The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-09-01
ARRIVAL OF THE STEAMER EMPIRE
CITY AT NEW ORLEANS AND THE
POPULAR DISTURBANCES.

We are at length in possession of New Or
leans papers of the 22d and 23d ultimo The
Empire City" arrived in New Orleans on
the 2lst ultimo from Cuba, and her news was
of the same general tenor as that brought by
the Cherokee to New York. In commenting
on this news, the Picayre Of the 22d says:
| "We continue this morning to give what intelli-
gence have received Of the progress of events in
Cuba, adding TO the copous letters which we pub
lished in extra yesterday morning and in the
evenings edition. There is much excitement
on the subject that every scrap of news is eagerly
caught up and studied. The excitement in the
city is almost wild from it's intensity. The intel
ligence itself sufficiently startling; but hum
dred contradictory rumors were circulated, which
served to increase the feversh state Of the public
mind. These wero hastily traced out TO the test,
or to be contradcted, and another set was renewed
to keep up the agitation. The streets were
thronged all day with eager questoners and some
very disorderly aS6e, we regret to say, were COM
mitted in the afternoon, which are noticed in an
other column In the most critical period Of the
Mexican war we have rarely our people SO
universally moved.
"The news lie before our readers; all at least to
| which we could get access, not based upon mere
rumor. But we must add, for the better under
standing by readers of both sides OF the case,
that have heard that there are in town accounts
| from Havana, also of late date. which give more
unfavorable reports of the progress and conduct OF
General Lopez than any we have published-to the
effect that he has met with heavy losses, OF two
| thirds of his command; that two hundred and sew
enty- five have been taken and shot, in different
parties; that the remainder had broken up into
small detachments, and that Lopez was seeking the
mountains with less than hundred men. Some
II14+.w aft
at Havana, which reproye the authors OF the expe-
| dition with having deceived them. Such are some
| OF the rumors that circulated. We have no
sufficient authority for them, and part OF them are
extremely improbable. 1t ia not likely, for exam
pie, that military prisoners would be shot after
capture without being sent TO Havana, as the nrst
| were. But in present state OF information, we
have no means of controvertlng them, and we can
| not say they are unfounded.
| ga painful and distressing uncertainty hangs
| over the whole affair; the more go, leaving out
these conflicting statements that we nave no clear
| evidence yet of the main clement OF success upon
which the hope of the expedition was founded, viz
the general support of the Creole population We
have, indeed, accounts that bodies OF Creoes have
attempted to join him. and that others have started,
or intended to join him, but, until we know that
they are with him in considerable force we shall
not feel under any circumstances, that their POSI-
| ton is strong their prospects hatterng.
"The next intelligence will be watched for with
intense anxiety for unravelling these painful un-
certainties."
| The following, from the Bee of the 22d, is
the fullest account we find of the riot which
took place on the 2lst, on the receipt of the
melancholy news from Havana
| Popular Disturbances.
The Union Office Sacked-A Segar Store Quilted
Erected State Of The Public Mind.
| We regret exceedingly to announce that the eI-
cited state of the community consequent upon tho
accounts of the atrocities practised by the Cap
| tain General of Cuba the captured volun-
| teers, has led some of them into the commits
sion of acts of lawless violence. 1t is well
known that the newspaper styled La Union
| has been extremely ferocious in its advocacy Of
the Spanish cause, and in its denunciation of the
Americans Yesterday, the reception OF the
news from Havana, it was whispered about, and
indeed placarded in the streets, that the oce OF La
Union would be mobbed during the evening" inc
authorities getting wind of the affair, took efficient
measures to prevent all violence; but, unfortunate
ly, number of individuals determined to antici-
pate the action of the police. Accordingly, about
three O'Clock, p. m, some twenty hve or thirty
persons proceeded to the office of La Uiai0n in the
Exchange alley, broke the doors open and COM
pleely Quilted the establishment. The types, cases,
Sc. were thrown into the street and demolished,
and the press was broken, and the fragments car
red Off No violence whatever offered to the
compositors, who present, and 1t docs not APP
pear that the editors and proprietors were on the
| ground.
| By this time the parties to this outrage had be-
come very greatly excited, and leaving the office
of the Union, they proceeded up Royal street, IN
| creasing at every step in number, and thence to
the corner of the st. Charles and Gravier streets
where a cigar store situated, known as "Ld
| Corina" and kept by Spaniard named Rumago-
"a whose clerk, 1t ia said, had been grossly insult
| ing in his comments upon the Americans. This
store entered by the party and completely sack
ed the show cases smashed into atoms and the CT
CARS thrown unfortunately into the street. This
| however, not effected without some resistance
II is said that the clerk sought to prevent the en-
trance of the party, and to defend his employers
property, and that in this attempt he inflicted sew
eral stabs with q poniard upon the assailants
When he discovered that further resistance was
Ruthless and would cost him his lie, he ned, ana
has, we understand, escaped
| The entire three-story building came very near
| being burnt TO the ground, but NEST happily and
OPPORTUNITY some gentlemen mounted to the third
story, and displayed the American flag from the
windows. This appeared 10 appeasc the throng,
and the house was left uninjured.
| Infatuated by these events, and with passions
| inhamed by such occurrences, the crowd, which
| had now swollen to countless multitude, seemed
disposed to infct SUMMARY vengeance upon all
who had displayed an indiscreet sympathy for the
Spanish cause. There was cry raised against the
tavern of Rovira, at the corner OF Tchoupitoulas
and Poydras streets. 1t spread like Wild hre, ana
| the popuace forthwith rushed in that direction AT
this moment Mayor Crossman and Sheriff Lewis
reached the ground, and addressed the rioters In
energetic language, warning them against further
excuses, and telling them that the law must be re-
spected and public order preserved at all hazards
The harangues of these gentlemen soothed the ex
cited feelings of the crowd and, with many loud
cheers they promised to dispense. In effect large
number repaired Immediately to the Lafayette
Square, where M. M. Reynolds, District Attorney,
addressed them most eloquently and ielcltously.
He said that he felt indignant as any man at the
savage atrocities of the Spanish authorities; but
that the cause Of Cuban liberty was not to be pro-
NOTED by acts of unlawful violence. He babe them
| act like American citizens and good republican,,
in obedience to and respect for the laws His speech
was received with enthusiastic applause
| In the meanwhile, however, detachment OF the
rioters had rushed down into the First Municipal
ity, firmly resolved upon domolshing the office oil
the Spanish consul, Mr.. Laborde, in bourbon
| street, between st. Louis and Toulouse When
| they reached the spot, they broke open the door,
and had just begun the work Of destruction, when
| Recorder Genois and Captain Youenes arrived,
| and by their Joint exertions and remonstrances,
induced the mob to deset. No further violence
was perpetrated beyond the removal OF the Sign
and the tearing up Of some of the papers and doc
uments in the office. M