News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-06-05
THE SWORDS USES.

sword could have achieved it, and the
other swords bathed in heaven.
THE SWORDS USES.
So now the sword has its uses, al
though it is a sheathed sword. There
is not an armory in Brooklyn, or New
York, or Philadelphia, or Chicago, or
Charleston, or New Orleans, or any
American city that could be spared.
We have in all our American cities a
ruffian population who, though they
are small in number, compared with
the good population would again and
again make rough and stormy times il,
back of our mayors and common coun-
ellis and police, there were not in the
armories and arsenals some keen steel
which, if brought into play, would
make quick work with mobocracy
There are in every great community
unprincipled men who like row on a
large scale, and they heat themselves
with sour mash and old rye and other
decoctions, enriched with blue vitriol
potash, turpentine, sugar of lead, sui
phuric acid logwood, strychnine, night
shade and other precious ingredients,
and take down whole glass with re-
sounding 'Ah!" of satisfaction When
they get that stuff in them, and the
blue vitriol collides with the potash and
| the turpentine with the sulphuric acid,
the victims are ready for anything but
order and decency and good govern
ment. Again and again, in our Ameri-
can cities has the necessity of home
guards been demonstrated.
We remember how, when the sol
diers were all away to the war in 1863
GA, what confagrations were kindled
in the streets of New York, and what
negroes were hung. Some of you re-
member the great riots in Philadelphia
at fires, sometimes kindled just for the
opportunity of uproar and despoliation.
In 1S49 a hiss at theatre would have
resulted in New York city demolished
had it not been for the citizen soldiery.
Because of an insult which the Ameri-
can actor Edwin Forrest had received
in England from the friends of Mr.
Macready, the English actor, when the
latter appeared in New York, in Mac
beth, the distinguished Englishman was
Kissed and mobbed, the walls of the
city having been placarded with the
announcements: ''Shall Americans or
English rule in this city?" Streets were
filled with a crowd, insane with passion.
The riot act was read but it only
evoked louder yells and heavier volleys
of stones, and the whole city was
threatened with violence and assassina-
ton.
But the Seventh regiment, under
Gen. Duryea, marched through Broad
way, preceded by mounted troops, and
at the command: ''Firel Guards!
FIRE." the mob scattered, and New
York was saved. What would have
become of Chicago, two or three years
ago, when the police lay dead in the
streets, had not the sharp command of
military officers been given Do not
charge such scenes upon American in
situations. They are as old as the
Ephesian mob that howled for two
hours in Paurs time about the theatre,
amid the ruins of which | stood last
January. They were witnessed in 1875
in London, when the weavers paraded
the streets and entered buildings to
destroy the machinery of those who
because of their new inventions, could
undersell the rest. They were wit
messed in 1871 at the trial of Lord
George Gordon, when there was re-
ligious riot.
Again, in 1919. when the rabble cried
'fDown with the Presbyterians Down
with the meeting houses!" There al
ways have been, and always will be, in
great communities, class of people
that cannot govern themselves and
which ordinary means cannot govern,
and there are exigencies which nothing
but the sword can meet. Aye, the
militia are the very last regiments that
it will be safe to disb2nd.