The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-09-05
WAsHINGToN, SATURDAY.. sEPTEMBER 5. ls57
NO TO-.


authorities TO preserve the peace to keep order
and quiet and secure air-dealng at those polls,
you find IL committed TO men who stood in the
condition of Dom, Owens, and Goddard--parti-
zans In the contest, interested in its result-men,
through whose agency this foreign legion had
banded together and taken possession OF the polls
am not here, gentlemen, to question the right
of man to vote, because he had his birth in ano-
/ ther Jurisdiction. am not here to question the
lawful right Of any naturalized citizen OF the Uni
ted States, having the local qualifications prescribe
ed by your charter to vote in your elections; nor
| am to be understood as questioning the legal
right of any one of that banded legion, if he pos
sessed the qualifications, to cast his vote but
do say this--that know of no law, no considera-
tion civil political that entitled those foreign
/ born to privileges over our native-b0rf. / have
no sympathy with the sentiment, elsewhere ex-
pressed, that those whom poverty or crime has
cast upon our shores, have greater rights to
exercise civil or political privileges than those
whom Providence produced on our soil but
do say that, when one of two political parties
shall band together for the purpose Of claiming
priority Of vote-shall band together, and in solid
phalanx, take possession of place of voting by
arrangement preconcerted, with design avowed
before hand, it is calculated to lead to dstur-
bance, and to breach OF the peace; whether it is
done by the native or by the foreign born. It must
lead to disturbance 1t must lead to breach Of the
peace. SO that in tracing, gentlemen, the origin
Of the morning riot justice to the parties, and JUS
tice to this case requires us TO begin investiga
tions at the threshold, so that we may find out the
responsible authors and lay at their doors the
consequences, whatever they may be. | say it be-
gan in this foreign array. 1t was caused by these
city officers who resorted to it as means of sig
nalizi1g their devotion to their party, or to
achieve some private or party end. That was the
beginning After this thing had obtained for some
Il ht,tb tba nod 10,
the precise time--a party of strangers from Bal
timore, who rejoice in the euphonious name Of
"Plug Uglies," appeared. Their number has been
varousy estimated by the witnesses, ranging from
i fifteen to twenty. The most reliable account of
their number is that which we obtained from Mr.
Merrill, who tells us they breakfasted at his board
| ing-house where he counted them at the table.
He estimates them at fifteen. He says he followed
| them to the first precinct Of the Fourth Ward,
and that of the fifteen that were at breakfast only
| about ten or twelve went up to the voting place,
and there they committed no breach Of the peace;
they stood out in the street as spectators of what
was going on. They roamed about, sometimes
| speaking to portion OF the crowd at the polls,
and then they walked off. No breach of the peace
was committed. There was no disturbance, nor any
attempted disturbance, nor any manifestation of a
| design to create disturbance. In some fifteen
| or twenty minutes they came back increased in
numbers, some citizens of this place having Joined
them. When they returned to the place of voting
this Irish legion was still large, and they divided
| themselves some one way and some the other.
The greater part of them stationed themselves out
in the street facing the polls. Then we are told
they no longer remained quiet. What did they
dog According to the testimony for the United
States without reference to the testimony called
for the defence--What did they do9 They be-
gan to holloa, and to make noise. Now we all
know that on election days good deal of liberty
and license is allowed, but if every man were jerked
up and prosecuted because he haloed and shouted,
| the whole time of the Court would be occupied
with election cases. In my section of country elec-
ton day is considered free day, and have often
witnessed on that day free fight" but never
knew prosecution arise out Of il. A man has a
right to haopo, take it, for his candidate or his
party right if you choose to be boisterous.
English judges concede il In England much
more will his Honor concede it in this city. In
| times past suspect his Honor had some acquain.
tance with these election matters; he will now be
better prepared to tolerate these little irregulari
ties, although he has put aside his political asso-
| Citations and assumed the ermne Of justice. But
| | say that, according TO the proof, when those
parties returned to this precinct, all that they
committed was little bye-play in the street
Some Of them were drunk it is said, some were
hollooing, and some were little dsorderly, wrest
| ling with each other, and occasionally there was
L
and looking at the scene through the disordered
medium Of their jaundiced vision, they imagined
that this was an attempt on the part Of those per
| sons TO produce the appearance Of fight in the
street, in order TO give their comrades better
opportunity to rush upon the Irish. Now,
more far fetched supposition never entered the
mind of any rational person. Why, Mr.. Goddard
was alone the active man to stop it, and If this
crowd desired to rush In, how could he repel its
| Was lac Sampson? Had he the jawbon0 of an ass
with which he was to slay all the Phlistines
| And yet he tells us upon the stand, as witness
under oath, that he believed it was the purpose Of
those parties to make feint of a disturbance in
the street, in order to attract his attention there
so that an opportunity nigh. be got to rush upon
the polls. / take it, gentlemen, from Mr.. God
dards own account, that there was nothing very
uncommon transpiring in the street. A parcel Of
strangers from Baltimore, intermingled with some
Of the citizens of your own city, laughing, talking
shouting halooing, tusseling with each other, and
some calling out ga fight" when in point Of fact
there was no fight. What did Goddard do? Did
he do what an impartial officer would have done?
Did he do what is proved to you that respectable
and impartial officer there then didS Did he look
on quietly and composedly, and treat the matter
as all such matters deservetob be treated, suffering
it to pass unnoticed? No, Mr.. Justice policeman
Goddard was candidate for votes, part,zan in
the contest. He was interested in the success of
particular party, ana ms interest overtnrew ms
Judgment, and pushed him on to action. He went
out amongst those parties in the street. One Of
the L. s. witnesses represented him seen with his
hands up pushing them; some represent him as go
ing into the crowd and collaring fellow aud swing
ing him round, then scizing another and doing the
same. What right had he to seize any party thus
rudely by the throatg If he finds man breaking
the peace, he has right to take him into custody
and carry him before ajustice but he has no right
to treat men as the testimony shows he treated men
| that day, BY doing SO, he committed an assault
upon the person so rudely seized. When they
came towards the sidewalk he stood there pushing
them OIL, doing what all will agree under the cir.
cumstances Of the case, if he wanted to excite an
affray was the best possible mode of doing IT,