The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-07-10
The Prsoeaisa - the Orangenen-Ths
Plain Dsty Of the Authorities.

The Orange societies propose to have their
annual parade on Wednesday, the 18th Of
July, and there is some apprehension that the
| procession may lead to o terrible conflict and
the shedding of blood. While we hope such q
calamity may not come upon us we cannot
shut our eyes to the fact that there is some
danger. We suppose, too, the authorities and
those who have influence over the masses,
with whom the danger lies, are aware Of this
fact. If there should be bloody conflict,
then, the city authorities and those who have
influence to prevent such catastrophe will
be held responsible. Timely warning is given
of the threatened danger, and should the
Mayor, others in authority and the leaders of
the people not make ample preparation to
avert the evil, to maintain the rights Of all and
to preserve order, they will fail in their
duty and terrible accountability will rest
upon them. There can be no excuse for neg
lecting their duty. The Mayor and the Police
Commissioners have the police force at their
command, and there is the National Guard If
needed. Then, if necessary, fifty to hundred
thousand citizens could be called upon as
special constables. In the two days-to-day
| and to-morrow-before the procession of the
Orangemen takes place the fullest prepare
tons can be made to suppress any attempt at
disorder and to maintain peace.
If the Orangemen intend to parade or to hold
picnic, as they did last year when assaulted,
they have a right to do 80. As long as they
conduct themselves peaceably no one has
right to interfere, and if threatened with
violence it is the duty of the city government
to protect them. A great deal has been said
about the principles and religious prejudices
of these Orangemen and of the old feud
between them and the Irish Catholics, but this
has nothing to do with the question of their
| right to congregate together and to parade
peaceably in this city and land of freedom.
| 1t is not because they are Orangemen or
Protestan.s that they can claim this right and
should he protected in it. All sects
| and classes of people here have the
| same-the Catholics, Protestant sects of every
denomination, Jews, infdels, Irish, Scotch,
English, French, German, Spanards, negroes,
Chinese, and societies of every kind and Of
both sexes, have full liberty to hold meetings,
picnics or parades in the streets, with any ban
nsrs or devices they please that are not i'm
moral and as long as they aot peaceaby
This is impartial liberty, where all are treated
alike, but where all are subject to the restraints
of law and order. This is the very spirit of
our institutions and our glorious birthright
To permit any class of men or religious fac
ton to assume the power to violently prevent
any other class of men enjoying this inesti-
mable and universally acknowledged privilege
would be destructive to republican liberty.
1t would be the end of equal justice and our
city would be turned over to mob rule worse
than that of the Commune of Paris for the
liberation or permission of one such act of
mob violence would lead to others.
The time has come when the question must
be settled whether one class of the people
shall or shall not enjoy the same rights and
privileges as another, and 1t may be as well
on this occasion of the Orangemen's parade
as on any other. We have no sympathy with
those people who bring over the Atlantic with
them their old country prejudces and bigotry
and wish all, Cath ocs and Protestants alike,
would leave them behind. We care no more
for the battle of the Boyne or the questions
involved in it than for q fight between two
pugilists, but we insist upon all classes in
America being protected in their right to
assemble or parade in a peaceful manner.
Have not the Irish Catholics the largest liberty
here? Do they not on s.. Patricks Day or
any other day take possession of the streets of
New York, and that often to the inconvenience
Of thousands Of our citizens and to the obstruc-
ton of travel and business? Is not nearly
the whole police force of the city called out TO
courteously assist in their parades? Yet the
majority of the population care nothing for St.
Patrick and have no sympathy with them.
The Germans and people of other nstionalties
and religions do the same. Why, then, not
| the Orange societies? Here people of foreign
birth or foreign descent must learn to concede
to others the same privileges they enjoy them
selves. Our institutions are tolerant to all.
and we cannot allow mobs to usurp authority
for the purpose Of exhibiting their intolerance.
The fearful occurrence last year on the
| twelfth Of July was disgrace to the city gov
eminent. The blood of the men killed then
| is stain upon it, though little was said at the
time and its negligence was partly smothered
up. By far the greater part of the people at
the Orancemens picnic at the park near
Ninety second street on that occasion were
women and children, and more orderly.
better dressed and respectable class of people
are rarely seen. The rufians who assailed
them were for the most part men employed by
the city government on the new boulevards
and streets in that neighborbood. They left
their work ia the middle of the day for the
nnrnose of assaulting these inofCen 70 noonla