Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-08-13
'WAsHIIafo1 Hrws And eossIr.

our fellow citizens in reading the accounts OF
the murders and arson Ia Louisville which
have been received by the mails, know that
our original anticipations in the matter have
proved correct to the letter First, that there
was an organised efort ON the part Of the
Know Nothings to prsvent their opponents from
voting, similar to that for our last election
planned in the Washington lodges and carried
,ptt in some ofthe wards at the polls. Ifthere
b any yetAep6cal on this subject, we invite
their attention to the following from the Louis
vile Journal Of the 4th inst. and other news.
paper extracts, &c: N~@ ~
'sLet the Germans 60 10y all means to tho
polls, and II there is time for them to vote,
let them be sure to vote. Bat zoe cannof re.
sist tho eonviction thar, If there shall not Be
time IN any particular Ward to sake The vofes
Of ths wliote cottng population, If portion, ,
Jer the tcdnf Of time, must be de6arved from
tae exercise Of their electric franchise, then
ecery CONSIDERATION of courtesy and yroprfs-.
ty and right, strongly and fmperatscelv de-
saands that the foreign born cittrens, compar-
ATTIRE strangers TO orr country and It's snsti-
tntiOns, mere guests as 10 scere upon our eou,,-
try.s sol, UtettDss Hospitality receivcd here in
SgDffl0.
OF their otcn free accord, stand back Until the
asatfrs-torn fyesmen shall hare recorded their
skBrages. We hope, and we have q right to
expect, that they themselves, in spite Of tue.
infamatory appeals of selfish and malignant
demagogues, will take this view of the mat
ter. 1t is the right view
AS the Unton remarked the other day, this
was an invocation TO open violence, to prevent
the exercise of their legal and unconstitutional
rights on the part Of those. opposed to Know.
Nothingism. We have published extracts
from the Louisville Cosrssy, Wing journal.
whose editor was not long since member of
q the Order,' detailing how tho polls were,
taken possession of by the Know Nothings on
the night before the election and held by them
until they were, closed, to the exclusion of
the votes Of the other side So =
That the above anti-election advice of Mr.
Prentice was literally carried out, viii be seen
by the following extract from his Louisville
Journal, after the election:
eve all know that it was considered very
doubtful on Monday morning whether the
whole vote Of the city could be pollcd within
the thirteen hours of the election. The native
born American citizens thought and felt that
it any portion of the people legally entitled to
vote should have to stand back and lose thor
SURFACES for want Of time, the foreisn-borr
citizens should stand back rather than them
selves. They thought and felt that this ought
70 be perfectly manifest even to the minds of
the foreigners. Undoubtedly they pressed for.
ward early and vigorously to the polls, in
order to be the first, if possible; and in this
they were right. They had perfect right to
60, If they chose, to the polls at IL o'clock on
Sunday night, and remain there until tie fol.
lowing morning. They had a right to go 81
what time they pleased, and in what numbers
they could. They had a right even to toss
their friends over the heads of the crowd to
the polls, as we are told they did in some few
instances, though this was no doubt viola
tion of courtesy. '.s'7 70
The following is an extract from letter
from I" An Eye Witness to the Indianapolis
Sentinel, which sheds more light on their pro-
ceedings ending in the dreadful scenes that oc-
CURED - 49,.
son Monday morning, at 4 O'Clock, TIE
place OF voting in the First and Eighth Wards,
which are the strong Democratic precincts,
were taken possession Of by the Know Nothines.
A few of the old D4mocratic citizens in these
Wards were permitted to vote in the morning.
bueall others, who were unable to give the
signs, were rudely thrust from the polls. This
state OF things prevailed to a greater or less
extent in all the Wards
"By 10 O'Clock the city was under the con-
troll of lawless Know Nothing mob-neither
life nor property was safe. At this crisis, Hon.
William +. Thomasson, formerly Wing mem
Der of Congress from the city, and a gentle
man OF high character and standing, mounted
the rostrum and implored them, as good citi-
Gems, to desist from such q course. He had.
however, spoken but few moments, when the
Know Nothing signal for blood was given, and
ne was instantly knocked down by q club, in
the hands Of some assassin who approached
him in the rear. About this time Colonel
Preston, the anti know Nothing candidate for
Congress, appeared in the First Ward, which
Is the large Democratic ward, composed chiefly
OF German naturalized citizens and requested
his friends not to attempt to vote. He stated
to them that the polls were in the hands of the
Know Nothing DULLES, that his friends could
not approach the polls in safety, and advised |
them TO retire peaceably to their homes and
submit to acknowledgements rather than en-
danger their lives. The result was, that out
Of o, 20O votes In the city, only A. 500 were
pOlled. Two thousand Democratic voters we re
by violence deprived Of the right of suffrage"
As anti american, criminal, and dastardly
as such conduct was, it was but in literal full
flment of the oaths and obligations which all
members Of Know Nothing lodges take on
themselves, some of which, (from their ritual,)
are as follows, viz:
In citiest the *** of the **# where the |
meeting is to be held, will be written IegibIy
upon the notice; and upon tie election, aoy
sad ~<* mil denote TIE ~ schere vonr
presence Is needed. This notice will never be
passed, but will be ~ or thrown upon the
side walk with ~ in the centre. a. =
If information is wanting of the object of the
gathering, or of the place, &C., the inquirer
will ask of an undoubted brother (wnere's
when y The brother will give the informal
ticn If possessed Of it; if not, il win be yours
and his duty to continue the inquiry, and thus
disseminate the call throughout the brother
hood. -5 -JHG = ~. 49, ~
If the color of (the paper be (rcd,) it win
denote actual trouble, which requires that
you come prepared to meet it.
The "ery of distress'-to be used only In
time OF danger, or where the American inter-
est requires an immediate assemblage of the
brethren-is, (oh, oh, OH Tho response is
ohio, hio, h-i-o.) fa "a al 81 =
That you will, under all circumstances, If
In your power 80 to do, attend to all reguiar
sl,ynS or summons that NAV he Thrown Or sent