Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-07-18

1919 AND 1871.
There never was truer remark than
thut by President Polk, that "old docu.
munts are dangerous that" The New
York World has been rummaging among
the musty files Of 1S49, and there finds
some very curious expressions of opinion
as compared with the utterances of the
same parties to-dsy. The World Gays
the Asior Place riots of May, lS49, re-
suited from the attempt Of an Epgiish ac-
tor, MIR. Macresiy, and his friends to
cOmpe! hearing for him in the face OF
the threats Of Mr. Edwin Forrest and a
great number, not of Irish, but Of Amer
lean citizens, 10 drive him from the pub
lie sage. He would be very bold or a
very silly man, continues the World, who
should undertak e TO maintain that the
''rigbi" Of q givln company of persons
to use the public thoroughfaTe for q parade
of:their own, is az all to be compared with
the right of given company { persous TO
near an actor whom they have hired 20
play for them in theatre which they
have hired 20 h ear him in. How did the
newspapers Of zhat day deal with the
Astor place rio,2 They reviled and Will
fed Mayor Woodruff for not doing pre-
cieely what the Tribune and the Herald
and the rest of them Tow abuse Mayor
Hall for doing. EIr. Greeley, IN the
Tribune, spoke of actingas "a miserable
vocation, and was Indignant at the idea
that blood should be ghed to protect an
actor in pursuing it. lie thought ''the
intervention of the military with bal
cartridges uncaned for" The Herald
put all the blame Of the riot, not, upon
the rioters, but upon Mr.. Macready and
his friends, and upon the city government
for failing to suppress them. "rhe card
of the friends of Mr.. Macready,
it said, 'fnviting him 10 reap
pear, and assuring him that he would
be sustained, was considered by the
friends of Mr.. Forrest in the light of a
challenge-as an invitation TO trial of
strength between the friends of MIR. For
rest ndthese gentlemen and their friends.
The effect of this card, and of
Mr. Macresdy's consent TO resppear, was
TO put the city authorities in direct oppo-
sition TO the friends of Mr.. Forrest, at
the dictaiion Of few individuals in the
maintenance of an absi ract principle.
Thiswas thejgreat and fatal error" What
was ''great and fatal error" in 1S49
becomes high and holy duty in 1871
The press in other parts of the country
WAS still more bitter. A respectable New
Engiand journal = the NeWburyport,
(aIsse. Hsrald-charged the city gov
ernmcnt with "bad judgment"iin main
taining Nj. Macresdy's right to 6eheard.
A Philadelphia paper exclaimed,
"Who melted the iiot9 To our minds,
most conclusively, those who addressed q
card to Mr.. Macready asking him to ap-
pear again. What is the use of police
if it is not preventive? In our city when
riots have been anticipated Mayor Swift
prevented them by removing the csufe OF
provocation and folbiddmg exhibitions
which were calculated to inflame the pub.
lie mind. Every man." continues this
journalist ''who invited = repetition of
Mscresdy's appearance, fIom Washington
Irving down 10 the mesnest scrub Of the
sigucrs, should be indicted for melting to |
riot. d"
This was in 1S49, and in denuncia'ion
of the indubitabe right of every man TO |
hear in his own theatres, subject only to
the Limitation of deccncy, the plays
aud the players which he may pre-
fer. In 1871 the men vino incite
an outrageous and intllmmatory process |
sion 10 cary sparks through finder in the
heart Of great city are Landed as defend
ers of liberty! There never was anything
clearer than that the course Of the Radi- |
CT papers il New York, touching the
late riots in that city, ls piece Of political
trickery. Il they could make capital for
their party now as they did in l849, or at
least eudeavored to do, they would de-
nounce the authorities for permitting the
O-opgemen to parade, and thus ircite
bloody and fatal riot.