Mobs

We defino a mob to be an nssembly of riotous individuáis, convcned for the purposc ofattacking tlie per6ous or property of otli. ers, contrary (o law. It follows, from Un definition, that one cssential and prominent feeling in the mind of a mobocral, is t contempt of the law; a want of revcrence lor it as a rule of action, a disrenard of rts injunctions and prohibitions, and a defiaiuy of itB penaltiesi A contempl for tbe author ty oí law is usually generated by a slug. gishness and want of promptitude in its ex eculion. VVliere he laws are invariably ,ex ecuted upon oflenders, thêy inay be disljked but they cannot be despised, and in such community, mobs will be scatce. A second cause ofmobs is found in th encouragement and countenance given t them by rnen of property and standing in th community.These gentlemen lend the weigh of their characters and iníluence against i certain class, by denouncing their real o supposed principies and prácticos as injuri. ons to the interests of their fellow citizens or asderogatory to iheír charactcr and repu lation, iherebyinciting the mob to def,ds o violence against them. When Cincinnoi ■as ander the dominion of a mob for sever al days, during the recent riot, the citizens, held a meeting, and after passing a string of resolutions against inobs and Ilegal violence, they conchuled wilh declaring that they "viewed with aborrenee the proceedings ofthe Abolitionisls," and that every cilizen ought by al) Jawíul means to discountenance every man who lends them his assistance - Such a resolution as this, passed at such a lime, by a meeting of the most reepectable citizens, over whose deliberaticns .he Mayor presiiled, was a pretty pkin intimation to tho mobocrate to aüack a particular class of the'citizens, and was so understood hy them, and doubtless so designed by those who originated it. The mob attacked the houses and property ofthe abnlitionists with greater boldness and courage than before. Also, the countenanee or approval ofthe eading men in a cornmunity, whether open y exprcssed, or only implied, tend greatly to encourago the violators of la to ]iope they shalJ escapo ils penaltics, while they act only with the current of public sentiment. In the ordinary adminisiralion oflaw the guilty often escape, and thi-y feel doubly courageous in risking its penalties, when the iníluential and dignified, ivhose opinión and feulingg, in a great tncasure cnforce or mitígate the severity of ils excciuion, sympathize with them, and indirecUy incite them to viólate its provisiona. In every place large enough to contain the rnaterials of a mob, thcre are a few leading individuáis, whose nfluence, ïf united, could iromediately suppressits propensities to violence. Henee we se, that the responsibility of the existence of a mob, lies, in a great measure,witli the most respectable and dignified individuals of the place. The outbreaking of vioJent andungovernable passions may be reckoned as a third occasion of mobs. The violence of ihe pas sions is augrnented or diminished, in all cases, by theearJy training of tho individual, and the habits of the surrounding society. The same child, that under the tukion of some Quaker, or minister, or deacon in New England, would become a peaceable, orderly Kn-abiding citizen, when educated amid the ihe influences of a high-spirited slaveholding family, might be jealous, quarrelsomc and violent in his intercourse with society. Either class of foohngs ie developed, more or le?s, in proportion as circumstances cal! them into action. Wheüce u slaveholding country, other things bèmgequal, will always be more subject to mobs and the crimi-s resulting from excited and impetuoiis feelings, Ihan á community where every citizen is taught, from his eariiest years, to regard his ciuhbor's rights, and in all contests which may arise, toeubmit hie cause, implicitly and finally, to the justice znitnacy of the laws, and to seek no redress for his grievances bcyond what they vviilafford. ilow much more cornmon are moba and personal violence in the slave States, than amid the steady industrious population of New England! A fourtli and principnl cause of mobs is the immense quantity of intoxicating drinks that is Biipplicd to the community throurh the operation of the license system. Exccpt in the ca3es last referred to, individuáis will 8eldom caminit violence on each other's persons or property when perfcctly frce from iutoxicating drinks: and a g re