The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-05-14
tFrom Correspondent
The Bots and Murders in Philadelphia
The Causes ofThr m, and the Kennedy Sug-

gested.
For several days the community in this city hav
been asounded by the news Of the riots and murder
in sister city. Although circumstances had occur
red in our own nelghborhood, of character TO
awaken our attention to the danger then impend-
ing over us, we were not prepared for the lament
able and heart rending news from the cry OF PHI
ladelphia. II took US by surprise. IL terrified US
by its horrors. The most disgusting horrid
and unnatural feature IN this TRANSACTIONS
IS, that IL was not the result OF "A nloilen-
taIy collision of the cOntendlng parties Ii was
not the blind impulse and heated passion en-
gered by collision, which in the heat OF the mo-
ment commits excuses, at which the parties them
selves are astonlshed, mortified and Inundated.
No il was no such ebullitlon 81 passion. IL was
not momen,ary collision, but 1t was deliberately
and cooly continued three days and the people
logged and hunted, and shot down, or Knocked
down, and bruised and beaten at all hours between
the periods mentioned. IL would be difficult TO
make transaction more dissraceful The dcsra-
dalton of such a scene cannot descend Ii is al
ready atthe bottom. The humiliation OF the city
of Philadelphia is complete.
1t appears by the journals that on Monday after
ternoon, the Native American citizens had meet
ing in of the upper suburbs Of the city, called
Kensingion. That after the meeting had organ
ised and proceeded in their business, 1t commence
ed raining, and they were obliged TO adjourn
TO the market house for shelter from the storm,
which was only about two hundred tes from the
IN The market. and while the speaker was address
ing the audience, a die'"rtart- took place be-
tween several persons 49, fhe -fge o. .lie marke I
house, near the place Of the meeting at which
disturbance and fight, pistols. were fired by each
party; from that period up to the hour OF midnight,
in various streets and places, wherever the opposite
parties met, or wherever they could be found.
The murderous scene continued until thirteen
human beings were massacred and nifty more
dreadfully, and many of them fatally wounded,
and ragged without lntermisslon during the period
7. tt.. cd
were the native American citizens and the Irish in
habitants OF that section of the city
Now this terrible evil thing has come upon us.
Riot, assassination, bioodshed and murder Is IN
our country, and lovers Of good order, peace and
quletaess in land, it behoves US to look into and
search oni the causes OF these horrd evils, astonn-
ding and bewildcring by their terrible and heart
true condition, and to examine and know whether
not safe in properly and lives, In this
free government OF coed laws and equal rights, or
whether our property can be taken, and our lives
sacrificed in the public streets by lawless mobs
and bloody assassns We ought, we say, to lock
carefully, and with hearts beating with the vital
Importance OF the inquiry, into the causes OF
these things. II we Can find out the causes we
have only TO apply the remedy. The well known
principle will applyto the case before US, AS well ;.s
TO the laws of the natural world "rcmove the
cause and the effect ceases" so here, we must
endeavor 10 discover the cause of this calamItous
event, and having found out that, we must remove
the cause, and then, of course, the effect -
Now In order TO penetrate to the bottom OF these
dissracrful proceedings, and to find out the cause
o. this scene of murder and bloodshcd, let us look
for momeot or two at the parties concerned, and
enquire who and what they 1t appears one of
the parties was the resident Irish OF that section of
the city OF Philadelphia. 1t Is one Of the poorest
suburbs OF the city, and inhabited by working and
laborins classes exclusi lively. They are known TO
be very ignorant, and very excitabe. The Irish
population aase warm hearts and strong preiaJlcrs,
ard are easily excited into turbulence and dlsor-
der. The other party in this transaction was the
Naive American party And who, it my be ask
ed, Is the Native Anenc.,n party! The question
NUT be answered, and the sooner the answer is gl
ven the better The eyes of the American people
arr now np2n tbs party and they must be know,
works snail they be Judged" We will stale
for the information Of those at distance, that
this party is OF vely recent origin IN tins couG-
try. The locality Of lis advent, we believe to
itself after the contest between
the late president Hir,ison aud Mr. Van Blu
rem And al toe. last general election 1t had grown
TO the formidable number of 5000 voters And at
the last charter election of the city they constttu.
ted the - drm ,cfacy oil numbers" and elected
their Mayor, and carried n majority of the wards
of the city The frs. aud principal ground. for the
0rganiz alton Of this new party stated to be
opposition 10 adopted citizens, by altering the natu-
Radiation laws, and excluding adopted citizens
from Office, nc. These Liberal and exclusive
principles al the political science of government,
being IN danger OF becoming unpopular with the
people, the new party started new political idea
on which they rode into power. AnI that
new idea was "refonn" This new element
OF political power, was most potent in favor of
this new purity The people Were exceedingly
d.siious Tor improvements IN ,heircity government
They were evidently dissatisfied with the admins
rltlon oil the present city government. they were
of the government OF their predecessors They
were willing aud dcsirouS OF change. And III
the Prom 81 and hope of reform, portion of both
parties voted the Native American ticket Ard ii
this aewna:ty performs all il has promised, the
puzzle viii have no callse To regret the oh lnge. IL
Is upon this principle tho new party has come nto
power, the exclusive, selfish, ilhbera, and persecu
ting doctrine OF opposition 10 adopted clttZens,
Is unpopular here, il Ii, and ought to be every
where. The leading, moderate, experienced, and
prominen, Native American, ALLURE it. lis anti
republican character Is unendura5c with tnem, as
II L dIsgn ting 70 the native and adapted citizen.
Some OF the principles first Promulgated. but
abahioned by this new party, il appears have found
their way into Pmladephis, where they appear To
the operation of these principles may fairly at
tribute the cttas.rophe have jus, ST l,cd and all
the consequences that fow IRON it. We do not
wish to b'am- either party, or TO err icse IN spirit
Of condemns alton, the conduct OF either We sup
pose both parties were to blame, both appeared to
be arnet with deadly weapons, and both seemed
very willing 10 nSe them, and did use them with
de ably ell ct The all-seelug eye Of God alone, who
created beings, fix the guilt of the parties,
by the principles OF truth and justice. We shall
not attempt 10 fasten it upon either. or 10 blame
one at the expense of the other We have higher
aims, and no6!er objects to pursue We wish I'M
partially to examine into the c1asc OF this fearful
thing, and remove il, aud thereby to destroy The
eject. AID we cinnJt, aud we might add we wish
not, to conceal orr opinion that 10 this new party
u m only attributable the dsgraceiuI and degrading
scene We have described. The poor ignoran; aGd
deluled Irish can be tlsily excited into disorder
and disturbance. Where their rights are invaded
or threatened, they bccom' elements Of disorder,
encounter high respon,ibliity 10 this matter. They
do not pretend that reforms are needed in the 10
vernment OF philadelphia. The Gat-nable and
doctrine Of opposition 10 the rights
OF adop,rt citizens, must become rs unpopular in
Philadelphia as it is here. Thcrc is no occasion or
necessity for such a party ia Philadelphia. II rs
out OF piece, aud also out OF tic for W. at Tits
very time extending our laws more ami more ia