Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1808-08-05

III
hg s ~ aistratcs and several respectable gen
Q ns cent to demonstrate with the poor, e
seiasa. . IN and distressed objects, requesting
nas,r, ! disperse; but finding every thing
ths'u = ,vas Of no avail, they were under
tney s; FIJI necessity of rssorting to the read
.ns I -. riot act, and sending the constables
'us 'ra;l;fary among them. who soon cleared
a. - Ground ron, but finding the inhabitants were
~ .s;,lerablv alarmed, the streets were pa
s sv all Tuesday night, and every thing
Unnamed pretty quiet.
Ia This morning, about 10 o'clock, my
.l-:.,s;tv was attracted, by seeing some hum
3dsds of weavers marching, IN moss or
4 s. manner, into Manchester, to Joia Sc
''sroi tbonsand of others Of the same calling,
-. Mad again assembled in ST. Georges
Mil (which is close to the edge OF the
.ou.rl. A regalar square was formed, anal
~ members es the respective committees,
ssat;onsa themselves in the centre. They
then dispatched delegates, to commune with
i. boroaghreeve and the principal officers
Il tie town, who were requested to use their
;naasnre with the most eminent manliac-
trs.s % raise their wages.
One OF the dele Gates soon returned, and
went round the square, attended by the
committee, and addressing the poor half
famished but patient auditors, informed
taes, taaatshe had seen the boroughreeve,
Tint he was friendly to their cause, and SYM
nath;sea With them in their present distress,
which he was sorry he could not alleviate !;
thai he had taken the names and places of
s5cde Of their Delegates, who were respon-
siblc for the conduct and behavior of their
fellow sufferers. The delegates then exhort-
ed them to be firm in the cause they had un-
dertaksn to support, and strongly enjoin-
ed them to behave peaceably and order
ly.
sAbout O'Clock, P. NJ. again went to
! the field, attended by a friend, and was a.
s.onished to sac so many thousands OF peo-
pie for as al the weavers had struck their
work in the neighboring towns, | am of O.
pinion that there we,e at least from ten to
fifteen thousand people. Loud, indeed,
we're the murmurs of the poor wretches,
but not the least indication was there of a IL
OF.
Many baskets of bread, with some ale,
ard several cans of butter milk, were dis
ribated among the multitude, and their
sorrowful and piteous tales OF distress quite
unnamed me, as also several other sympa-
the6c spectators. About half past three
o'clock the Boroughreeve, accompanied by
another gentleman on horseback, entered
the (holOw) square, and the poor creatures
gave patient hearing to tEam: He advised
them to dispense, but the gener. cry vas
We have nothing to eat; and unless Our
wages are raised, we.might as well play and
staive, as work and be famishcd. !" I7lss-
tened attentively, and heard tales of tie
most distressing scenes that ever human
eve was witness to; and am sorry to say
that the military were obliged to interfere
ter tie second time, and apprehend that
the consequences viii be dreadful, as I saw
them fire, and observed several wounded
wretches carried to the inSrmary. The
shops and houses are all shut up in this quar-
ter, and the riaemen and Manchester vo-
iunteers, &c. &c. are now marching to the
scene of action, and find the streets are to
be again patroIed. The peaceable inllabit-
ants are most dreadfully alarmed.
!" Ten, P. MI have just seen poor
Old mans widow, who is left with FIVE chill
dren. Her husband was shot in an entry !;
and find that several of the multitude have
been taken to gaol. An apothecary with
whom conversed, has been to dress the
wounds of many who were badly hurt by
the swords and bayonets Of the soldiery.
T. S.-Afser the military were assem-
oied, saw a gentleman enter the square
on horseback; he harangasd the unfortu-
nate people. ! did not hear him speak, but
! an tod by a friend, whose veracity can