New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-07-30
THE E1LLEEE

An decent citizens feel greatly relieved 10
know that law and order have prevailed, that
rios have been subducd and hundreds of lead
crs and instigators arrested, and that the re-
sistance of misguided men to the movement
of trans has generally weakened, and on some
important roads altogether ceased. There will
still be interruption for days on some roads,
and occasional combats between the auth0rl-
ties ana the mohs in some cities. But the
worst is over, and he country breaticS more
freely 1t is n good thing for the country,
also, that in almost every instance work IS re-
sUmcd at the wages proposed by the compa-
mics, not mercy because. in view of the pres
ent condition of business and of the COM
panies, the wages are generally reasonable
ut far more because any surrender by
employers TO demands backed by force and
threats breaking, burning end murder
would have been an encouragement % the least
WORTHY workmen to resort to violence again,
whenever obey might have a dispute With en-
ploycrs as to wages. The result Is good be-
cause il viii help to teach even the most lgIOr-
ant lqboTcrs that it does not pay to break the
laws in order 10 get higher wages. !, IS eel.
too that hundreds Of leaders and instlga,Ors have
been arrested, and every prudent citizen will
hope that the punishment will be 80 severe. and
will reach so many persons, rs to de or others
from attempting instruction against the
civil authorities. No company can afford
to compound these felonies; TO branch OF the
Government can all cd to treat them other
wise than with the utmost IigOl a the law.
Mercy here would be cruelty TO thousands
hereafter.
THIS great insurrection has called much at
tcntion TO the defects of oar municipal and
state Governments, TO the Lack of power III
the Federal Government to meet such out
breaks promptly and effectively, to deficiencies
of our pe nal statutes bearing upon such offences,
and, generally to the peculiar dangers to which
| self government must always be exposed from
lawlcSs outbreaks originating III dissaiistac-
| ton of labor. These dangers wee stated
with peculiar force III an cid and. lately ie-
vivcd lcttc. by Lord Macaulay in which he
saws to an American:
You Will have your Manchcsters and Brminehams,
| and in those Manchesters ana anmughams hundreds
oi thousands Of artisans viii assuIcdy he sometimes ont
OF work TEcn your institutions viii b fairly brought
to the test. Distress everywhere makes the lborer
nutinous and Discontinued aud inciues him to listen
with eageIncss agtaors who tell him that It is mon
,trous uiquity that man should have million whA
/
that your Government VIII never DO able 10 restrain
| distressed and Disconnected majority For Won the
majority is the Government and has tbs rich, who are
alwi,y6a minority absolutely at Us mercy There
/ viii be- fear spolation The spoliaron Will increase
the distress The distress will produce fresh spolation
| rLerr Is nothing to stop YOU Your Constitution Il all
/ sail and no anchor
! Mdcaulay, if a witness Of events to-day,
! wOuld hardly say there is nothing to stop us.
| Cur constitution somewhat like the British
| in one respect embraces many provisions and
| powers which DO not appear IN written dOcu-
| mcntS. Among others. Is the power OF the
people of any locality threatened with mob-law
I 20 defend their lives aud property by volun-
tary associations in aid of THO civil author les,
/ and such associations have prung up within the
past week in many localities, and have con
! tributed greatly to tie suppression Of disorder.
! But however sharply We may criticise the ac
ton Of many local officers, it will not be denied
/ that our Government, a. whole, has done
/ very much 10 Icfutc the predictions of Ma
! caulav Honor to the Democratic city of New
! York It's local provision to prevent outbreak
/ WAS prOupt and effective. Honor TO the Dem
/ ocIatic Governor of New York, TO whose encr-
( cetic measures aud firm bearing it is largely
due that the instruction was overcome more
speedily in this state IAN in my other.
| Honor also, 10 hc Republican Governor OF
! PENNSYLVANIA, and 10 many other State and
! local officials of the same party, who have
/ done their duty firmly and well. Above all,
/ the Federal Government has not proved in the
/ least degree weak in spirit or lacking in de-
Examinations 1t has made admirable use of the
/ slender powers at its disposal II 80 sudden an
emergency, and had the revolt last another
week. its physical force would have been felt
as fully as It's moral power has been displayed
during the week that is past. The certainty
that All It's powers would 90 employed, un-
oucstionably dld much 10 suppress the revolt
But behind all authorities was the sober and
determined purpose Of the great majority Of
citizens. The fatal error of Macaulay was in
surprising that at any time majority of all
citizens of this country could be enlisted in Il
strike against capital The experience of the
past week is immensely valuable in this
respect Workmen on railroads struck for
higher wages, thus demanding that trans
uortation should be made more costly. But
against them were the millions Of farmers who
s., recently demanded cheaper transportation,
and merchants and u.act,Icrs, to whom
prompt aud regular transportation Is a neces-
sitv. So la every other crisis the narrow self
interest of many has given way to the COM
mon interest Of others, nor is it easy to i'm
agine a contest in which the farmers, who are
workers and also capitalists, and the wOrkmen of
the Trades Unions, whose organizations are III