Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-06-05
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP

a
the charge of completely, in some degree, with
the mob. We append the Ledger's article:
"THE ELECTION RIor IN WARRINGTON CRY.
me accounts received through the Washington
Journals, and from correspondents in that city of
the election riot in Washington on Monday, are
puptlshed In another column. The event Is one
TO be regretted. but the necessity of decisive
measures for the protection of citizens assailed
with deadly weapons, while engaged in the law.
ful exercise Of their rights is too manifest to need
argument. The fact that the rioters were from
neighboring city-Baltimore-i sufficiently in
dlcatlve of the unlawfulness of their intentions
even If they had not been found In armed oppo-
sIion to the legal authorities Of w ashngton city
The citizens of each election district-of each
municiPality-are, II is presumed, equal to the
task of conducting their own elections, without
any difference from abroad, or the voluntary
aid of any individuals from another CITY Such
interference is prohibited by most election laws,
for it never can be exercised for any good and
lawful purpose, but is usually the means resOrted
70 Tor illuminating voters, and therefore restrict
ing the exercise of free sutf age.
" Geographic reporter, detailing the events Of
this Washington mob, says that among those
killed were several innocent persons. We pre-
sumo he means by this, that, as they were not
actually engaged in firing at the marines, they
were guiltleSs of any participation In the riot
But we submit that thisis mistake. 1t is cor
rect to say, Of the parties killed, if they took no
part in the active proceedings Of the mob that
they were so far innocent; but as they lent a
conntenance by their presence, to the dfsorderly
and lawless proceedings of the crowd, they were
not without some degree of guilt To call them
wholly innocent, therefore, Is misnomer Nay.
1T is more. Tits confounding right with wrong TO
degree dangerous to the peace of society. In
fact, not little of the damage which mobs do, is
to he attributed to this false notion that those who
merely look on at a riot are entirely innocent On
the contrary, all such persons are in the eyes of
law, participating in the disturbance for who
ever, on such occasions, is not for the law, is
against it.
The essence Of riot in truth, 4. that 1t is an
unlawful assemblage. The peace Of society is
endangered, not alone by those who actively take
part against the authorities, but to much larger
degree. by those who look on, and practically en-
courage the rioters by their presence In ali the
great they have disgraced this, other cities
the active rioters at irst were few in number and
could have been put down in five minutes if the
spectators had promptly joined the police against
them When the Hall in north Sixth street, was
burned the assault on the doors was made, it is
said, by not more than twenty men, vet thousands
| of spectators heard in breathless silence, the
blows Of the axes and the crack of the timbers
and did not interfere. When St Augustine,s
Church was fired, thousands. in similar manner
gazed on, practically permitting the arson, and
though they gave way, without resistance, to the
City Troop, which was sent to disperse them
| they closed again like returning wave, and so
| continued to give countenance to the few active
rioters who otherwise would have skunk away in
| terror.
guilt OF riot is not confined to those who ligh
the match, or fire muskets, such occasions but
is shared, in greater or less degree, by all who
look on without actively interfering in behalf of
| order. In such emergencies there can be no neu-
| tTality He who does not take sides with the law
is, ipso Jaeto, against the law. Curiosity is no
excuse for his presence He has no business there
| unless to assist in putting down the riot If he
| remains, and is shot by the police, he cannot be
| considered entirely innocent. The only persons
who are innocent; in such cases, are those who
are passing at distance and such have been
killed, by chance ball, occasionally The soon
| er this is understood the better for the public
peace The fuel on which riots feed is the pre-
sence Of the mob of spectators which sympathiz-
ing sufficiently with the violators of law NOT 70
interfere, practically incites the more lawless mi
nority to those deeds of violence which that ma
Jority, in cooler moments, is the first to execrate
WASHINGTON, June 3, 1857.
nv Editor: In your issue OF yesterday, under
the head of California, appears an article placing
Senator Broderick, of that state in open hostility
to the present Administration am an attentive
reader of every thing pertaining to that state and
have utterly failed notice any one stem of
Mr.. b. that would place him in such an unenvia
BILE, and, | must say, ridiculous light On the
contrary, the Sacramento State Journal the most
influential and orthodox Democratic organ on the
Pacific, fatty denies the allegations which be.
licve appeared in the opposition press and in the
San Francisco Globe, quasi Democratic organ
half rigi!anti, half Democratic, and long since
QlsOrpanlZlnU
party. which was so promptly repudiated by the
last Democratic state Convention held in that
State,-'he same Convention that instructed its
delegates to vote for Mr. Buchanan. but which
was so basely disregarded through the influence
of these very men who now desire to force Mr..
Broderick into war the National Admins
tration. That Mr.. Broderick intends to war upon
those who misrepresented him here, | have no
doubt but those who knew him for MANY years
and know what interest he took in the nominal
ton OF Buchanan will scarcely credit such I'M
rounded reports. trust, Mr. Editor. YOU will
In justice to MI Brcderick, who is absent give
this place in your paper, together with the fol-
lowing extract from an article touching OH the
same subject taken from the State Journal, and
oblige, Yours, No OFr,cy Uuxrrp
l. In this condition of affairs a thousand and
one runors are put forward by the so-caled In
dependent press to the effect that the Democratic
party will inevitably be split up, and the Globe
(opposition) even ventures to publish the bold
notion that Senator Broderick is in opposition to
fhs admin ms In this "the wish is but
deceive the nnwary, and to give comfort to a band
OF INSCRIPTIONS office-seekers, who would betrav
their Savior so they might thereby ride into pow.
er. Such tricks have been PLAYED before and can
do no possible harm. The fact is the Democrac
were never more harmonious nor united than AT
| the present time-never was a sincere adherence
dom have we observed more general disposition
TO sacrifice personal preferences for the sake Of the
common good.''
DECISION OF ATTORNEY GENERAL on GUASo
ISLAND QUEsTIoN.-We learn that the Attor-
ney General has decided, on reference to him
by the Department Of State, question of the
construction of the act of Congress, approved
August Is, 1856, for the protection to be given
to guano deposits discovered by citizens of the
United States; that the phrase "at the pleas
IRE Of Congress-" applied to the possession of
any islands discovered, means that Congress
may terminate the possession when it pleases
by the passage Of an act to that effect: or. in
other words, that no new act is SECURED in
order to entitle the discoveries of such islands
to take possession of them under certain condi.
tons prescribed in the law itself.
APPOINTMENT By THE PRESIDENT
Capen, Postmaster at Boston. Massachusetts