The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-11-28
NEW ORLEANS ELECTION RIOTS,
BALLOT BOXES DEsrRoYEDn
from the Louisiana Courier.1


.
From the Louisiana Courier.
SCENES OF MONDAY AND THEIR Cox
sEoUENcEs.-We can sea RELY trust our-
selves to speak of the digraccful and
outrageous scenes which attended our
election the day before yesterday. We
do not imagine hat they have ever been
paralleled outside of Louisville. Law
was mockery; oaths without respect /;
passion unbridled; outrage unrestrained
Men who had taken oaths to act ac-
cording to the Constitution and the laws
of the United States and of this State,
had evidently forgotten that there was
either law or constitution outside the
wigwams to which they belonged as
Know Nothings of the striciest scot
The legislative and judicial power of
the State were set at defiance, aud in
their stead the dictates and ritual of
the " order" reigned supreme.
Nevertheless, there was an appear
ance of good order and harmony at most
of the precincts during the forenoon
and up to the close of the polls. The
first disturbance was created at the
Eighteenth Precinct, Third District, by
some w~ellknown rufians, who, according
to the information We Lave received,
took possession of the approaches 10 the
ballot-box, and not only announced their
intention to carry out the Louisville
theory that natives had the tight to
vote before the adopted citizens, but al
soimitated their peaceful and order-lov-
ing brethren in that famous city, by ac-
tually prohibiting any man whatever
but a native from voting at all during q
considerable period. A man was shot
at, and was wounded in several places.
He had offended very previously against
the Known othing ideas of prepriety
which all who know anything of the deli
cate and refined sensibilities in that re-
spect of those who usually represent the
order on such occasions, is no very hard
thing to bring about.
With the exception of an occasional
knock-down at several other polls, moth
ing of a very serious nature took place
until after they had been closed. The
result, so far as the leading "patriots
and sons of the soil % could ascertain,
was, We should judge from what subse-
quently took place, anything but salts
factory. There was actually danger
that they had failed in their efforts to
carry the city by any majority at all,
much less by their boosted one. II was
necessary to save the credit, as prophets,
of their orators and organs and hence
the immediate question was, bow to eff
feet the great end. We think that
there was but little time occupied ID de-
liberation, before it was resolved that as
the Seventh and Ninth Precincts DOUBT
less contained larger anti Know-Noth
ing majorities than any others, they
should in turn be stormed, and their
vote thereby, if possible, destroyed
The attack was begun at the Ninth Pre-
cinct. and took place, we hear. about
half-past9 O'Clock p. NJ. Everything
was perfectly quiet, and the commission
ers and clerks were engaged in counting
the votes, when all at onceza number Of
men, who, according to our informent,
were genteelly dressed, aud who were
not rowdies, in the usual acceptation of
the term. made their appearance in the
room. After several of them had had
some conversation, in an under tone,
with one of the commissioners, wi of
them rushed at the ballot-box while
their acquaintance was STOPPING over it,
seized it,threM it into the air, and, when
it fell, joined with their companions in
trampling it to pieces and kicking the
ballots which it contained about the
room. The box contained four hun
dred and ave votes, of which there was
IN average Democratic majority, accord
ing to q count made by twoof the com.
missioners, of about one hundred and
thirty for the Democratic candidates.
No loud words were used the. thing had
evidently been concerted, and so soon as
their work was accomplished the valiant
patriots retired. The destruction of the
ballot-box secured, as the performers
Thought, the election of Mcssrs. Eggles-
ton and Duvall, Known thines, to
the House of Representatives, over
Messrs. Gordon aud lie Blanc, Demo
Gratis; but of this we here the Legisla-
ture will have something to say.
Several hours elapsed before any
further operations occurred. There was
probably, some doubt as to whether the
Seventh Precinct would give SO large a
Democratic majority as to endanger the
success of the "order in the Third
Representative District, which, with the
Fifth and Sixth, it composes. Atlast,
however. it was decided that that famous
Democratic Malakoff must Be carried
But few persons were in it when the IN
vading forces arrived and the door was
burst open. the ballot-box. ~poll-books
and the tally.lists seized ard converted
into a bonfire before Sthe door. The
knights of the order had, however watt
ed too long, for the whole vote received
for Governor aud sheriff had been count
ed out, the tallies compared and sumed
up, and the result, SO far as those off
GERS are concerned, declared Wicklife
had two hundred and thirteen and Bell