Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-06-16
pTpI n urFrIyc IN WASHINGTON CITY.

contrary 10 previously expressed apprehehsoH''
nrd.r rhsract.rz"d the proceedings.
| IN motion of Judge Young, DR.. WIN. oo" d b
~ Wv the Chnir-,,n taking which, he mahe II
,ra,.fr acknoa Judgments for the hon"r '.u' III n
,.r.ed upou him occasion so iilef e, 60,
said hs would not enter into NARRATION W. 10 snm.,
and purposes Of the meeting, because ne parf.cIly
that every nnr present undersluoa '''e"'
out would at once proceed to buslaeas. Z, con
On motion of Mr. John Thaw. MI ino, .n, W 0'
molly was appointed Secretary oil Tue hoe""s Tho ,r
Den;.l Ratcff Esq in order to carry ou' s"e ~ :,
poses for which his fellow citizens n"a ~ nv
| moyed that a COMMITTEES OF dive oe aPp"tu'o w r.
or r.solnticus for the consideration OF 'ne mee'e
Yhereunon tine chair appointed thu toi!"W'ns ";r
,sn,is,n.n. M..srs Ra'ciife, Fendall, fiynh' haJo
! Snms and Judge Young. ,,.,,tst;,c and the,
| These vertl.pcn retired Tor consuHa',o', "u '"0'
| .",J e. ,nn,r,,i preamble and resolutions:
| Tho nsonle OF thia country acknn"Ifuse' III over
"o d., pacsss;ty and authority Of law to SUSAN
sound. s,sble, and good government; intJ n"n
that upon the authority aau ,otce ~ tn nnu
rv G,r ,hs protection of all heir rights. hey snon
| -, 49, efficacy of Law depends upon lis enforce
a ,hsr il ia made rhe duty of those III author
Nv ~ es that the law shall be enforced 10 the eh'sh'
&c ,ho;, nrarogaive is not only Inc legal OUT tne
oraI oslgatiou of all good citizsns 70 sustain IN
supremacy Of lay, anu hu la suPp'e'''"s ee''
| sbnss Of its sacred authority
IT, ,,;su of all these high Obligations, ana Inc con
seousncss to which thy lead It was win feellnEs o.
49, ra,ret and dgnation that we saw, on the day
| irina
hand Of la sess ruff ans from the city OF Bst
80 who thrust themselves int" the midst OF our
lsctinn proceedings, bruialiy assaulted our peaceu
;,iyen. assaulted the officers OF elections, drove
from ,hs pulls lars5 number OF !eg"i 'oers' clooe
hn rns in some precincts, and With deadly weapons
'aHst havoc and daa.h through the ranks that en
;raosd IN. pos in the orderly and quiet pursuit OF
bsir rights of suffrage. They babe defiance to all re-
.nnnstrance and all legitimate authority and had Tor
lima forciols possession OF tile polls ana had con-
l = al.
and over the riyhtfu operation OF law Al ths stage
81 tbsir violent proceedings, the mayor OF the city
6ndino himself powerirss within the sphere OF hls
municpsl resources, reported to the President The
condition nf the city and his inability 10 afford pro-
faction. whereupon the President promptly and ener
v4ticay caused be- ordered to The aid OF the mayer
| a mart of the military force on duty al the Marine
| BsTrsoss in this city: Therefore, :.
Resolved, That the thsGks Ut our ci'iZ'hs are out
IN the Chief Magistrate for his ready response TO tht
.Yipapcies of the moment, to the MAYOR oil the cry
for his activity and zeal and to The officers a"a sol
diers Of the military corps fur tho effective anu iof
| bearing execution of th"ir orders.
