A "Whiff of Grapeshot"

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 77, 8 December 1885, Page 3

A " Whiff of Grapeshot"

The riots at Montreal give ,an appearance of timeliness, says an exchange, to General Fitz-John Porter's article in the current nunlber of the " North American Review*' on " How to Quell Mobs." Biots, says the General, are due to two causes—first, the restlessness or peevish discontent of the working classes, who imagine that others are reaping large gains from their labor; and, second, the plotting of demagogues, too indolent to 1 work for their living. On reflection, ho.veyer, ;General Porter concludes that a third cause "may be mentioned"—the desire; of honest but, misguided men to qbtain a better po- j sition for themselves, T and their.farai^ llies, ani bryoding over real or fancied j wrpgags... Mobs are cowards at first., Crime, always enervates.; A mob is j ni>t io, be feared^when it is first aroused, ."butjinly becomek dangerous ai its passion for carnage or its greed ior pillage is gratified! ..Check it at tie very beginning, allow not tumultuous gatherings, permit mo delay, a few stern resolute words,, if these be not heeded strike boldly; if necessary like Ufe at the onsetj:it will prove the most merciful course^ In many cases a? few bullets would": <have been more merciful than^much reading of the Biot-Act.- Such is a summary of * General PorterV views ; it will be seen that the military officer speaks throughout He has ,no definite instructions to,give, except the superfluous one to keep a well drilled army to face amob as wqII as toface soldiers. The .article contains a good deal of wordy moralizing about employers and employes,' arid "I^eady,; present, fire!" sticks, out between the lines. 0n the wh'dW, we are inclined to think "Hbw to make mobs" would have been dn equaily accurate title. Continuation of reading matter on 4ithpage 1 1 i • ' ' t , " » ? - 3 L , I * i • • ! i :