New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-06-11


them out Il they dare to dsobey the behests Of the
gang; when they shout "Tear down the building
set FIRE TO IT," that the proprietors put Ia
great fear for the safety OF their building and the
valuable property therein-if not is not then and
| there committed then must confess that / am ig-
rorant OF what constitutes a riot. think, consid-
eriDg the well known object for which they were
banded together and were recklessy striving. it
was a suitable occasion for proclamation TO tbs
offenders to dispose under penalty OF the Peni-
Tertiary.
Again, could anything tend more directly and
maniiestly to breach OF the peace than audacious
and systematic interruption and total obstruction
| Of the lawful business of a large meeting swing
ing AID fOUrishing fists about the persons OF men,
uterDg insulting obscenities 10 delicate and respec'
table women and putting them in fearl Thou
must admit that there was q continual and lmm
nent danger Of breaches Of the peace Of crimes and
| bloodshed. Lastly, thy standing instructions to
stop all tumBlts which greatly disturb the pnollc
peace" required energetic and decisive action OF
| the police at both the meetings OF which have
spoken, and as | am informed at the intermediate
ones which did not attend yet throughout the
whole of these deplorable and disgracei1l scenes,
not n policeman showed his office" not a caution
oriniunction was uttered, not warning given not
an arrest attempted In fact, the presence OF the
| police was in effect license and encouragement
TO the rioters, for it relieved them from the appre
hension Of surprise, and assured them OF in
puniiy
If ! have not already adduced sufficient TO es
tsbish the culpability Of the Mayor or OF those
under bis orders and removable by him, take the
further fact that several assaults and batteries
were actually committed by the rioters in pres
ence of the Chief ind other policemen at both
meetings.
But why vas all this wrong inflicted upon the
AntiSlavery Society in this 18th year OF its
existence society and the 10th ofits assembling
annually in this City, without any wrong ever done
or suffered by it?
Certain depraved presses, in several issues pre-
cediDg the meetings, called upon the mob to be
ready. Rynders is well known to be a familiar OF
Bennett, in whose papers the call was first made.
After publishing in preceding papers several edlto-
rails designed to pat the mob in train Bennett puts
out on the morning OF our Anniversary, the follow
ing signal Of attack: "When free discussion does
not promote the public good it has no more right =
exist than bed government, that is dangerous and
oppressive to the common veal. 1t should be over
thrown.
The Globe, being a fresh and some what callow
candidate for Southern patronage, further instiga
ted the mob to murder, pointing out Frederick
Douglass (who was named in the programme to
speak, as "yillain,' deserving, for certain opin
IONS ito be struck dead" think it was thy duy,
as chief conservator Of the peace, and prevention of
crime, TO cause those presses TO be prosecuted for
seditious libels. This would have been the mos. |
direct and efficient way OF damping the spirit they
had stirred. However this may be, there can be |
no DOUBT that it was thy duty to guard with in !
creased vigilance against an outbreak 80 TAR rom |
this, no police appeared until the riot at the Taber
nscle began.
Benefits demand was, that free discussion be |
overtmown. / do not think be is boodthirsty, or |
that he desired personal harm TO any one. He in |
dicated simply the stopping Of addresses, and this
could be accomplished by mere noise, confusion
and intimidation. Let us now see what indications
the mob gave on this point | fad In The ICibuReS
report of the Society Library meeting, no less than
five notes inserted in various parts declaring that
it was impossible to hear & speaker ten feet" or
"to hear one word in ten" or "to get an idea of
"what the speaker was saying, &c. Finally, it
gives the following explanation:
Z" All the tumult seemed to be free from any real
design to injure personally any The whole ef
fort was to make q Babel OF confusion as TO force
the meeting to adjourn"
1t is further very significant fact that the Hutch
insons, so universally popular in this city, and SO
eagerly listened 70 ca all occasions, were unable to
obtain hearing. This to nay mind shows method |
in the mob. The pleasure OF hearing the Hutchin.
sons would have beguled into temporary quiet any |
mob o~asft predetermined and indoctrinated |
that nobody was TO be heard
When called at thy office / claimed protection |
for the meeting that the speakers might be !
heard and the business transacted. Thou replied |
giving me assurance OF protection against violence
told thee that we had personal fears. To all
my reiterated demands of protection for the meet
irg got no response except that We should be
threats of violence but whether thou added that or
not it was the universal understanding in the meet
ing and about the city that nothing bat personal !
violence committed on some one OF us would induce
the Police to interfere and that if were TO use
violence by attempting to put disturbers out, we
should ourselves be liable to be treated as disturb
ers. Thy special instructions nightly mario we'd
thy general instructions to the Police under which
had they not been interiered with our meetings
would in all probability have enjoyed perfect pro-
lection and quiet; for there is no Lynchng, mob
bing prosecuting spirit in this city against the
Abolitionists now though doubtless Bennett will
Try to convince his employers that there is. For
that in part he very likely instigated the riot.
His report ofmy conversation with thee contains
the following:
"MGyor-You shall ee protected. The Chief of
Police has sufficient force, and will act when ne
cessity requires"
"Mr Hopper-Yes, Mr.. Mayor, that may be all
very good, but we cannot be heard; a continual
upIoar is kept up, that no speaker can be heard
and the meeting cannot proceed. Now, MIR. Mayor
suppose we adjourn 70 meet at some future day.
and invite only those who are friendly to our cause
will you then see that we are protected and al.
lowed TO proceed2'
AT this the Mayor shook his head and said, You
shall be protected against all violence. A smile
from all PRESENT.
Thou gave not the slightest intimation, that
heard, that such meeting would receive protec.
ton different from the one then sitting
When proposed the alternative Of an exclusive
meeting, | was SO simple really 70 believe thou
wonldst hike as to come in form in which thou
could according to thy views of the law afford us
projections but that proposition thou met with the
same rigid negative, showing that, after all, thou
myself In reality cared nothing for the distinction
so eaborafely set forth by thee in thy letter, be-
tween the right Of free and that of an exclusive
meeting, TO thy protection.
Very respectfully thy friend, ISAAC T. HOPPER.
Toe. 8. Woodruff, Mayor.
. NewYoRE June s 1850.
Mr. ISAAC 1. HoPPER-Sr; YoHr very long
and friendly letter of the 4th inst has been duly re-
ceived In reply, have only time to say that
beg you will consider me as neither admitting nor
denying, nor expressing any opinion whatever !
upon any part Of, or anything contained therein