The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-04-11
rwF Election RIOTS IL CINCINNATI

FHE ELECTIoS RIOTS IN CINCINNATI
~ httr sn farnishni with ne following extracts from
gatats better gentleman ID this city 10 regard 70 the
isss siscsoa rot. dated CineinnatL April o 1853
sH devote poson "a this letter 10 brief sketch IL
- rsoana dlaiurbancss pos and elsewhere
q shrs isErsPbod - ne press sbrosd. much
sSsgssfaea snd the facts serlAlt airepresented. The
~, ssaed Frsptuists si persist IN mrepresenng tho
aef taugh tey - net gain thing BY their course but
sF ths eu6aenss and resPeei % the pablo and all
X wath aaa sstce. la premise BY saying that
daripg sbs greater part q elecon dsy myself IN
s district ubefe fuatss romeaced (not srg,satsd
aaa .bs here observed disorder whatever the polls
ga 20 observe inoscated person aneag the Ger
saf ~ho almost escasively iehabt the district la fact
% DOLLY asods pradpoea boors The assault upon the polls
- taade b. gsEtY drankan rowaes no formed pro
eessn rist al ibs wsraa drawn By eight
press wksgns. pfepcsd y band whose carriage
erected tatfor. agen which American eagle tied
These visited the oerman polls aboat midday, sing
ng shoatn9 and striving nfimdste but the orderly
Germans notice ~ eW. offered obstruction
er progress bat suffered them ven until they
tired aaa passed Prem the beginning 70 the end Of the
disturbances bs Gsrmah made no aggression whatever
bat acted eatirey the desnsse This T. Acknowledged
BY n whose regard Cor truth and candor not overcome oy
their prsladices.
These dsturbances designed and pat In motion BY
number of gamblers who frequent Third street and have
their rendezvous the block 81 badings in which the
noshngs hold their councils and in 'front.' Of which the
hoadauarers II reform party understood be-
These en bad considerable the result
The election and wben toward the latter part Of the day. IL
became generally apparent that the democratic cketwoud be
successful by handsome majority they concocted to
defeat H. In order to the they had bet Party
lines were never strictly drawn than
-nothngs bad assaulted the democracy and the latter
bad determined crush H. The excitement very high,
which In great degree worked up by the know moth
ngs themselves ntmdate the weak minded and deter
gamblers premcda,ed desgns upon the baotbores the
democratic wards, and this end rode around in buggies
spreading reports calculated engender strife between
natonates, alleging that the Germans in the Eleventh ward
beating American citizens from the polls, permitting
unless he voted the democratic ticket In add
this they asserted that they allowing boys Of
sixteen vote, &c &c. This at knded mob spirit
among the drunken and dordcry, who only their
when engaged in brawl, and who encourage
ment the onset from the American party generally.
Numbers began towards the Eleventh ward polls
and reaching there commenced general fight with the
Germans The latter completely taken by surprise and
thrown OFT their guard and party of broke into the
polls drove of the judges, threw the ballot box
street. and there broke to pieces and traped the ballots
the dust. While this occurring another party had
assembled hill by, which few Germans cee-
brating Jecrsons birthday by firing piece of artillery
captured the piece and dragged down the polls which
had been broken mp threatening all who inerered with
them. From the Eleventh the mob proceeded with their
the Ninth ward "a German ward and strongly
democratic and there made similar attempt destroy
the baotbox Their designs however, preceded them
IL then nearly six o'clock. p M, the judges wisely
closed the polls and ed the baotbox place
y. Seeing their aims frustrated the mob preparing
to fire the upon the house in which the polls
held, when circulated that the Irish the
democratic Thirteenth ward numbering American
citizens. This report kindled aresh excitement and
hither the mob rushed leaving the Germans perfectly
amazed at what had just TRANSFERRED On arriving the
polls, although they closed all peace quiet
III uia ofop tnvtu a..
commenced firing pistols and throwing boulders
whom the appearance of the mob had assembled the
spot The Irish gathered strength and gave them
terrible resistance, and would have completely the
mob but the latter loaded their with bouders and
fired directly upon them, causing the death Of and
woundng few others This caused panic among Irish
and they fed. 1t being late in the evening. the mob
temporarily dbanded Just after dark however,
rife that the Germans assauitng
who passed through their district and although these rumors
tended keep the excitement alive vet nothing rauspred
during the night worthy Of note
On the morning after the election II became apparent
that Notwithstanding destruction the ballots Of the
18th ward, (Which could counted bat which wa ad
ory) the democratic ticket would s be by about
800 400 majority Seeing this the Third clique
ganized another force the know nothing hcadquartrs
and repaired the 18th ward (anoher democratic pre-
cuc with the design Of destroying the bsotbox
ward They found the judges and clerks tal but
whom know nothpgs) m occupied counting the votes
when they seized the ballots aud poll books and tally
and threw them into stove where they burned After
this in order % create false Impression with public the,
circulated report that ballots were found In the boz
than there the books, and that the Judges
themselves had destroyed the ballots The truth Of the
ter Is that there surplus ballots They bad all
been counted but ree when the ntruders entered The polls
giving the democratic ticket 200 majority Ths outrage
they thought would settle the matter they fastened 10
announce the result at headqusrers and believing that
had elected their ticket by the open violation u the bal
otboxes of two strong democratic wards the know
raised wild shout Of victory Cor their candidates. and e.
dorsed these aess proceedings defeat tae of tls poe
pie. Some openly declared that they wopld 20 10 ths
polls with the muka and the fsggos; the arms N ths
assassin and the torch Of the ncendary. The excite
ment spread throughout the city, and brcams
most ntensethe know -nothipgs rejoicing that they
had by these foul means been enabled 10 give hem
selves majority and the democratic and participant tt
Germans, Gin whose districts these onrages had been pe
ratcd feeling justly ncensed the ndgnes Il ths ballot
box. Amazed at what bad place the Germans gslt
alarmed Tor the safety Of their perons property Thar
feared that the Amercan-reorn party NOT cpntent b
the REFORMS they had thus far accomplished hy virtually @
ranehising them in the above described would p
coed to still further excess and they assebed ~ ma. a.
discuss and concert for selprosecton Thss ~
solved 70 make no aggression "a remain nesr their 0uE
homes, but they determined arm themselves ana
for the worst They therefore barrcaded the streets ~ a.
evening and placed themselves state n dsfes av.t
any attack the mob might attemPt during the nixhi et
what took place subsequently yoa doubte.s lpfrr
IL is enough to say that the conduct o. te Gsraua
the approval Of the majority Of all candid men, Alhoa
ipsued and outraged at TIE PolIs and in their bones s