Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-05-11
The Tadignatioa Meeting, Mob, Sc.

Inc IndlgBGfi07 -heettng, MOO DC.
We laid before readers yesterday morning
a summary of the proceedings of the Legislature
on Saturday, in relation to the occurrences of Fri
day night and follow it up to-day with sketch OF
the debate in the House of Delegates. We are
willing go far he that goes furthest In re-
probatiug the rotous and disorderly conduct of
those who assembled around the Executive Man.
sion and insulted the Chief Magistrate of the
State bv eroans, Kisses and the like, but protest
against the effort that has been made to hold the
CITY of Richmonds or the City Hall meeting
responsible for these proceedings. We have
no hesitation in saying that nine-tenths OF
our citizens condemn the course of the rioters
on Friday night strongly as any member
of the Legislature. The whole affair, we have
good reason to believe, has been much exaggerat-
i'd We were not present ourselves, but we are
informed bv several gentlemen who passed
through the crowd assembled around the Cover
uor's House. that the number of those who took
an active part in what done, was comparative
" small, and that very large proportion OF those
were there for the purpose of protecting Governor
johnson andhis family against any act of violence,
in case it should be attempted.
Rut it is evident from the sketch of the debate
in the House, which will be found in another CO.
lumn, that this affair has been seized upon by GER
tain small demagogues in that body with the view
of kindling the flame of sectional prejudice, aud
of manufacturing party capital. A Western Go
vernon, they say, has been outrageously insuted
BY the popuace of an Eastern city, and according
". proposition is gravely adopted by the lower
House, iustructing Committee to enquire into
and report to the General Assembly, more CEN
trail and convenient location for the Capital of the
Commonwealth, .where the Executive can dis
charge his constitutional functions without sub
jecting the dignity of his office to insult, &c
We fiud a great majority of the Eastern Dem
ocratic members uniting in this extraordinary
movement. The opportunity OF testifylng their
hostility to the Wing city of Richmond, and Of
diverting public odium from an unpopular act of
Democratic Governor, heap upon her head was
apparently too good to be lost
The idea of resenting an insult to the Executive
and Of protecting him against future outrages OF
the same kind, by removing the seat OF govern
ment may be entitled to the merit of originality,
but we imagine it would prove, when reduced to
practice, to be a somewhat costly mode OF pun
ishing and preventing the "crlmen l@se naagas-
tatis.' These sudden outbreaks Of popular pas
sion have occurred in all ages, in all countries
and under all governments, and will continue, to
occur as long as human nature remains unchanged
They cannot be foreseen or avoided, nor are they
confined to cities, as the proceedings in Culpepel
few years ago. and in Grayson very recently, are
sufficient to show. The Legislature may remove
the seat of government to Staunton, to Charlottes
yille to the summit of the Allegheny m ountains
or to any other point within the limits of the
commonwealth, but they will provide no security
thereby against the violation of Executive dignity,
and the breach of official decorum, by disorderly
assemblages of the people, Gov. johnson might
be nsulted on the first day of his arrival at the
new capital as grossly as he was insulted here,
and thus second exodus would be rendered ne
cessary, if every popular tumut is to be regarded
as sufficient course for such step. The people
of Richmond have always borne the reputation
of an orderly and law abiding people, and we re-
peat, that they cannot be fairly and justly held
responsible for the occurrences at the Executive
mansion on Friday night. Gov. johnson is no
more liable to insult and outrage from them than
from any other community in the State; but if the
Legislature lal,ors under painful solicitude on
the subject, we would suggest that instead of re-
moving the capital far WISER cheaper and more
efficient measure would be to grant him corps
of annissares to protect his person from the pop
ulace.
Since writing the above we have learned that
the resolutions ofthe House relating to the removal
of the seat of Government underwent long dis
cussion in the Senate yesterday, and were finally
laid on the table.