New-York tribune., 1880-04-11

0TOWn a. tO., III DDStOus anu CiWUaN AaS
employed in that capacity by other like estab-
lishments. But before that he had mucn expe,,
rience in journalism had started Magazines ana
seen them fail had, in the course OF MS me-
passed through almost every magnaDle Vlcissi,,
tude. 1t was painful pleasure to hear nm tell
of the sorrows of his boyhoOd, which were
many, and some of them tragic; but ne always
did so with stoical cheertulness which MS
faith in the doctrines of the Church OF the New
JeIusaem-the SwedenboIgian, as men usually
call it-bad done much to insure lie perhaps
knew more than any man living OF the anti
slavery history OF Massachusetts, ana paTtcu-
of the Fugitive Slave Law. He had taken a
large part in all the resistance to that infamous
enactment IN Boston, had risked his lie ana
liberty for the sake of the Door hunted runaway
but he wOnld afterwaId talk Of 1t all half Sc
riOusly and bali laughiDgly. Those who were
enraged by his philanthropy used to declare
that he was Jesuit; and he was indeed born
and educated Roman Catholic. He still re-
tanned, as all sensible men must, n great re-
spect for the abilities Of the Jesults, notwlth-
standing his change Of religion, and do not
think that the accusation troubled him greatly.
In fact, he was abou: the serenest and most
philosophical man whom nave ever; seen
the only refOrmer known to me who always
kept his temper aud really hated nobody.
Another Boston correspondent OF The TRIB-
UNE whose letters were deservediy ADMIRED was
Mr. Edmund Qnincy, who wrote over the sigma
lure of Byes." He was well known as lead
ing AboIitionlst of the Garrisonian school, and
his being so, at first sight, was as much a
puzzle as the presence OF the flies IN amber,
until it was remembered that he was Quincy
with the buest OF the old revolutionary blood
in his veins. He was the son of JOSIAH Quincy,
once President of Harvard College. and Mayor
of Boston; he was the grandson OF that older
Josiah Quincy, of whom, when he was IN Lon
don upon patriotic Grand, LoId HlllsDoroagn
said that, if the Government did its duty, he
would be in Newgate or at TybuIn." OF
course it was not easy to silence the descendant
of such patriot. Yet MIR. Edmund Quincy
was far from being person OF the least vio-
lence or rant. He was thorough gentleman,
and therefore, he never clustered. He loved
elegant literary studies, had no passion what
ever for publicity, never indulged in freaks of
costume nor IN frisks OF speech and though
his wit had some 'of the ice-6rook's temper"
he gave his opponents their quietus gracefully.
and never mangled them. Mr.. Quincy's letters
to THE TRIBUNE were so good, so carefully
written, and so full of characteristic details,
that they would well repay collection and re-
publication in volume, not merely Tor the IN
formation which they contained, at a time when
we were making history hand over hand, but as
models of English composition. Apart from
his correspondence he wrote little, but can
safely recommend to every reader of taste his
novel of "WensIey," and to every historical
student his Memoir of Josiah Quincy"
1t would he doing good work if somebody
competent to do so would write the history of
the riot which ragged in New Yory city in July,
The rationale of mobs is about the Last thing
which municipal authorities seem able to COM
prehend. For four days horde OF undisci-
plined savages bullied the Mayor and the
They killed and burned, they attacked and
demolished at their own barbarous will, making
the conscnptiOn the pretext for their violence,
though they were really infuriated by hatred
pathy with secession. The Office of THE TRIBUNE
was q natural object of their hostility. and if
they did not destroy it by fire, 1t was because
they were towards as we'll as cruel and blood
thirsty vagabOnds. Printing House Square
was at times full of them, ard the building was
like a Well-appOinted arsenal, with sentnels at
the doors and with muskets and bombs and
cannon in readiness for probable asSailants If
these precautions had been taken earlier, the
little damage which was done to the counting
room would have been avoided for | never
saw men WHO pretended 10 be brave more
thoroughly craven. Once when they were
gathered in great force in Printing House
Square. a shower of rain sent them flying in
every direction; and undoubtedly they had
O natural dread of water as we'll as Of soap and
towels. A resoute body of policemen using
them to fight. They were only valiant in NAL
treating unarmed negroes, helpless women and
innocent children. They were only strong
because they thought that they had behind
them Democrats of the Seymour stripe When
they found that THE TRIBUNE otieN was quite
ready to give them an energetic reception,
thew STAYED away from it. Unfortunately, they
were prudent as well as felOniOus. Ii they had
made second attack upon the building, the
mortal career of great many of them would
have been speedily terminated.
The man who was the most thoroughly
worried by these demonstrations of assault and
defence was Mr.. Greeley, Not that he was IN
the least frightened by the mob, as we shall
presently see. But he had distaste for what
ever disturbed the routine of the Office, and
natural horror of bloodshed which did him only
credit and proved the kindliness OF bis heart.
/ believe that am night in saying that it was
much against his will that the preparations for
repelliDg the rascals were made. The fire arms
displeased him; the bombs and oil er muni-
tions were much in his way and he declaimed
against all these instruments Of war with a
Querulousness which was, In spite of the serious
ness of the situation, sufficiently amusing. de
had q notion, not perhaps altogether i'll
founded, that we were as likely to shoot ourselves
as the enemy All sorts of falsehoOds were
alright, whereas he was the most undaunted
man in the office. When his regular hour for
dining came, he put on his hat and walked to
his accustomed restaurant through q hostile
crowd which did not dare to lay the weight of a
finger upon him. He did not go out of the
building without earnest Temonstrance on the
part of his friends and associates. He was told
that the peril was extieme, and that his life
would be in danger; but he only answered,
half seriously and half jestiDgly, that " If the
time had come when be could not 20 out to his
dinner safely, he did not wish to live any
longer"
This extraordinary outbreak was not sup
pressed without great destruction of property
and loss of life probably much larger than Is
usually supposed have been told by trust
worthy person who was at the time q member
of the police force, that many were killed whose
deaths were never reported. The number of
the slain is usually given as one thousand-Mr.
Draper, in his History Of the Civil War; says
Sperhaps many more" The property de-
49, Aon,x ir,oA - oh 000 000
If anybody supposes that THE TRIBUNE was at
this time disposed to try the virtue of tenn
porizing policy, he has only to consult Its files
TO he disabused of that notion. The newspaper
- u IL l..