New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-03-26
THE NER-YORK TEMPE.

feSSedly commonplace one OF ~ led5J inc
policy of controlling the temper. Old-fash-
toned mothers used to Groom over the cradles
the lesson of DR.. Watts to the little ones
about letting their angry passions rise" and
possibly many mothers of the new fashion
now do the same, though apparently to small
purpose. The young man who has just paid
the penalty of passionate indulgence was the
representative Of many men utterly lawless and
unrestrained inevery respect but especially so
in avenging real or fancied injuries and
insults. They are strong in physical devel-
Opment, and they are proud of their strength.
In them the cOmbative faculties have been
largely developed, and they esteem it point
of the highest honor not to be wOrsted in
physical conflict. But here their notion OF
honor ceases. Of anything like fair play, OF
the punctiliO which marks the rencOunters OF
gentlemen, they have no more idea than II
they were so many naked savages. Hence
they assault their opponents not merely in a
brutal, but in thoroughly cowardly manner
Any weapon which comes readily to hand, so
it be heavy and effective enough, answers
their purpose. The pistol, the knife, and
the bludgeOn are the chosen instruments
of vengeance with which they seldom go un-
provided. Hence, as they are easily offended,
even when they are sober, and still more
easily when, as usual, they are drunk; as they
like nothing better than a fight; as they do
not exercise the least restraint over their
animal impulses, they are, in all places OF
public resort about as dangerous as a tiger in
a Jungle. Their rage, when it is once aroused,
is perfectly blind and undiscriminatiDg. They
are as likely to kill women and children as
they are to kill men. From the moment when
they are under the full control Of their
passions, they are as irresponsible as
bulldogs and as much to be dreaded.
A character of this type is somewhat
remarkable in our temperate latitude. 1t IL
usually to be found in warmer climates; but
for some reason it has been developed here.
It may be referred partly to democratic infiu-
ences and the presence of that liberty the
tendency of which is always to degenerate
into license but mostly, we are inclined to
believe, to chronic Intemperance and lust
But still these are wees which are secondary
in their character. There is something
behind these fitful gusts Of passion too
often ending I'm violence and death. Many
men who have received from nature
spirit quick to take Otfense, and hard
to control, have nevertheless learned to con-
troll it. The fault lies deeper. The evil is
rooted in a certain degradation of character,
in low tastes in base impulses, in coarse
habits. in disregard of appreciation, in unmiti-
gated selfishress and III nature as impatient
of restraint as a hungry wolf. This, 1t seems
to u.s. ia man at his worst. When he has thus
the appliances of civilization with no tendency
except to pervert and misuse them, he is all
the more to be dreaded from the number OF
his faculties and facilities. Because he is sur
rounded by the well-meaning and the civilized,
he has all the greater opportunity Of giving
pain and of increasing the discomfort and the
danger of his neighbors. An Eruption of
savages into polished and enlightened city
would occasion great temporary Suffering;
but it is all the worse when hot-headed and
heavy handed eyil-dOers are fixed and con-
stituent and forever disturbing element.
The New-York temper Is only one, though a
prominent feature of NewYOrk rOwdyism
in general. 1t is the result of many vices of
drinking, of other forms of debauchery, of
gaming, and of the idleDess which prefers to
steal rather than work. Unfortunately, we
have been thus far unable to. keep this general
degradation out Of our politics; and men who
were anxious to acquire power and wealth at
the public expense have used these groSser
social elements for their own base purposes.
With evil ones in the places of honor and of
trust, are we to expect the virtues Of self
control and of honesty in the back slums and
the whisky shopsR With courts of justice APP
parently unwilling, or at least unable, to
enforce the laws against violence, can we
wonder that the violent have increased in
numbers or that they have waxed so enOr-
mously impudent and shameless If bankers
shoot each other in Wal-st., why should not
DULLES shoot each other in the Five POintsi Our
great wants then have been two 1. The want of
law rgidly enforced and 2. The want of a good
example. Wrath in brOadclOth is no better
than wrath in rags. The gentleman who primes
himself with champagne before he shoots a
neighbOr who has i'll some way offended him,
Is, in some respects, responsible for the evil
deeds of the poor devil who fills himself with
ive-cent whisky and then goes home to beat
out the brains of his poor, Woodworking wife.
But between these extremes there is, if we
may say so, kind of respectable rowdyism-
the rowdyism of men who are not poor,
who have preserved decent status,
who live in good houses, who wear
good clothes, and are very far from
being driven to murder by want. 1t is this
class of offenders, together with those who
have also the responsibility of riches, with
whom the law has heretofore dealt with
ridiculous and melancholy tenderness. Poor
devils without penny in their pockets, and
with hardly the moiety of a garment upon
their shivering backs, have usually been most
energetically disciplined But those who could
command votes, who could vote themselves,
10 nn,,ld lnnd forlnr,, hnnns ncrninst the hnl-