Washington telegraph., 1850-05-08

! Mos VIoLENcE-Gross outrage upon Women
! and Children.-We learn from Henry county,
/ Illinois, that series of o1trages have Recently
/ been committed upon the Swedish colony located
in that county, and that they are threatend with
determination from the county The men engag-
ed in these outrages number about seventy, from
the town of Cambridge and Rock River, in the
same county, and they are headed by a fellow
named John Root This man, it seems married
Charlotte Louisa Johnson, but as they did not
live happily together, she left him and fed to her
relations for protection against his violence About
the 26th of March, Root visited the colony, with
mob, with the intention of reganing his wife,
but she had left and gone to place of safety
Root, irrtated by this desertion, determined to
avenge himself upon the innocent members of the
colony-coIlected a mob, paraded the streets
armed, andthreatened to burn the houses and kill
the inhabitants. They searched the colony and
then left.
On the 9th they returned, and commenced
demolishng OF the houses, tore off some of The
boards Of the church, dischar rged their guns, and
ordered the inhabitants to leave their houses, so
that they could burn them down. They drove all
the men of the colony into the church. And the
women and child zen into the hospital. Next day
the mob again assembled and burned the haystacks
Of the colony, and set FIRE to the buildings al Little
Hill, two miles from Cambridge. The principal
men and women fled of the futy of the mob, and
are HOW III 'ct LOUIS mo member OF the colony
had anything to do with the separation Of Root
aud his wife, and of course they are not answera-
bic In any shape for it.
Root pretends TO an intimate knowledge of the
bad designs on the part of the colony. and circu-
lates slander of all kinds against them. But it is
known that they are an ilnocent and unoffending
people. They are Christians worshiping God ac-
cordng to the bible, which is their sole guide
They eat at common table and work for the CON-
m hem buf oh, ia arx live hvits M,r
riage is recognized by them In nothing do they
diHer from other Christians, except that they eat
at common table, and work for the common
benefit. They suffered severely from the cholera
last year and seventy WIDOWS with their children
are left dependent upon the colony for support
The colony owns about 1000 acres of land,
church, large four-story brick dwelling house;
two other brick houses, five frame buildings and
other small houses for store-rooms--a windmill, |
ax-inachine, two saw mills, grst mill, steam |
Touring mill, and large part Of the land is i'm |
proved The property, exclusive Of personal ef- |
fects, is valued at S50,O00. The colony now
contains about 100 men, 240 women and girls, and |
2OO children. In one respect they resemble the |
Quakers--they hold to the doctrine of non -resis-
tance; and had offered no violence 10 the mob
people such as we have described-manly |
women and children--are at the mercy, it seems, |
of an outrageous mob. We did not suppose that |
Illinois could produce seventy men in any one |
county, who would willingly engage in snch out
RACES, and particularly when the objects were wo-
men and children. The sooner they arc driven |
from the State the better it will be for her reputa-
ton. The colony deserves and should receive !
the inst ant protection of the laws and the otian-
ders Should not go unpunished
According to the latest advices, the mob had |
fixed the 9th inst for the destruction of the village
in which the roonsts located, but it is hoped |
that this threat not put into execution 1t Is
certain that all appeals to the authorities OF the |
county for protection in vain. and they have |
besought the interposition of the Governor of the
State-a request which ought not to DE denied |
Louis Republican, Sth uA.