Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-02-20


and that threat was made that ne damned irish
man should vote The Plug Ugles then bad possess
ion OF the polls. How long did Il remainy The man
who stuck 10 In the fence made his remark, sat down
under ID, and according to the most exaggerated
account left Ia five minutes, and yet, my learned
friend adyerted to that fact as proof pregnant 70
show that these parties had possession Ut the polls
all that day. The toniabawk vas stuck in the
fence and allowed to remain five MINUTES, and then
taken away, and that is proof that the riot con-
tinued there till ore o'clock according 10 the gen.
tleman. BY what p, ocess OF raiocination, or sys-
TEN Of logic he arrives at his conclusion passes
my comprehep sion. But he says that the poll
books prove that his state Of things continued.
Now, by an appeal TO the poll book, which We
brought into this case, we ascertain that certain
number OF votes cast prior 10 the arrival Of
the Marines, which were equal TO the number Of
minutes in the time which interviewed from the
reopening Of the polls TO the arrival Of the Ma
rines. se.ets
Mr.. BRADLEY. More. NJ
Mr.. ELLIS. One and one third minute.
III t81 NJ 10 be Continued
Mr. SCOTT My associates tell me that the
number tf votes exceeds the number OF minutes
in that duration Of time, and among them, TIL g n
tleman comedies, are to be found many names
peculiar to other lands indicating that the voters
were from foreign parts, and yet my harmed
friend, with that poll hook in his hand, preg-
nant with this truth, gets up and argues to this
jury that the poll book shows that that roting con
tinued from morning till noon, aud that, during
the whole day, the Plug Uglies had possession
of the polls. beg my friend to remember that
he is conducting criminal prosecution, where
Justice and fair play, If not lberality, are ex-
expected He says, that he comes to his con-
clusion because he understood 1t was proved that
more than hundred Irishmen were driven from
the polls in the morning, and he does not see a
hundred Irish votes on that poll afterwards. Now,
let us test the geiitleman's logic. The Irish were
frightened and driven away the poll book shows
that only part of them returned; part kept
away, and therefore, yes, therefore, the gentleman
argues because this party kept away the riot con
tinued Now, cir, | tlliik, this is most cxtraor-
binary course of reasoning 1t might be that the
riot terminated and that those parties acting upon
their apprehension did not to choose return. They
were afraid and did not choose expose themselves
to the chance Of dang ,fafterwaids Order was re-
stored, the peace was kept, quiet prevailed, and
they could have voted in security, If they had de-
sired to do So but their fears kept them away,
and for that reason, their names do not appear on
the poll book. Is it evidence Of continuation of
this riot that their names are not theres say,
surely my friend on The other side must have for
gotten that he is prosecuting these parties crimi-
nally, or he would not have indu' ID in ar argu-
ment 60 strange this, and SO false in its conclu-
siors. He said Mr.. Dom proved that there were
dis urbances from time to time during that day.
Suppose there were-sporadic cases--but does it,
prove that there was an epidemic. Concede that
there was an ARRAY in the morning does every
disturbance during the day make the continuation
OF rioty 1t strikes me as little absurd. But
he neutrality-suspicious. Dom said he saw many
cases of Irishmen driven away. Now, Mr.. Dom
was not the only person at the polls He was not
the only one who had eyes to see, and ears to ear
The commissioners We're thcre, and we examined
them. Other persons were there, and we have
examined many Of them, and save the single case
Of one lrishman who attempted to vote on false
papers, during the entire period which elapsed from
the morning affiay until the appearance of the
Marines, there was not, about that precinct, one
case Of disturbance OF the polls. We disprove the
of Dom, by bystanders We dsprove
it by the testimony of the commissioners, and
much as the United States may choose TO denou ice
and condemn them for their act in closing the
polls, about which i shall presently have to say
something, he has not undertaken to assail their
character for truth aud veracity. Two of them
were of the American party; the other was an
Engishman and 4 believe it is not usual for the
commissioners to belong to the same party. OF
that the jury are able tojudge But whether they
be Engishmen or Americana, native or democrat,
VIC uaNc INC SVuSuIcnt lcrtiluVuy VI tmce
commissioners to contradict Doom. 1t is not true
that those disturbances continued all day. II they
dill continue in the manner described by Dom,
they do MT constitute continuous rioting. /
must confess was not prcpossessed with the man.
ner Of that witness in giving his testimony. He
looked to me as If he once belonged to the Know
Nothings. His was the zeal and acting Of new
recruit Take his conduct as detailed by himself
One renegade is worse than ten Turka There was
no connection, gentlemen of the jury, between
those two cases. j have the thority, and II is
pretty strong authority, of the court on which viii
comment when come to his Honors decision on
the instructions. But If there were connection,
can We be convicted of q riot and that brings up
the more immediate subject of the bloody tragedy
on the LIST Of june. 1t becomes my duty rs coun-
sci for he accused, TO examine into the origin Of
that disturbance, as ! attempted to examine into
the morning ARRAY, trace it from its orisin, and
point out the parties that are responsible for
it. This l mean TO do without fear, or any expec-
tation of favor. s5rh 'rssy .f'aF i0ag Haf ~ lna
s..1 ID T g 80 = ~. =