at proportion of the cases of assault and batteiy which occur, fko place vvhile one or boih of the parties ;re partially intoxicated. And of the more sertous crimes which fill otir State Prisons, a considerable share were committed whiie the criminal was und.r the actual operation of alcohol. In fact, ardcnt spiritu have often heen resorte.d to by persons intending to commit crimes, for the purpose of bracing their nerves, and drowning the voice ofreaeonnnd conscience. Their inikience s similar on the min ds of amo!) inicnton mischief and destruction. Wliere has ; mob been known in uil the country whern iüere was no alcohol? It is an indispensable rcqii-ne: and the most disgiacef'ul nnd bluody mobs in the land have been accompanied !y a plentiful supply of liq-iors. On the o'tfrer land, who would not !ü astop.islied to hear of a mob composed entirely of (ëestotaJlersi From ihis brief recital of the causns of mobs, we mny nlso, in some measüre, discover the remedies. A fuithful excciuiuü of the laws by ihe mngistrates, and a prompi and united cnncenlration of the influeuce of the principal citizens wiiliro far towirdá iestraining the violence and ferociousnss of a mob, alihough they loave untouchüd the two reat fountains of' commo'.ion anti r. ' against the l.-.w- : j.av;;;y aiiÍ Ai.u.moi,.- Against these also we cali uipóïi a!l patriots and lovers of mankind to unili, by beginning at the fúundejíún of fia yïla which deluge the laiul, by ettab]íj])Ío asa permanent principie, that A7infl;ience and dicir votes, ehall never send to onrLoi.-l i live Halls, thr.se who are in favor of Iqoger oursing our nntion and tho world by a cpó? tinuance of these evils. Let the otlicr porties takc what course on these great iytijecta tlicir party nierests ;inil projudicee mny require, the LmainT purty, fo.unded 0:1 it.o principies of eqii.il nrn! exact jüstice, ttíll ui. timotely mák e an end of botii, and :-!avcry and ihe eystcm óf liccusing drunkortaoss liy law shall be ixmemböred arnong tii;. thinird ! that wei e, and !ioir existence be recurred io ! Dy historians as au astonisiiing imtunce of ihe f.iliy and copravity of ihe puople v.hoso un enrfured hem.A few cJayá since we heard an invalkl clergyman inquiring ofa gentlemen who i.u' resided at ihe South, wlielher it would be safe for him, ai avowed aboiñroñist, tu u:.vel tn the SüUtii for tbe recovery of hiá (leoiih. üe was aseur. d most fuÜy, llmtit -.vould not be safe - tlmt ehoufd Jiis couneclion with ubolition bccoim: knuwn Avhilc thor, l:e would be in continu;.! danger of boing lynclu-d, and perhaps hangu.j- and tliat neitiier hts sacri-d prolession, nor hts personal respecia!)il!y. nor his slate f health, wonld he ceriain óf secunng him Oom personal violenté. Wiiat a story is Chis to teil of one half of our country! Amid whai weconsider the tyrannical governmeots of the oíd vor!d, the per.son and property of ihe Aaiorican Iraveik'r aro perfectly safe: and be is ni riberty lo expresa his eüiitiments on any subject withont rnolestation, and should he by any means be exposed to injury or abuse, iiis charactcr as an American cilizen will secure the protection srtd interference of the government.- Yut ihe same Uaveller cannot pass through one half of ihese f ree United States, for health, business, or curiosity, vjtbout imminent dangrr to life and liherty from his own counírymen. How rnuch reason aboliiioniBts havo to praise our f ree insfilutions- our equal rights- our civil liberties! {Ö=Jacob Birker, a lawyer, of erainence in New Orleaus, formerly from the Noríh, who has been engaged extensively in suits n buhalf of free negroes and coiored persons, has been notitied by a committee of uitizens to quit the Slate, informing hira if he did not coinply with the invkation, he would reccive a visit from Judge Lynch. In the time of Paul, the Apostle, being a Roman and uncondcmned. was a sufeguard against vioiencc in a heathen country! In Christiait. New Orleans, (are we right in coupling the lwo woids togellier?) belng an American citizon unconvieted of crime,wll not secur any man from personal violénce. Do we not need a liberty party? OJThe United States Bunk, to avoid the nuuierous cuita which were cornmencinT against it, has made an assignme.nt ofa very considerable part of its assets for the benefit of it creditors. So the "monster" seems ut hst. to be down. ÖCp'Benjainin Shaw of Vermont ia lectur. ing in Pcnnsylvania in favor of Independent Liberty uominations.