The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-07-15

There were possibly over hundred and fifty
persons killed and wounded in our streets on
the 10Th of July, and it appears to be the
general impression that this bloody work might
have been avoided had not some one or more
in charge of the National Guard Numbered
If this is true, where lies the responsibility
Does it belong to General Shaler? And may it
he charged to his neglect of specific instruc-
tions to his subordinate officers? Or is
some officer of this regiment, that regiment or
the other responsible, in having disregarded
his general instructions from headquarters?
Or does the responsibility belong to the
soldiers of one or of several regiments in
opening fire without orders or in disregard of
orders from their colonels? Or did the cap
tain or captains Of any regiment order fire
in the absence or in violation of orders from
any superior officer? These questions ca be
settled satisfactorily only by a searching in
vestigation but in the meantime, it is evident
that among our National Guards there was
some laundering, and laundering sufficient to
suggest the necessity of more efficient train
ing of our State militia regiments than they
have yet been given in reference to such emer-
gencies as that of Wednesday last. This is
the lesson which the events of that fearful day
teach us in regard to the patriotic soldiers
upon whom in every crisis of sudden danger to
the public peace we confidently rely; and it is
lesson which should be thoroughly studied and
understood by our National Guards in view Of
future contingencies.
We are proud of our city police establish
ment, Of its discipline, loyalty, GOODNESS,
courage and efficiency in dealing with mob.
All the qualities of policemen demanded on
such occasions were strikingly illustrated in
the cool and courageous bearing of our police
force on Wednesday last. But we are re-
minded from the events of that dreadful day Of
the old adage that San ounce Of prevention is
worth pound of cure" For example, had
the police cleared the streets early in the
morning in all the neighborhood of the
arrangements headquarters, from which their
procession was to start, aud had all the neigh
boring streets been kept clear until the pro-
cession had gone by, collision with the
soldiers might have been avoided. The dis
poSitious VI VIC pOiiCo auu tuo MILITARY IOV Tue
protection of the Orangemen on their line of
march were very good. for the Orangemen
were completely protected from the beginning
to the end of their parade, but the clearing
away of the riotous elements collected on
Eighth avenue and '1ying in wait" for the
procession was delayed too long, it being
delayed till the procession and its protecting
forces were in the midst of the rioters. Here,
then, we have lesson for the police which
should not be disregarded.
In the next place the list of the killed and
wounded embraces many innocent and law
abiding citizens, drawn by fatal curiosity to
the ground of conflict. In oil collisions of the
military with the mob, in this city and in all
other cities, we have the same old story of the
killing and manning of inoffending citizens and
strangers. The lesson of all such cases is that
of poor innocent dog Tray. who suffered with
the guilty in being found in their company.
Soldiers and bullets are no respecters Of per-
sons in street fight, and even If the soldier
aims at well-known rufian the chances are
as ten to one that in the surgings Of the crowd
he misses his man and hits another party.
Upon this point the words fifty spoken by
Archbishop McCloskey to his flock on Sunday
last are like 'apples Of gold in pictures of sill
YER" and all peaceable citizens will do well to
remember them, for they are catholic in the
universal sense of the term.