New-York tribune., 1877-08-09
ANGLO-AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

CAUSE OF TIE RIOTs-THE IRISH OBSTRUCTION
ISIS RESTRAINED.
PROM TIE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUHE.l
LONDON. July 2S.-AmId all the European ex-
elements of the week, which have been many the
news from the United States has been startling
enough TO secure pretty good share OF attention.
The correspondent of The Times has full accounts
of the disturbances a column and sometimes two
columns a day By cable. That of itself shows how
much interest has been felt. The comments have
been many and various but the first thing have to
say about them is that none of them, far as have
seen. have been hostile. Nobody .ol'es ~ tue
riots Nobody goes about exclaiming told you
so :" nobody thinks t worth while to remark
that nothing else could be expected OF re-
publican government. Surprise and regret
are expressed freely, but predictions of the
immediate collapse Of the. Union are conspicuous BY
their absence Indeed. the opinions offered at first
were almost too lenient. The Government was
praised in than one quarter for energy ana
prompttude, whereas later 1t was perceived that IL
had shown neither one nor the other of those de-
sirable qualities. With every disposition 20 make
allowance for difficulties for the small number Of
troops available, and for the hindrances to their
movement, people nevertheless felt that the Execu-
tive might have done mOre and done II more swift
w. The outbreak is almost universally regarded
here as IN instruction, almost social war-was 40
regarded from the first and men who have
been confronted all their lives with social prob
lens wonder that the true nature Of the conflict
should not have been discovered IN Washington at
once. No European government would have hesl-
tated for an instant 20 use f0rce-a the force that
could have been brought to bear against mobs
against any sort Of violence that bore the remoteet
resemblance 10 Communism, or TO an attack upon
society. Nobody here understand why Presi-
dent Hayes should have wasted invaluable time III
proclamations: why the insurgents who had been
three or four days in open rebellion should have
been allowed another forty-eght hours 10 disperse
why militia should not have been sent at once from
the New England States TO the Middle States
when the militia Of the latter had been
proved TO be untru.worthy; why troops
should not have been employed TO keep open
an unobstructed railway communication for miii-
tary purposes; why m0bs should not have been pre-
vented from collecting and organizing as well ns
dispersed after they had collected at infinitely
greater cost Of life aud peril 10 public safety; and
so on. riot, it is said may occur anywhere there
Is nothing very shocking in that. What is shocking
is such a report as comes. for instance, from -.
Louis that the mob is in complete possession Of the
streets but that there Is no disturbance because
there was no resistance. People say that III t-c-'
existing governments, State and Municipal, II not
imbecility shown in some instances By those
in authority But they note with admira-
ton that the better classes organized fresh
governments in q moment. which took the place OF
the old and did their work. For that is what Is
understood and rightly understood, bv the forma-
ton Of vigilance committees. Full credit is given TO
the railway managers who have stood firm. The
men who are condemned are the Governors who
pareyed with the rioters and especially, that
detected denagoguc. Williams Of Indiana, who
seems TO have sided with the strikers til
public opinion compelled him % make soma
show of being the side OF order.
thought said an Euglishman, your people had
lcsi1ed the lesson of your great Rebellion better
learned, at least that the first business Of govern
ment is to keep order. and that the stemcst deal
ing with disorder is the most merciful, as IL Is
tho most certain. II you want 20 convert Eu-
rope 10 Rcpublicauism. the first thing you have
10 do is TO show that Republican Executive can
strike quick and strike hard when peril arises.
Your President has had the advantage Of being
soldier, yet be hesitated. You have = small army it
is true; but whose fault is that" And l might
quote much harder criticism.
Speculations on the causes of The insurrcction
have abounded, but will mention one only. ION
Will doubtless be surprised 70 learn on MI Brghts
authority that your troubles-all these rots and
strikes and the armed rebellion that has spread
through dozen Statcs-are due 10 your Protective
Tariff. The most ardent partisan Of Free Trade
never. perhaps, before, went quite far, as that
is scarcely an argument tor his gospel OF seltshness
Mr. Bright told his friends at lunch Thurs
day. after the unyeil:ng Of the statue Of Golden,
that the distress oi the past four years is almost
tirely 10 be attributed TO your mistaken protective
system Then be declared that the terrible scenes
in tho State Of Pennsy lvania--he seemed o. have
beard Of others" come very much from the same
cause" IL happens according to Nr. Bright III this
way: There the prostrat0n OF the iron industry,
this COLLAPSE arising from the impoyershment Of the
capitalists necessitating a great fall Of wages and
the attempt 10 resist the fall OF wages by those who
had very high wages for long time, so that there
springs up a riot which approaches to the dimensions
of a local insurrectIOn-One OF the most deporable
and dscrcditable things which have happened IN the
Northern States, far as my knowledge goes.
great deal of this NAV be traced TO the errors which
the United States have committed in the matter
Mr. Bright is one Of the wisest and best of English
men. He has a knowledge of the United States and
friendship for the Union and for the American peo-
ple such as few Of his countrYmen have given equal
proofs Of But he takes almost precisely the view Of
this rebellion which our worst enemies took or pre-
tended to take of the rebellion Of 1861, which they
eclared TO be q struggle By the South in behalf Of
Free Trade On that point. Mr. Bright, like 50
many other Englishmen, Is fanatic.
There has been ro5ing over here, TOO. don't re-
fer 10 the proceedings IN Bulgaria but IN England.
and the rioters were Of the same nationality as
good many Of yours--Irsh. The House OF Com
mons has been the scene Of protracted disturb
ance. and the disturbers have not been dealt with
any more decsivey than with you. No violence
here but an organized and obstinate effort 70 set at