Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-08-15
election Riot in louisville.

KY, on the day Of the late election in thai
state. The accounts wehage received o
the commencement Of il, have been very
Econtradictory. The fghting was between
the native and foreign citizens. Quitesa
number were killed and wounded. but
the exact number has not been ascertain
| ed. Some 12 or Is are thought to have
beenskilled and some go or so more OF
less dangerously wounded.
We have not room for all the lengthy
laccountssof this bloody affair, which We
have received, but lay before our, readers
sufficient extracts to show in what light
the affair is viewed by each party. so
The Louisville Journal, the K. N. orr
gam says :4s,l i!iiz IL; e>'i.s ras eiN
|" The riots were occasioned by indis-
criminate and murdeTous assaults com
mitted by foreigners, chiefly Irish, upon
inofensiye citizens, peaeeably attending
to their own business, at some distance
from any of their voting places. All the
circumstances connected with these as
saults, strongly indicate that they were
premeditated and instigated by other
parties than those by whom they were ac-
tually committed. We are not now pres
pared to say that they were the conse.
quencess only of the incendiary appeals,
for some time past, publicly made to our
foreign population. by someiof the leaders
of the anti-American party, or that they
were instigated by. direct instructions of
men with fendish hearts. who control in
a great measure the passions, and are to
dictate actions to the Germans and Irish
who made, these attacks. All the facts
will probably. be ascertained judicially,
and then the responsibility will rest where
it properly belongs. The circumstances.
as detailed 10 US, and the confessions of
some of the miserable wretches who we're
made the victims of their insane folly and
murderous violence, show that these as
saults upon unoffending and innocent ma
tive~born citizens were premeditated, and
that the blame attaches to others who are
as yet unnamed"
The Democrat has the following:
The election during yesterday, was as
near as could be, all one sided, the most
unfair means being reSorted to by the
kuow-nothings to crowd other voters from
the polls.
In the first ward the most intense ex.
element prevailed for some time, and the
polls were surrounded by barge crowd.
Whenever know-nothing voter APP
preached the crowd he was hoisted right
over the heads of all and landed at the
door, ready to deposit his vote. Several
disgraceful fights occurred, and one man
of the name of Burch, who had, with
others, chased an Irishman from the polls,
was in turn beset, beaten nearly to death,
and knocked senseless by the man he had
been chasing. Marshal Kidd: we learn,
subsequently arrested the Irishman.
In the sixth ward several disgraceful
scenes occurred. such as six. eight, or a
dozen men pitching into one poor Irish l..
man and driving him from the polls.
In the eighth ward it was one sided
matter, none but yellow ticket chaps hav-
ing any chance to get 10 the polls through
out the day.
In the seventh ward four men were
walking along the street when they we're
beset by crowd, ran of, one of them
taking refuge in a house corner of 9th
and Magazine streets. The house was
stoned, woman hurt, and finally one or
two OF the men were shot, one OF them
dangerously. One Of the pursued party
was the first to shoot, firing a pistol at
the crowd who were stoning him and his
companions. Some one came out from a
house with shot gun, and let drive at
the fugitive. The marshal subsequently
arrested two of them.
No respectable man can think of the
scenes of yesterday without shame. A
complete system Of terror and blood as
established by the know nothing party or
faction, The details are disgusting.
The lawnessness was provided for by
the city authorities in allowing but ono
voting place in ward. The upper and
lower wards were taken at an early hour,
and the middle wards were not exempt.
We have had no election in any Ame>
rican sense of the word. Our CITY is
governed, not by law, but by a set Of hi
red scoundrels who obey secret commands
OF lawless men. 1t is not worth while to
disguise the character of this city. There
IS no law, no police, no justice here
Our poll books speak not the voice of the
people but the. dictates Of mob.
We never heard of scenes, much less
have we seen them anywhere. Nor have
such ever been witnessed in this country.
This sort of proceedings was anticipated
1t came fully. up to all that had been
threatened, and surpassed anything anti
cipated, Inscriptions as we know the Sc
cret party. If the election in Louisville
yesterday was legal and is to stand, then
the right of suffrage in Kentucky is a
mockery. There is no freedom here
and no law. Scoundrelismais triumphant.
We have found means to subvert the
law of numbers at the polls by violence,
and passed off as legal. If the example
OF Louisville were 0pnaraIly foIIo,,aJ a.