there is jealous feeling against any in
reference with the rights Of anybody who
does want to show disapproval in that way;
and, in general sense, that feeling is just
French sympathizers with Rossel have the
same tight to public expression of their feel
ings that the Orangemen had. We deplored
the taste of the procession these last insisted
on; but, when they insisted, we demanded
that they be permitted to parade and pro-
tectcd on precisely the same terms accorded
ts any other organization. We say the same
thing of the Internationals now. But we see
no reason why they should he permitted to
violate the uniform practice, the law, and the
well-settlcd judgment of large part of our
population, by parading on Sunday. Even in
the hight of our own great war the City
Council refused to permit, on Sunday, re-
ception and parade of the war-wOn veterans
of the city returning from the field. Here is
the acton aud the suggestive list of names /:
MAY, 1868.
Unanimously Resoircd, That in conformity with the
spirit OF the of the State and with the
expressed OF the highest military authorities, the
,ngenents for the formal reception and review Of
regiments returning from the field be restricted to
secular days" GEORGE OPDrRE, Mayor.
Committee on National Affairs, Bourd Of Aldermen.
TERENCE FARLEY, PETER MITCHELL,
JOHN L. HENRY, JonN ID. OTTIwELL,
j.. I. a. BoOLE.
Committee National 4 gafrs BOARD Of CouneR,nen.
WILLIAM JOYCE. JOHN MCCoESELL,
ALEX. BRANDON, JOHN HAvIIASD.
The law itself is equally explicit. We
quote from Rev. Stat, p. 934, 9th ed:
person shall wlfuy disturb interrupt disqu!et
any assenblage Of people met for religious worship.
by making q noise either within the place Of
worship, ~ 1t as to disturb the order and
sOlemnity Of the meeting; nor shall any person
obstruc the passage Of any highway any place Of
Worship"
The advertised route by which the process
sion of the Internationas, with its banners,
music, and noisy following, was to move led
by forty churches
We regret that this question should have
been raised, and feel very sure that the Inter-
nationals would have commanded far more
public sympathy if they had not defied the gene
raj sentiment, and proposed to violate the law.
But the attitude into which the question
drifted threatened to make martyrs of them
and the Police Commissioners may not have
been wholly unwise in yielding. Will not the
Internationals meet this concession gracefully
by so modifying their route as to give the
least disturbance to public worship and the
general order of day of restf And after
their parade is over, we pray for general
understanding that there shall be no more Of
like kind, for any object, on Sunday, and that
we may have some wise Legislative. re-
strictiOns concerning those to be held >6E
other days, that shall be impartiaAly and in.
fsxibly applied