The true Democrat., 1856-06-17
Know Nottingham in Practice.

The details of the various Know Nothing outrages at the polls on Monday are so disgust ing that we cannot bear to dwell on them. We give in another place accurate accounts of few of them, intended merely to serve as specimens of what occurred over the whole city. If we should collect and set forth at length all the various knockings down, brass knucklings stab pings, shootings and murders committed by the rutfaGs in the employ of the Know Nothings, we would fill our whole paper for many days in succession and Weary our readers with tales of violence presenting dreary sameness of ruffansm and butchery, disgrac elul to our city and even human nature itself At every vot- ing place. inoffensive voters of foreign birth, simply because they were of foreign birth, were beaten, cut and shot from morning till night Timd ones were seized and forced to vote the Know Nothing ticket to save their lives. Re- solute ones were kicked, beaten, stabbed and shot, and not permitted to vote at all There was apparently a regularly organized system of villany carried on at all the different precincts after the same fashion. A heating or a mur- der committed at one is a faithful destrip- ton of what occurred at dozen others chang ing only names and places The ruffians were mainly imported from other parishes, and acted in organized bands under regular leaders.
 The whole city was ill state of perfect an- archy The police were entirely ineffective and the authorities were unable to make arrests even in the most fragrant cases. Our municipal go- vernment, or what should have been our govern ment seemed stricken with palsy. Violence and brutality ran riot. No man was safe ex- cept one able to defend himself without aid from the authorities. Quiet and peaceable men, who never thought of such a thing before, were compelled to carry arms whenever they left their houses.
 The result Is mockery of truth and justice and shameful libel on self-government. A party is successful which denies theoretically and practically every principle of American freedom and disgraces the very name of Ame- rica by calling itself American. Strangest of all men of position and education are found who are willing to accept the benefit of these atrocious villainies and step forward in defence of their perpetrators.
 Unless we are relieved by some now unfor- seen interpostion of the State authorities, we will be compelled to live under this reign of terror for several coming years. Unless the publlc-spilted citizens of New Orleans take some effectual means to redeem themselves, they will continue the slaves of the low bullies who now have their feet on the necks of our voters.
 Something must be done similar scene, next November, will disgrace us beyond endu- rance, and will, ln its practical results, be na- tional calamity. If these men can keep of two-thlrds of our voters now, they can just as easily keep off all of them then. They can go out of New Orleans with ma ority sufficient to carry the State for Fillmore; and similar out rages in Kentucky and North Carolina may have similar result there. The effect will be the election of black republican President
 All democrats, all patriots, all men of re. spectabty must go to work at once and or ganize. Surely the gentlemen of this city have courage enough to put down all the blackguards who can possibly be imported into it. Let them pledge themselves to each other for self pro- lection and the observance of the law and free dom of suffrage. We have nothing to hope from the city authorities; but if we will be true to ourselves we will vindicate the law and be trumphant.-N 0. Courier, June 4th