Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-05-03


ter they viii be. A disregard of law and the
rights OF others, legitimately spring from oath
bound secret political societies 1t has ever
been so, and viii continue to be so; and the
very existence Of such organizations, in free
country like ours, is dangerous alike to the
peace of society and liberty itself
/ am respectfully &C.,
WILLIAM M. WEIR.
The next is the card of Michael C. Kerr.
II is as follows: el
Mr.. EDIToR--Haying been announced as a
candidate for the Office Of City Attorney at the
approaching election to be held in this city, it
is due to my friends to state briefly the reason
which now impels me to request you to with
draw my name. '4
From what transpired at the last October
election, as well as at the recent election, in
the present month, and in the intervening PEI
riod, ais manifest that The freedom Of elections
Is TOR ne presenta an end IN this city, and that
'aatitrdlized citizens, especially cannot present
themselves at The polls for TIE purposes of erer-
cisiag the right of suffrage, EXCEPT AT THE
HAZARD OF THEIR LIVES, o. al least Of deli5erate
and unnae,fted personal insult. Indeed, NATIVE
BORN CITIZENS ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM HUMILI-
ATING INSULTS AND THREATS OF VIOLENCE. ae
In such state of things, il is evident that
candidate running in opposition TO one nomi-
mated by secret society achich has adopted
the measure Of Surrounding the polls aoith armed
or desperate men, TO intiDaiddte and deter others
from approaching, and To- driDe dicay by uio-
ience such as they do not choose to permit TO
rote, can only hope to obtain his rights by pre-.
pairing to meet force by force. This j have
no disposition to do. / do not desire office
sufficiently to run such risk of involving Ell
ther my friends or opponents in personal strife
and btooodshed. prefer withdrawing entirely
from the contest. ( hope for the honor Of our.
country that the sober sense of the people may
speedily restore period more auapicious for q
fair expression of the public preference. "
Respectfully, fa4 M. C. KERR.
These two cards Of worthy and prominent
citizens of New Albany are startling commen-
taries upon the tactics and electioneering ma
chinery Of the new order. Men Of character
and Of qualification for Office are prevented
from becoming candidates, by the fear that
either their friends or they themselves will fall
by the murderous hands of blackguards and
DULLES whose business it is to surround and
hold the polls. This indeed is melancholy
spectacle in free country. II 800
+ Il 4 Vi l.as
MORE KNOw-NOTHING REyERsEs.
1t was reported in Washington, yesterday,
by passenger from Wilmington, Delaware,
that, a. the election in the last named city, on
Tuesday, the Democrats elected all of their
city ticket excepting their candidate for Mayor,
who was beaten seventeen votes by his Know
nothing opponent. Last year the new party
beat the Wings one hundred and twenty votes,
and the Democrats FIVE hundred. sH
In Philadelphia, on Tuesday, an election
took place for treasurer, commissioners, select
and common councimen, etc. A dispatch,
received in this city, yesterday, states that the
Know-nothing candidate for treasurer is proba-
bly, elected by about one hundred majority;
that the Democrats have elected Sherry, city
commissioner; that fourteen of the wards are
Democratic, and ten Know-nothing; and that
thirty-eight Democrats and thirty-six Know
nothings have been elected to the councils.
Last year, the Know-nothing majority was
more than nine thousand.
If these things are so, and there seems to be
little or no doubt on the subject, the former
victories of the Know-nothings are not repeat
ed, and the results may be regarded as evil
dences Of "the sober second-thought of the
people"