New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-05-27
A PEVTVdL or JUSTICE.

| 1t would be cheering to think that New-York
is to enjoy a sort of reign of law and order
without Vigilance Committee. A few months
ago it really looked as if the lamp-post treat
ment, which Mr.. Phillips recommends as q
iudicious solution of the Labor question, would
have to be tried upon our ruling classes be-
fore we could look for anything like
security in persons and property. The
Judges were the creation of Tammany; the
rufiians were in the pay of the same OmnipO-
tent organization. The public appeared sunk
in hopeless and most discredtable apathy, no
one seeming to care anything about the dis
grace of the city so long as his own skin was
brought home whole every night. We were
sinking all together into a mire of goOd-na-
tured acceptance of all these scandals, and
careful observers began to predict that bad
would grow worse until the limit of endurance
was reached, and that then the decent people
would rise and go out upon the war-path.
But before giving up the fight, the Press
made one gallant rally against the foul coalition
of corruption and crime. By persistent series
of articles, THE TRIBUNE, ably seconded by
other journals, labored to arouse the general
conscience against some of the grosser forms
of vice and lawlessness which dsfgure the city.
With conviction of duty which surmounted
the natural lOathing which such subjects
inspire, we laid before the city the unflinchng
recital of the infamies of panel-bouses, the
keno-dens, the haunts of the PROGRESSES and
the gamblers, which were flourishing under
the open tolerance of the authorities. We
treated these matters with the gravity which
they deserved, and we made them for the
| 4, IL, nc tho II no
caught the prevalent tone of discussion and
bestirred themselves to realize the just
expectations of the law-abiding citizens.
Great numbers of panel-hOuses were broken
up or put under the strict surveillance OF
officers The gambling-hOuses were haTied
by frequent Iaids. Not only the small and ig-
noble dens where lOafers and shop-bOy staked
their scanty pennies were closed and crushed,
but the hand of the law was laid upon the
luxurious and lucrative hells of Tammany
politicians and Congressman.
While this vigorous and wholesome public
opinion was in full operation, the murder of
Mr. Putnam came to give it energetic dlrec-
ton in a field where it would be most eflca-
cious. The alarming increase of rowdyism
and brutality among q certain class OF
our population was startlingly illustrated
and emphasized by this midnight horror
on our most public thOroughfare. But
there was great danger that justice
would not be done upon the criminal. He was
small politician himself. His family had
been enriched by the Ring. He was the friend
and proteg6 of some of the petty chiefs of
hundreds in our central despotsm. But the
Press with a striking unanimity made common
h. 1.o1,
scented in his person and his act. By its full
reports of the murder, and its firm and
energetic appeals for prompt and thor
ough punishment, it nodded a solid
and effective public judgment, such as is
rarely seen in the history of great crimes. 1t
required week to find twelve men who had
not formed and expressed an opinion of the
crminality of Foster, and even they were
more or less influenced by that powerful at
mOsphere of conviction which they weakly
pretended to defy Let no one say this was
less than justice to the prisoner. The
Press of New-York is as searching, as
conscientious, and as unerring in its judgments,
in matters where the public good is sought
independent of political or selfish considera-
tons, as any inquisition or court in the world.
II was the Press which insured for the People
against Foster fair trial. cit wasl.the Press
that made the exercise of any corrupt or i'm
proper influences in his favor impossible.
II was this outspoken manifestation Of the
popular demand for prompt justice which, on
the same day. saw verdict delivered against
two murderers, Foster and McNevins. These
two righteous verdIcts have spread terror
and CONSERVATION among the ruffans of the
city. One of them was heard to observe to
another, as they left the courtroom where
McNevins had received his doom, 1t looks
"like they was going to hang us all"
In all this there is great and substantial
announcement for honest journalism we
have it in our power, if we lay aside our
,ni,er,ble chickering's for "a while, and unite In
81, ,arpcst effort in favor of Justice and