New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-10-07
ADDITIONAL FROM CALIFORNIA.
A Day of Terror,
From the Alta Cahforhia, Aug p.

Yesterday our city reeed with excitement The
multitude moved and suTged Ike ne freted waves
OF a storm maddened sea. Crime looked on win
nalnd hp and nerveesS aTIn-noneSty stood hrh,
fcalm and courageous amid the storm. The social
fabric swan ed to and fro, rises and fails the giant
and stapch ship when pressed oy the relentless tenn
nest The Government seemed TO tremble IN the
balance and an underlined sentiment Of uncertainty
gave TO the hour passing hue of tragic interest
such as never was exceeded. Never before was
San Francisco so excited. Through all her terrible,
dramatic and extraordinary fluctuations, never has
she experienced Crisis IKE the one OF yesterday.
Her great heart beat and throbbed never before,
even amid the desolation and fame and smoke and
rum Of one of her disastrous fires For moment II
almost seemed as If she had been lifted from her
foundations and not even an earthquake could nave
spread abroad great CONSERVATION Through every
street, Iii all directions, the hurrymg CROWD ohuna-
ty rushed with the utmost precipitation no one anew
whittier, no knew for what The bell OF the Wig
lance Committee had sounded It's alarlm no'e-and
instantly the streets were living, swaylng masses
of human beings-uncertaInty and conflicting fears
and hopes ruled the hour. At one moment the tide
ran mady up tow ard the Jall-at another = Surged
toward the Piaza--and IN the next /. whired and
eddied, rot knowing where 10 go. Suddenly the
hurrying thunder of horses hOofS and carriage
wheels upon the wooden payementS OF Dupont
street, ana the shouting ard footsteps OF last FOL
lowing crowd, broke upon the ear. On II came with
almost lightning velocity -macly II crosses wash
irqion and Clay.streets-doWn Sacramento Il turnS-
the masses have taken the direction, and with a
a sweep like the rushing OF torrent OF lava they
bend their cOtgSe tONafCS the Rooms OF tne Vigil
lance Committee. Almost instantly CalltoTnlastreet,
Battery street, and all their approaches. are hed
with one dense mass OF human beings, FROM up 10
lip the news flies that the t"o criminals Mackenzie
and WhIttahe r have been taken by force from me
all by an armed posse OF the Vigilance committee.
On the eager ard excited multitude press toward the
Rooms On, on. On-the crowd becomes denSer and
broader Wonder IS stamped on every flce-a sol
emn, almost awful silence peNadeS the thousands
who are anXlousy gazing up at the building, when
quickly the doors are opened moment OF prepa-
raton-and the numberless multitude holds It's breath
as the two Indicators are seen suspended by the
neck-a struggle or two, "a spasmOdic heaving OF the
chest-aLd each spectator feels thflll OF terror
couISIng his VEINS as he myoluntdrny ut.eTS-dead,
dead. dead
Yes. they were dead The two men-Whi,aker
ant MackenAe-yhO were taken from the hand OF
the Vigilance Committee few nights since, by VIZ
tue of writ Of habers corpus hdd Oeen TORN from
the Jail by force in the middle of the day, and at the
risk of life. hurried to the COMMITTEE rooms and
executed without scarcely moments preparation.
lii most terrible tragedy Well, indeed, might
one excalm, - have supped full with horrors :"
Such are the terrible effects Of mIsrule-thesc IRE
the fruits OF maladmmlStercd laws-thc.e the results
OF Official corruption, neglect and malfeasance.
Well may the patriotic and the good turn IN sadness
and erlei from the contemplation OF such horrors.
The tmld may shrink from beholding them-the
quiet desire end 10 them but neither fear regret,
nor desire will accomplish our security. Il must go
abroad the land that this community possesses
the power and the Will to protect itself against every
species OF NToUB iNdl ~ II ItNOlNtU 10 IL IL
all hazards.
While We regret that the Vigilance Committee
have by tins act, been brought INTO direct collision
with the constituted authorities We cannot but ap-
prove their course IN executing the two criminals.
This condition Of affairs not sought by the Com
mitee twas rather forced upon them by the action
Of the authorities. True the authorities acted right
~ IN resculng the men but the course they took mas
proved TO be unnecessary and inJudicious. No one
doubts The guilt OF the men executed, and no one
believes but that they deserved the punishment they
received. The Vigilance Committee felt this, and
believing that the public welfare would be promoted
by the act, they had resolved TO execute Whitaker
and Mackenzie. But the officers of the law, with
unusual adrotnesS, prevented the decision from be-
ing carried INTO effect by rescuing the prisoners.
The Vigilance Committee have noN redeemed their
honor, and carried out their original determination,
by recaplurmg the prisoners and executing them.
Inc nne OF DIVISION between The legitimate cYu
power. and the Vigilance Committee is therefore
plain, broad and unmstakable.
And what Is 10 result We see nothing dlSheart-
enng or dlsprlting IN the prospect On the con-
traTy, We think We perceive that settled deter
mlnatOn on the pant OF the body polite 10 have JUS
uce done which TO be the great lever Of our SAL
vatIon. When crime IS convinced, As Il must now
be, that nothing Is capable of preserving II from
speedy and aveneing punshment-when the aban-
doned feel a. they VIII now feel, thai there IS no
safety Tor them here-when all bad men shall UNDER
star Is they may understand that Their IA
worthy acts will surely be visited with condlgn re-
ward-then VIII the country Use above It's tnoud-
tons and lis sOuowS
But this Is q dreadful storm II we DID not know
the ship, the crew and the passengers, We might
Despair Of our reaching porI As II -. We speak
confidently. We feel that there Is gloom around VI,
but there nothing 10 alarm the honest and pdLr-
Quo The guilty may, and ought 70, fee before the
gale Of popular Indignation but II lS through such
trials that voyage ultimately 70 become pros
porous and fortunate one Through the watches OF
the hight Of caIkneSs which now surrounds US, there
i gentle voice whispering BE nTm, he calm. De
gust, and the welcome daylight viii soon come "