The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1855-06-20
Tho Portland Riot-Defence of
Mayor Dow.


The Portland papers Of yesterday con.
tain an official statement from the pen
Of Mr. Dow Of the late liquor riot in that
city. 1t was presented to the Board of
Aldermen. and adopted and ordered to
be published "as true history of the
occurrences Of the day and night" The
Mayor states that he and the Aldermen
had intimution in the course of the after
noon that riotous attack on the CITY a.
genry Was contemplated, an extensive
combination having been formed for the
purpose. lie also states that the sheriff
of the county demanded the people to
disperse. hat was answered only " by ieors
and savage brawls of the mob lie
himself also commanded them to dis.
persc with the assurance that otherwise
they would he fred upon. The only re.
plies were groaus and bowls, and show.
cr Of stones When the Guards present
cd arms, the captain asked if they should
fire, when the reply was. wait little"
The following are the closing portions
of tho document:
| learn from uudouttcd sources that
the mob spirit had been gathering form
and force for month before it broke
out. and that i, Lad rcen stimulated and
fos'crcd by men of influence whom we
may be yet able to connect distinctly
with it. The project had been known in
this city carly in May in Boston two
weeks before its execution, ard it was
SPOKEN Of in Saco, North Yarmouth. Cor.
ham ard Paris on the morning of that
day, as | am crodihly informed
The rinclcadcr of the mob. who lost
lis life in it was a strong and muscular
man sailor and had left Boston day
or two before to avoid an arrest; and
learn on reliable authority. that he was
engaged in the King riot in this city, a.
bout five years since. He engaged in
tins tumnlt deliberately, having spoken
Of it in the afternoon. and having refused
the advice to keep away from it.
In conclusion, have only to add that
all TIE members of the police. without
exception, from the beginning to the end
of tho affair were perfectly cool and col
lectcd. betraying no symptom Of being
Hurried, and the same is true of the COM
mandcr nd all the members Of the Rife
Guards. Everything on the part of tho
authorities, which occurred under my no
tice, was done with delibcraton as well
as with firmnoss and decision.
lfthat infuriated mob had ACCOMPLISH
ed their first object, they would have be.
come mad on the liquors Of the Agency,
then setting fro to the remainder would
have destroyed the City Hall, for that
purpose was avowed-thcn, none but
God can know how far their passions
would have driven them. regard it as
the duty of the authorities to uphold the
majesty of the law, and to suppress at
any hazard, the ferocious mob which
sought to overthrow law and order, and
80 let loose upon us all the horrors of
anarchy aud riot
If the authorities had permitted them
selves TO have been ovcrthrown and
crushed by the mob without employing
all the power which the law had put in
to their hands for the suppression of III.
mults, they would have shown themselves
to have been unworthy the confidence
and respect Of those who placed the
government of the city in their hands"
1t having been alleged that Mayor
Dow Stunned an investigation of the cir.
crmstances proceeding aud attending
the riot, the Portland Advertiser refutes
the same, and publishes the following
pr proceeding of the City Council,
CITY OF PORTLAND.
In Board of aldermen, June9, '55.
The Mayor submitted TO the Board
the following communication
Gentlemen of tie Board Of aldermen
The extraordinary occurrences Of Sat.
urday night last, the Cd inst, with all
their antocedents, attendants and conse-
quents, seem TO require an exanination.
and investigation by reliable parties,
whose names shall be q sufficient gnaran-
tee of the truth Of anything to which
they may DO signed,
would recommend the appointment
by the Board of a Committee Of Citizens,
with request to proceed Immediately
to such an investigation in such a man
ner as they shall deem proper, and that
said Committee be requested to prepare
report of the results of these inquiries
for publication.
(Signed) NEAL DOW, Mayor.
And the same was read.
A true copy Attest: