Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-08-10
From the Louisville Journal, August 2.
The Riot at LOuisyille.

THE RIors YEsTEkDAY.-W deeply regret TO
have 10 record the scene Of violence, bloodsned,
and house-burhng, which occurred in our city yes.
terday. We cannot now express our great abhor'
renee Of such things; nor can we find space in
which to say what we would wish to say upon this
subject. terrible responsibility rests upon those
who have melted the foreign population Of the city
TO the deeds of violence which were the COM
mencement OF the riots in the First and Eighth
Wards. We are confident that these riots were
not occasioned by anything that happened at any
of the several voting places The election through
out the city as far can learn, had passed of
with unusual quiet, with the exception OF brutal
outrage in the First Ward of which we shall speak
presently, and some fighting at the Eighth Ward
polls, IN which no one was much hurt. The riots
we're occasioned BY indiscriminate and murderous
assaults committed by foreigners chiefly lriSh,
upon inoffensive citizens, peaceably attending TO
their own business, at some distance from any of
the voting places.
All the circumstances connected with these as
saults strongly indicate that they were premedta-
ted, and astigated BY other parties than those by
whom they were actually committed. We are not
now prepared to say that they were the conse-
quences only Of the incendiary appeals, for some
time past publicly made to our foreign population
by some of the leaders Of the anti.American party,
or that they We're instigated by d ect instructions
of men with iendish hearts who control in great
measure, the passions, and are able to dictate ac
ton to the Germans and Iish who made these at
tacks. All the facts will probably be ascertained
judicially, and then the responsibility will rest
where IL properly belongs. The circumstances, as
detailed TO US, and the confessions of some of the
miserable wretehes who were made the victims Of
their insane folly and murderous violence show
that these assaults upon unofending and innocent
native-born citizens were premeditated, and that
the blame attaches to others who are yet un-
named
We have not now time to give details. We as
sert however, and are sure that it will be proved
by respectable witnesses that every act of bl cd
shed was begun by foreigners. That In every in
stance where mortal violence ensued, the begin
ming of the riots was an unprOvoked slaughter by
foreigners of peaceable Americans while quietly
passing In the streets at distance from the polls
This infuriated the populace, and prompt and
terrible resort to mob violence, by which many
foreigners were killed and much property destroy
ed was the consequence. In the First ward, about
nine o'clock in the morning, while the election was
proceeding quietly at the polls, Mr.. Geo. Burge,
respectable and quiet American citizen, was bru-
tally assaulted by party of Irishmen on jackson
street, between Jefferson and Greene, without
having given any provocation, he was knocked
down and horribly beaten with stones and clubs.
He attempted to escape from the fends by whom
he was attacked, and ran into the alley of an ad-
joining house, where he was followed by his blood
thirsty assailants and cut, stabbed, and beaten
until he was supposed to be dead, when one of
these inhuman brutes deliberately opened his knife
and proceeded to cut the throat of the murdered
man. When this act of violence was made known,
party of Americans started in pursuit of the
murderers, who were subsequently arrested and
lodged in Jail by the Mayor and City Marshal.
Then follow the details already published.
=, - r,
Who Is RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RIoT.-This is a
question which must be answered. There is a
terrible responsibility somewhere and the proper
parties, let them be who they may, must bear it.
One thing, at least, is now known. The foreigners
III this city, especially the Catholic Irish, from
some cause and at some instigation, were armed
to the teeth aud used their arms, from houses be-
hind barriers, and from their skulkng places have
shot down remorselessly, unofending citizens as
they passed in the streets. OF the terrible, the
horrible consequences Of these assaults we have
not the heart to speak. There is no language too
strong--there is no language strong enough for
its condemnation. 1t will be the duty, and the
duty must be sternly performed Of the coroner TO
thoroughly investigate the facts, and when the in.
quest is made we shall more to say