Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-05-11
TIE TENDENCY OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TO RIOT
AND MURDER

AND MURDER
The Louisville Democrat describes the scenes
which occurred at an election in that city last week
The election was continuous riot or rather an OF
eanized know nothing mob took possession Oh '1e
pons. Several persons were shot by tnen' anu
many others driven from the polls. The details are
TOO long for our columns. We copy the renaiAS
of the Democrat.
A,,ra,,,xs Primo AMERIcAl-THE ELEcrToN.-
Saturday we had what IS called an eiectlon lot
small olices-magistrate and consIaOeS TOT oe-
80 ,,e refer TO another column. The results are
fs,oT consequence, except as they illustrated the |
harocter of transactions on election day. In the |
E;"st and Second Wards, where the Anti Know |
tJthino vote is two three to one, the X n. can
d6ates have a large majority on a trifing vote
The facts will explain the of this, and the
init will confirm the facts. That such vote was
not given by honorable means every one knows
The elections were but nockery and the men cho-
sen have no more right tie offices than if the mob
ofthe bruisers had appointed them by show of
hands The honor all belongs to the defeated par
ty. the spois to the mob candidates.
Such transactions strike at the vitals Of free in
sttntions A not mob may be a trfe, but
when it is an organized body designed to desecrate
the right Of franchise, and control elections by
force it is a dauaning crime against free insttu-
tons.
Weread with contempt and scorn the perversion
OF the ballot, by Louis Napoleon and Santa Anna,
when we saw the sacred emblems of freedom made
to subserve despotism. 1t was horrid mockery
of liberty; like using the sacramental cup ID bac-
chanaiian reveis.
The Americans couldn't tolerate such crimes
but right here in Louisville, when the day for
choice for civil officers came, and legal voters were
called to make their choice, mob of bruisers and
DULLES usurped the power, and TO all intents and
Al Ia IL
purposes, determined the result py violence ana
bloodshed.
Tho facts and the purposes admit Of no conceal
ment or disguise The transaction called cleo
ton was farce, and Eockery OF our free inst-
tutions.
Plain as the case is, excuses and denials will be
tolerated and the result chuckled over with faint
condemnation by men who would be thought re-
spectaple Such deeds don't happen without ceun-
tenapce and connivance on the part of men who
would not dare take an open hand in such trsnsao-
lions The mass of any party is responsible for
such deeds, continued Systematically; not at one
place only but anywhere that 1t is needed for
an object We only say III conclusion, that
this scoundrelism must stop here There will
be lie s or more at the next attempt to repeat 1t.
If our elections are to be determined by rulfans,
bul,ies and brusers, the sooner we know it the
hotter 1t is high time should know who is
ready to identity himself with the rufian and
bruser party and sit by quietly and see law and
aecaucV trampied unQef IOuI, anu our elecJOnS
turned into mobs No wonder men become dis
gnsted with popular suffrage, and seek suffrage
from scoundreIisn in more formidable weapons
than the ballot box Better have one tyrant than
n hundred brusers and bulies We give the de-
tails elsewhere and we can't he p it if any one is
compelled to blush at the desecratlon OF the as
sumed name, American.
This viii no doubt be treated as mere tritie in
some ouaIters-a little wrong to be sure-no5 ex-
actiy iustifab!e, but Their the innocent Americans
wore very much provoked at the sight of Ddtch-
men. and the boys could not be well restrained in
their youthful sports. The par les that preconcer-
ted the whole business will excuse and protect
IT. but let all good men of all parties read aud re-
fleet
The Courier, the know-nothing organ, admits
the charges, and lamely apologies as follows:
But there were other transactions on Saturday,
in the First Ward for which we must take some
Of the inconsiderate friends of Americansm to task
There were foreigners innocent of any wrong, or
intention of wrong, who, when passing along the
street when in their own houses when distant
from the polls were attacked and beaten most un-
toercGlIly The houses of some Germans were
entered and their property destroyed; Others were
pursued by crowds Of Infatuated men and boys
These attacks in cases without prOvocation cannot
be excused 1t is true that there was much in the
shane of rumor to feed the excitement. A boy
q
the windows of house and other indgnlties COM
,nited. but of these things could ascertain moth
inc definite. One outrage, OF which we have been
advised entirely by American citizens, deserves
particular notice Three Germans-Charles Hunt,
i!obn SNYDER, and Paul Distinguishing chased
from the polls, took refuge in Peter Merkels, on
Market street. two squares distant. A large gang
pursed them, and guns being fired from the upper
stories they broke into the house, destroyed all
the fixtures about the bar-room, beat Merkel, who
had not even attempted TO vote, entered his pri-
yate room destroyed the furniture, and one rui1ian
actually struck Mrs Merkel while she attempt
mo to save her husband. For such an outrage
there can be no apology, aud yet of this character
were many Others during Saturday.
To hold however, great and respectable party
responsible for the acts of a few of its members is
both foolish and unjust The parties to the out
RACES acted without authoFity-were not melted
bv any organization, and of course their conduct is
alone chargeable to them in their individual ca
pacitv. Nothing could be more absurd than an at
tempt to fasten upon the American party the
criminalitv that certainly attaches to much that
was done at the First ward polls. The spirit and
oenn1s of the party is at with such acts-the
ruritv of the ballot box the exercise Of the right
suffrage bv those whose right IT is and the estab
lisbment ofdecency and order in the place CT riot
Gus proceedings at elections being some Gifts grea
cardinal features.
That last paragraph is rich We are told not t
hold the know-nothngs responsible for these out
rages Why the order itself is just the thing tina
* responsible. We have no evidence that the or
der attempted to control the mob; and if it had, i
IS responsible for arousing passions which it can