Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-05-31


The sssembagel as promptly as it should have
been.'
Ii has been asserted that protected the mob.
as it Is called. Being well known to most of my
fellow citizens having lived in the city all my life
aud having been elected by them fifteen years ago
their Mayor without solicitation my part and
bv their Kindness continued in office up to this
time. it seems 90 be almost an act of supereroga-
ton to declare to them, that the charge is false
From the appearance of the persons immedi-
ately before me, when had the opportunity ofin
specting them, they appeared to be youths of from
fifteen to twenty years OF age principally appren-
tees. and this opinion is confirmed by what after
wards occurred. The second meeting was to have
take place at about O'Clock, the time appointed
for the first indignation meeting as 1t was called;
the time was afterwards changed to o'clock i'll
the afternoon, at the time first designated.
number of persons assembled about one hundred
and fiftv | believe now that they were recently
discharged from work and did not know the hour
of the meeting had been changed. From their
dress and general appearance, believed them to
be the same description of persons who were near
the Governors house on the Friday night prece-
ding; they were perfectly quiet and dispersed be-
tween 10 and IL o'clock; the police there,
but had no occasion to interfere with them.
la connection with the affair is the ordering out
of the volunteers on the night of the second NEE
ting, aud think it due to myself to state by whose
authority it was done. On the morning OF that
dav while busily engaged in trying warrants,
was called upon by the Adjutant General who
stated to me that he unprecedented repetition OF
the scene of Friday night, having heard that
threats were made, &c. Informed him that the
whole police force would be in attendance; that
had requested the sergeant OF the city to attend
the meeting. in the event of his services being
CURED to summon posse, and that lhadrequested
Col. Gwinn TO have his regiment in readiness in
case their services should be required. 1t was
with much surprise | learned early IN the night,
that his regiment was assembled at Lafayette
Hall. l Immediately repaired thither and told
the Colonel he had mistaken me- that had no
right to order cut the regiment. He replied
that he did not misunderstood me, that the order
came from the Adiutant General, and showed
me the order placing the regiment under my con-
troll AS they had assembled and as L have
before stated, a number of persons were IN the
street and square the Governors house, L
requested him to detain the men until the dis
persion of the persons alluded to. When that took
place | returned to the Hall and requested the
regiment to be dismissed, which was promptly
done. Enquiry was made of me next day wheth-
er the Adiutant General had the authority to order
out the regiment; surprising that 1t was addressed
to me as military man, replied in the negative
The next day it stated on my authority, that
the Governor had given the order. did not
know that he had. and never meantto assert it,
1tturns out that he gave no such order
1t due to my fellow citizens TO state, that from
what have heard said, do not believe that one
can be found who does not regret and condemn the
insult offered to the Governor by the Incorporate
and misguided youths who perpetrated it.
Before | close this communication | think it
properte state that the citizens of Richmond have
felt themselves aggrieved for many years past by
the course pursued by the Executive; their houses
have been burnt, burglary and larceny have been
rife among them. In this respect they suffer
more than any otherportion the Commonwealth
from the rumber of slaves congregated here in
factories, &c. Gangs of burglars, after great eff
forts, and after the preparation of many crimes,
have at length been detected; in ac
complete confessed that their plan to break |
into house steal the property, and then set it on
fire; and the plan carried out in several in
stances the Court has performed its duty and
condemned the felons to suffer the penalty of the
law, upon testimony the most irrefragible, and
yet they suffered punishment; the course has
been sellthem, thus virtually repeating the law
They transported to the Southern States and
introduced among those who have identity Of
interest with us.
Many citizens believe that this course has been
pursued to save the State the value ofthe slave.-
If they ri in this suppositon, and the policy
is to be pefsevered in, it would be better to
pass a law making the loss fall upon the master
who is unfortunate to q felon; then
some OF the most caring would suffer the pen
atty of their crimes; and in cases where it was
proper for the Executive clemency to be ex-
ercised, instead of sending them Sodth, they
might be transported North, to fraternize with |
kindred spirits there. These remarks of course |
cannot apply to the present Chief Magistrate
who, [ do not believe, has had a case of the |
before him. When this unfortunate case of
Jordan Hatcher occurred the citizens thought it
time to assemble and express their disapprobation.
Their right peaceably to do so, no freeman will
question.
With the Council, rejoice that the assemblage
was dispersed without any act of violence to the
person of any one, aud without it being found ne
cessary to call in the aid of the military. Had
their aid been required the lives of many eminent
citizens, and among them some of the most con-
spicuous members ofthe Legislature, might have
been put hazard; and thus, in the effort to pun
ish the guilty, innocent and valuable lives might
have been lost, as usually happens in such cases.
Very respectfully.
WIN. LAMBERT,
Mayor of the City of Richmond.
Iothe Committee of Police.