| EasnIved Thst the beneficial results OF inis oppor
TINA st,n of executive authority commend II 10 OH
nra,. MS eyincug obedience to oohgs
ons which make il his duty to sea That me laws are
Ceithfully executed, aud cHnnot fai 70 command the
ssnoct ana admiration O! the friends OF order every
Rasoved. That the citizens Of Washington are in
m the Instrument a!ties that thus legally
nroperly, and efficiently employed by the proper mn
authorities on the day Of cleo ion for the prompt dis
osrs;ou of ths mob for the restoration of order, and
or the quiet that distinguished the closing scenes
| tue polis.
due 70 the press of this city and throughout the coun
try for the prompt and ready rebuke they administer
I'd 10 the lawess di5urbers Of our peace on the day
of election IA well for III" ust praise awarded tG
| the President, aud those acting under his au
thority for the timely military aid extended to our
| city at the call Of ;he mayor.
The resolutions having been read,
Mr. Radcliffe CANA forward and addressed the
meeting substantially as follows:
| Fellow citiz INA, az l had something to do with
these resolutions it is perhaps expected that should
| present my views in support Of Them Before doing
| so, permit me TO FAY this is melancholy occasion
| which brings us together-oDe which mo- man car
deplore more than do. But We cannot resuscltate
the dead; cannot relieve the suffering which has
been brought by the recent outrages on some OF tht
innocent Of our fellow'cltizens. We come t"getheI
TO express our condemnation OF the course pursued
BY the foreign desperadoes who invaded she rights
the citizens Of Washington; we WISH IN the most un
qualified terms, TO set our seal OF condemnation or
'hs act TO deter all who may hereafter be similarly
dlRposad to deeds OF violence.
| The call for this meeting las met with some oppo
stiun, not because Of tbs objects which We had IL
view, but it was inere Question OF time. ana uh
fortunately tina: interpretation has had the tendency
to Lessen the lumber which otherwise would have as
1 our fellow citizens To keep away from the meeting
was, believe, innocent and pure but there was :
misrepresentation on the part OF those who thus nd
vised. 1t il = question ct time says these genlie
men, | submit III you, fellow. citizens, vhrn Is thu
| tiIns except the present The reaction which hal
taken pac. has thrown on the public mind kind o
calm, whirh, perhaps, vii! never occur again Ii
view of the fact that the grand jury will soon meet
it was not expected that there should be ANY disturb
ance Tbs friends and synpathizers of the riotrr'
would not interfere lest they might be cnntiunde'
with the guilty. And h.nre We are relieved from
| such an appr-heu,nn. How shall prevent RI
enactment ut those scenes! BY putting the seal u
condemnation upon them now. l am not ready u
beli.ve that every individual belonging TO the Know
Nothing party couutenhnc.s the I:ts ut th-se Taga
muifins-these bIo"dy fellows from Baltimore. Thu
city d. not believe is TO be the Gomorrah of th'
country which shall not be spared unless certain
number of just men shat be found therein. lL,ugll
rer. Let Us leave these distnrbers OF the puhnt
pesca to the ministers of justice. You, gentlemea
have had proclamation from the Mayor, tsii;ng yol
not to come together. What ignorance and foil!
there was in tho suggestion. when we look on tn
| quiet, order, and expression Of tins assembly!
| We do not conn here to endorse President Buc
hanan Doubtless he said, as every high toned
gentleman world cave said. IL want no endorsement
came to your relief with the promptude OF Jack
son and like Arstides, wren it WAS proposed to ee
vate him to some proud position, 81 r=Pose on my
| conscious WORTH Applause
! We cune 10 vi,i:ra,n ourselves, not to praise tn
PRECEDENT, and To thank HIM and the constituted au
,horiiies for their tiney aid in suppressng the dis
turbances.
Gentlemen, dsem it unnecessary to sny anything
further: We colns not together for tho purpose q
induIging in long speeches aud certainly not TO US
improper or harsh expressions but merely to pass re
solutions as 4 record to gn down to posterty, aud Ii
| yindcati0n of conduct.
/ After Mr.. Ratcff, concluded his remarks, OF whlc
the above is mere con iensed account, the resou
tons were passed. and the meeting peacefully sepa
rated.