The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-11-21

The FASEUIL HALL ConcALIrY.-Mr EDMUND
QUINCY has addressed letter to the Boston Post
with view Of correcting some Of the statements
Of that paper in its account Of the late Faneu Hall
affair. We append extract. II will be seen
that Mr.. Quincy Gays that thousand rioters would
not be enough to put down the Union meeting to
be held there next Tuosday-an opinion in which
We have the utmost reliance
cone word to the character of the riot Two
very different opinions have been expressed on this
subject The one, that the rioters constituted the
great body of the audience; the other, that it
mere handful of boys, who could have been sup
pressed with perfect ease, If the officers of the
me citing had been willing. Your own reporter, in
his very fair and candid account, incncs to the
fret opinion. So did the Mayor, with whom had
the honor of interview on Saturday morning
with other gentlemen, for the purpose of lodging
formal complaint against the city marshal for neg
lect Of duty. His impression, derived probably
from the marshal and police, was that the number
of The rioters not less than q thousand, and
that it was physically impossible for the police
force to put them down.
IL ventured TO intimate that they should at least
have made the attempt to arrest some of the riot
ere and not have looked on in entire acquiescence
His honor did not suggest that there any lache
the part of the officers of the meeting; but ex-
planned the inaction of the marshal and his men on
the ground of the disproporton between the rioters
and the police. | think, however, AS is often the
case, that truth lies between these two extremes.
have had much testimony from authentic sources,
and satisfied Of three things First, that the riot
ers, though mostly young men, were not boys, but
mostly, apparently, clerks in shops or mechanics
apprentices; secondly, that they were organized
and disciplined, If not paid thirdly, that, though
sufficiently numerous TO be permanently annoying,
they might have been removed, and the ringleaders
ested by the marshal and police, assisted by the
orderly part of the audience.
when the committee and their guest entered
the ball. at O'Clock, it was filled apparently to its
entire capacity, and with an audience If not Of one
mind as TO the purpose of the meeting, unanimous
in wishing II to go without interruption. When
Mr. Thompson appeared on the platform he
welcomed with loud, long and enthusiastic
cheers ever made that roof resound, and not the
faintest shadow OF dissent was heard from any
quarter. The meeting was organized without OPP
position. Mr.. Garrison was armly received, and
his address listened TO with the most profound
sill nee, interrupted only by genuine and hearty
applause, for about twenty minutes. Soon after
he had begun party Of men began to enter the
hall and push their way towards the centre. The
crowd was dense that il a quarter of an hour
before they got into position. Their numbers were
variously estimated from a hundred and fifty to
five hundred j should judge them TO have been
between three and four hundred strong. IL was
TO their discipline rather than TO their numbers that
their success was due.
"Shortly before Mr.. Garrison finished, a signal
given from the front gallery, and the uproar
commenced and continued, with slight luls, till
tho meeting adjourned. Had the doors been closed
at seven O'Clock, the meeting would have been tr
uniphantly successful. The great masses of men
under the galleries, almost all in the galleries and
on the platform, and twot thirds Of those in the
trc Of the hall, we're in favor of order. Had the
city marshal shown himself bad he not, like pru-
dent man, seen the evil affair of and hid HIMSELF
had he rallied his men, and, IL necessary called on
the bystanders to assist him, am confident the ri
otcrs could have been swept out of the hall in IF
teen minutes, and enough arrested TO be made eI.
amples Of the next morning. ] think you will
agree with me, sir, (tbough his honor the mayor
did not, when put the case TO him. that even a
thousand rioters would not be enough TO put down
the Union meeting next Tuesday ! think the
city marshal would find mean. to protect it in ts
rights or he would not remain city marsha much
longer II is not only circumstances, but persons,
sometimes, that alter cases"