The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-01-24
THE FISK TRAGEDY.
Tho London Press on the Assassination
Spirit Of Which Fisk Was the Incarnate Rep
resentative-His Life scandal-The Crea-
tnre Of Surrounding Circumstances
The London Times OF the 9th saws

tnre Of Surrounding Circumstances.
The London Times OF the 9th says:-
The death Of James Fisk by the
hand OF man whose enmitv he rad gained IN one
OF the scandalous lntrigues Tor which was noto-
Mcfarland last year. when charged with the murder
OF Richardson. has naturally confirmed the faith Of
pcdetfG, ana Stokes, the murderer Colonel FisE,
had PROBABLY worked himself INTO the belief that he
had wrongs which called for vengeance. We know.
indeed, that he and the woman whose cause he was
supporting against the daring chief Of the Erie Ring
present temper OF the people. might have brought
upon him the fate OF his allies OF Tammany Hall,
@ a ona 81 Sy Srsns an
vent these revelatns. and by indtcting stokes for
sS nS' s 5 S
conflict with the law and magnificent squanderlng
Of the fruits Of victory that We are concerned ed to
Completely asserted bis supre@scy over his
rs was 70 BE-
and audit It was doubtful whether the old policy
Of ISSUING fraudulent stock could De tried again
expectancy to see what new move the crafty .Ad-
mira I they admirngiy dubbed the congueror
sassin's bullet mas cut short all such questionlngs
and left us IN doubt whether James Fisk was indeed
Was not With an aSeaaate %
the coming crisis -ss rt AZ
mont, and, ike ali "tne Green Mountain Boys''--
the Scots Of the Union-ne mad an early liking for
that James FISK wanted to get on AIS iasaer was
peder, who travelled with goods In the Valley OF
the business he started an immense, gorgeousiy
painted wagon, which alarmed the coiserva-
however, brought custom to its proprietor and his
enterprise soon gave him an opening In Boston,
where during Tho war he made a fortune. But hav-
u or get ria o. III and natural attraction drew
Drew and Gould, and entered upon the ambitious GUS
pan which led him, through SO much mire, TO sucn
an eMne ESe Of IS
WAL street itself, he might have used his undoubted
abilities his ysrsailiIy Of resource, his com.
wealth by means not dishonoraole: But the
not permit men who make the pursuit OF wealth
the first object OF their lives to be honest. They
the chance. Until the tone OF public sentiment In
james Fisk. the monstrosites OF speculative money
making, Will always be possible; and while they are
The Union be discredtted by such an apotneosls of
successful fraud as the career OF the Erie chief has
Sravely mperiled BY the ccncenrasnon Of power
80 vast IN the hands OF slngle INSCRIPTIONS man.
The pistol Of the assassin only Killed James Fisk;
tative Is still living and strong In New York.
The London Standard Of the same date treats
the subject IN this manney:.-
The man may have been better than his reputa.
ton. 1t may be said Of him that his vices were all
gross and striking ones without any alloy OF mean.
ness or pettlness He was roughly generous and
which no possessed himself. He was no nypocri,e
and deceived nobody as to his character. His
n1y sad MS ye were on grand ;, scale and
James Fisk, Jr, to be an honest man. and, believing
that, has suffered. 0bivlon-we cannot say
I'm un NVtlI I'M phnNaa
have said, for long time, bus it win not be on his
own account, but for the illustration his career
have been men quite vicious and quite as regard.
Sas Sss.s sSS s Ss9i
+ aS in EurR II mic Sn%
the ordinary decencies or society In the way James
Fisk, jr., did in New York ana in the various sum
mer resorts IN which the plutocracy Of the United
States assemble. The sayings and dOings OF this
man. whose character and whose antecedents were
thoroughly well known, oiled columns OF American
berry; It was spent in shameless dissipation. Yet
New York rather ohuckled over his excuses and
them. The journals read BY the "soiid men''
and by the virtuous women OF New York
ceedings OF this man, whose very life in New York
was sin and q scandal. The sin was nothing very
ilgacy. The vigorous descriptions Of some Of the
better or more decent phases Of It's dissipation.
e Of the facts. But until James FISK Jr appeared
upon the scene vice had not been presented to
Ssw n @ Of se
which nobody could object to persons outside his
or her own family, and the newspapers had not
FISK debauched New York IN this regard or New
h anG aoss
h en s o0 @ h.
was responsible he suffered no punishment. He
one Of his fellows in proaaacy ana il is not improb
able that his death will bear an even stronger test
mony 70 Inc emo s6as S o nsw tsr a
assassin, who, so long as State maintains capital
punishment, deserves to lose his head by the gull
lotine to have his neck broken by the natter, But
FISK VIII GEL this jusiiceP who Will dare to say
the man and his fellows win moi aTss and
that Stokes Will not be regarded as a personn who
therefore, to 60 scot fress New York the feels
shame OF Its liberation OF It's applause OF Fisk, and
ance with the habits Of democracy II it should con
slider Itself absOlved OF Its part as an acc0mplce In
his outrages upon decency by letting his murderer
The London telegraph Of the sth expresses the
following opinion:-
1t would be great pity, however, were we to bid
farewell TO this man Fisk, who has been shot like q
rhe occasion may be most appropriately improved
without either cant or commonplace. Fisk's career
ledClieS tWO leSSOus-Oue W Tue AmerlcduS, one 10
Englishmen. In the Erie ring AID It's Industrious
chief Americans may see the natural issue or most
s lsts q %na s J s Ssn Ss Ts
and CHIEF slhner-had almost seemed to erect
into q maxim Of public life and q first
article IN trading morality the cynical advice
OF the Old Insurer to his f1rst.born, "Make money,
my son-honestly II you can; but anyhow, make
money! Trickery and corruption were familiar
aids TO the New YORK gambler; and gambling by
degrees, came TO be the characteristic or New York
business. Ii that nad been all 1t Is doubtful to |
what an extent we should have been JUSTIFIED in |
casting the first at prosperous delinquent;
but unfortunately the immortality Of tIade u the |
Empire city went almost hand In hand With political |
corruption and each aided the other The legisla.
ture ct Albany would not have been what 1t once
WIN httt for nm m