Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1855-08-24
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The Louisville Riots.

The Louisville Riots.
We presume that all our fellow citizens in reading
the accounts OF the murders and arson In Louisville
which have been received by the mails, know that
our original antlcpatlOls in the matter have proved
correct 10 the letter First that there was an organ
zed effort on the part of the Know Nohngs TO pre-
vent their opponents from voting, similar to that for
last election planned in the Washington lodges,
and carried ont i'll some of the wards at the polls If
there be any yet Sceptical this subject, invite
heir attention to the following from theILouisville
journal of the 4th inst, and other newspaper
tacs, &c.
'Let the Germans go by all to the polls, and if
lere IS time for them to VOTE let them be to vote But
resist the conviction that there shall be
time any particular Ward take the of the whole
voting population portion for the want of time must be
debarred from the exercise OF their elective franchise then
every consideration of courtesy and propriety and right
strongly and mperativey demands that the foreign born
citizens comparative stran to country and its nst
tutons, guests it upon country sOil
tins Hospitality received here in their flight from European
depotsm should of their free accord stand back until
the eemen shall have recorded their surages
We hope and we have right to expect that they them,
selves, in spite of the nammatory appeals of selfish and
malignant demagogue will take thisview of the matter 1t
AS the Union remarked the other day, this was an
invocation to open violence, 10 prevent the exercise
of their legal and constitutional rights on the part
of those opposed to Know Ncthingism We have
published extracts from the Louisville Courier,
Wing Journal whose editor was not long since
member of " the Order" detailing how the polls
were taken possession of by the Know -Nothings on
the night before the election and held by them until
they closed to the exclusion of the votes of the
other side.
That the above ant. election advice of Mr. Prem
tice was literally carried out will be seen by the fol-
loWinF extract from his Louisville Journal after the
election.
I'VE all know that considered very doubtful Mon
day morning whether the whole vote of the city could be
poed within the thirteen hours Of the election The native
born American citizens thought and felt that if any portion
of the people legally entitled should have stand
back and lose their suages for want of time, the foreign
born should stand back rather than themselves. They
even to the minds Of the t6Teigners Undoubtedly they
pressed forward early and to the polls in order to
be the irs if possible, and in this they right
They had perfect right 60 if they chose, the polls
following morning. They had right to go at what time
they pleased, and in what numbers they could They had
right toss their friends the heads of the crowd
to the polls told they did in few instances
though this doubt violation of courtesy"
The following is extract from letter, from 'An
Eye Witness" 10 the Indianapolis Sentinel, which
sheds more light their proceedings ending in the
dreadful scenes that occurred:
Monday morning at O'clock, the place Of totng in
the First and Eighth Wards which the strong Demo-
cratic precincts were taken possession Of by the Moth
ngs few the old Democratic citizens in Wards
were unable to give the signs were rudey thrust from the
polls This state of things prevailed to greater less
tent in ell the Wards.
Bv 10 o'clock the city was under the control of law
less Know Nothing mob-neher life property safe
At this crisis Hon. William P Thomasson, formerly Whg
member of Congress, from the city, and gentleman of high
character and standing mounted the rostum and mpored
them, good citizens to desist from such He
had however, spoken but few moments, when the Know
Nothing signal was given and he instantly knocked
down by club, in the hands of some assassin, who ap-
preached him in the About this time Col Preston,
the antknow Nothing candidate for Congress- appeared in
the Ward which the large Democratic ward,
posed chiefly German naurazed citizens and requested
polls the hands of the Know Nothing bulies
that his friends could not approach the polls in safety
to disanchement rather than endanger their lives The
result was that out Of $500 votes in the city, only 45O
poed Two thousand Democratic voters by VIC
lencc deprived of the right of sutrago
, AS anti Amercan criminal and dGStardly as sucf
conduct was, it was but IN literal fulhlment of tht
oahs and obligations which all members OF Know
Nothing lodges take on themselves, some OF which
from their rual,) as follows, viz:
In cities the *** of the *** where the meeting is to b
held. will be written legiby the notice. and upon tn
election dGY sad #* WW denote the ~ 1Cere yOur peSenc
or thrown upon the side walk with *** in the centre
or of the nacn &c the in9uirer viii ask Of an Indoubte
brother (wheres when y The brother will give the infor
possessed of it if not it will be and his du
V continue the inquiry and thus disseminate the cal
If the color of (the paper (red) it will denote actua
trouble, which requires that you prepared to meet It,
e The "cry OF distress"-to be used only in time O
danger, or where the American interest requires al
mmmediate assembage Of the brethren-is, Ooh, oh
oh.) The response is ohio, hio, h-i-o.)
That you will under all circumstances If in your poWe
so to de- attend all regular signs that ma
be thrown or sent you brother of this any othe
notice issued by the proper authority obey the
the State Council President or his deputy Whe assemble
such notice and respond to the claim of gn ard or tS5 6s
9 you will acknowledge the State Council OF as tn
legislative head ruling authority and the supreme r9r
of the order the State of acting under the u
risdcton of the National Council of the United States
s. North America
Now it is very clear that the terrible and disgrace
70 full occurrences in Louisville grew out OF the TAI
that so large portion of its citizens had taken thes
extra judicial and revolutionary oahs SO injurious
the public peace. 1t will be seen above; that II
ut programme for carrying election by violence en-
y braced in this extract from the ritual, was literal
carried oul. Prentice gave the sign in his newsp