The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-05-29
The Mayors Communication to the City
Council, relatire 10 the Late Indignation

The Mayors Communication TO the Ctty
Council, relatire 10 the Late Indignation
Meeting.
In advance of the publication by the council of
shis paper, for the benefit of our readers we annex
the following well timed communication from the
Mayor to that body relative to the late indignation
meeting. When more at leisure we shall probably
| comment upon its contents:
Mayors OFFICE,
Richmond, May 18th, 1852.
| GENTLEMEN: Whist do not acknowledge the
| right OF the Council to investigate my conduct
while in the discharge of my duties as Mayor of the
City, and regard myself as further responsible
to them in my political capacity than Ihold mysef
to be to any other number of respectable ctizenslof
the town; yet, as do not wish to screen my CON.
duct frOm the fullest exposure, and as this commu.
| nlceton Will be made public, | will, in compliance
with the resolution, proceed to give nara tive of
| the events connected with the riotous assembspe
referred to, so far as they came within my cogniz
ance. shall not contne myself to what occurre5
ator near the Governors yard but will endeavor
TO give statement OF all that occurred from the
| beginning to the end of the excitement with such
comments as deem proper to defend myself from
| unjust imputations
was walking on Broad street late in the even.
| ing, and met some OF my friends who informed me
that there would be a large meeting at the Citv
| Hail. Up to that time (beng unwell I had not
been about the city, did not believe there would
oe pea large meeting-knowing from the past how
in II was 10 convene one tor any object how
ever important Upon their suggesting that the re
might be some disturbance at the meeting direct
ed officer Trueheart, with six men, to 90 there and
prevent any breach ofthe peace-not having the re
potesl ioea OF moo or not, none having ever
| taken place In Richmond. With a friend (Dr Jas
| Dove0 went to the City Hall, and finding tine
meeting large one, and not wishing to 90 in nv.
sell, requested him to do and report to me that
/ would pc IN the porch of the Powhatan House
ms bar ioip paH
| VIM. Gray one of our most respectable citizens.
was presiding; that the meeting was ORDERLY nd
| mat the vociferous applause l heard proceeded
| Hom the boys IN the gallery. We waited until the
meeting adjourned, the crowd dispensing quietly in
| different directions. l proposed to my friend to
| return to my house. We walked leisurely 10
wards the public square-Gt was fortunate we took
that dlrectlon)-when we got to the street. heard
noise from the direction of the Governors house
| ana on look ng that way, saw number OF persons
before his door, and others entering the Northern
| gate ran across the street, passed through the
crowd, and placed myself on the steps of the porch
Whlle going through the yard, heard cries for
Tue governor 10 come out ana defend himself /;
some one called out to ring the bell i. was not
done after got there. | also heard groans, appa-
reptly from those Immediately in front of me
coulo not tell who made them, Upon ascending
tae steps. proclaimed that | was the Mayor; or
uered them to dlsperse; that they were violating
the law, and disgraclng themselves and the city-
AT this time believe there were four or FIVE hun.
dred persons in the yard. | could not tell at the
tme whether In ley constituted part ofthe rioters
| or mob, none offering to assist me- | believed at
tne Tune, that he who was not for, was against me-
not knowing to what extent the excitement ex
| lsted Abogt this time Dir John c. Haley formerly
| member OF the Watch, (and to whom tende, nv
tnanks,) came to me. Knowing could confde in
MIN, he was requested go after officer Trueheart
VINO had gone up Broad street with some of the
men, after the meeting adjourned; to direct him,
from me- to send those with him in every direction
Aa ilu nSsihi ,a;x~
me, my determination being, fI could collect suf
nclen police force, to dispense the assemblage and
arrest as many as could. Knowing that it would
take time to do this and that the ladies of the Gov
ernors family must necessarily be much alarmed,
addressed those IN front of again, stating that
In addition to the outrage on the Governor they
were alarming the ladies of his family and tha, no
person calling himself man would do that. The
exciamatlons ceased, though the crowd remained
lmmovable. Mr. Mayo about this time came by nv
side, and addressed them he remained but few
minutes, and was again left alone
Inc law relating to riots, knew, would avail me
nothing In the emergency. | was first to call on
the rioters to arrest themselves If they refused to
comply with reasonable an order, was then TO
send for the Sergeant of the city to order out
posse; and If they failed to attend, then the mill
tary was to be embodied By the time all this could
be done, hours would have elapsed, the violence
intended would have been accomplished, and those
engaged in it dispersed.
Had | left my post on the steps-believinp. as 7
did, that could keep the crowd in check as had
done-and any personal violence had been offered
to the Governor or injury to the property, would
justly have deserved the censure of the whole
community. | remained until the crowd immedi.
ately in front were quiet, and perceiving Mr. r. T.
Wicker near the door, went among those tarth.
est from the house, and told them to set the exam.
pie and follow me to the gate; that the yard must
be cleared They complied; numbers followed
me- The same appeal was made to others, who
also quilted; and in this manner succeeded in dis
nreI,,, Sha ytrln hy-r
alone. To effect this object | proceeded in the
manner deemed best TO relieve the Governor and
his family in the shortest time, from the ANNOYANCE
they were subjected to. One reason why the as
semblage was not sooner dispersed is, that the
head OF police has no force embodied that he can
call TO his aid In case OF emergency. In other
cities, while PORTION of the men are on duty, an
other portion is kept at the watch house, whose
services can be obtained at moments warning
remained in the yard until sixteen or eighteen
watchmen, under officer Trueheart, arrived Some
OF them were stationed at each entrance to the yard
they remained all night and for several nights sub
sequent, guarding the premises.
1t stated in the preamble to the resolutions that
the civil force was amply sufficient to suppress the
assembage. Knowing much as do now con.
cur in the opinion that the civil force would have
been amply sufficient it it had been within my con-
troll al the moment; and | will shew why it was
not by the following extracts from the police ordi-
nance which seems to have been forgotten:
Under the control of the Mayor, the Captain of
the Night Watch shall divide the city into ten dis
tricts
Every evening at sunset, the Captain, or if he
be not then at the watch house, the Lieutenant
highest in rank, shall allot to each district two
Watchmen or such other number as may be di.
rected by the Mayor
Those who go out at ght as watchmen, or sub
stitutes, shall On such night commence their duty
at sunset and continue it until SUNRISE passing in
the mean time, over every part of their district or
division, as often as they consistently with
n In tfar fbn
completed as TO admit of using the street lamps the
watchmen, or substitutes for each district shall
light the lamps, and extinguish them at such times
as may be directed by the proper agent of the COM
mittee on light
In the discharge of the duties thus enioined
upon them by the ordinance the men were scat
tered over the whole city. The statement have
made, and the above extracts, deem a sufficient
answer to that part OF the preamble as TO whether
or no 1t was terminsted (the suppression of the
assenblage) as promptly as it should have been >
II has been asserted hat protected the mob as
1t is called. Being well kn 1wn to most of my fel.