Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-04-10
From the Louisville Journal
The Washington Massacre.

| a $40 ''ssoAAAAAtsoh nAooouSiOs I
On Monday, the 18th inst, resolution was
| offered in the House of Representatives, by the
| Hon. Humphrey Marshall concerning the mas
| sacre of American citizens by United States
marines, in Washington at the last election, and
proposing an inquiry as to the orders, if any,
| given to the said marines or other soldiers, to
act in any wise in respect to or in connection
with the elections referred to, either by the
| President of the United States, the Secretary Of
War, the Major General of the Army, or any
officer thereof the marshal of the district, or
any judge or other official of the same. This
proposition was received with cries of 81 OBJ
ject" "I object, from various parts of the Dem
ocratc side of the House, and under the parlia-
mentary rules, on account of these objections
the resolution was excluded The administra-
ton members appear to be determened to stife
investigation into any of the acts of the Presi-
dent or of his agents. This persistent effort of
the followers of Buchanan to suppress all inves-
tigation into any of the acts which either directly
or indirectly have emanated from him is in itself
an admission that these acts will not bear scru-
! tiny. The promptness Of the administration
party to object to the institution ofthe proposed
inquiresis very significant. 1.-THE President and
his immediate agents were not culpable, the
| investigation should have been courted by his
friends when it was proposed. There is a Dem
oeratic majority in both Houses of Congress.
There would Of course have been, at least under
Speaker Orr's construction of parliamentary
usages, Democratic majority upon the pro.
posed committee of investigation. The admin
istration, if innocent, would have been perfectly
protected from harm or from elimination, and,
under these circumstances, the refusal of the
friends of Mr.. Buchanan to allow any investi-
cation to be made cannot be construed other.
wise than as al indirect admission of his guilt
ness in the premises. .r. -....... a
This ordering out Of the marines to interfere
with popular election and tn shooting down
and killing of citizens who were in attendance
at the polls by the soldiers Of the United States
in the Federal Capital, issurely subject fit for
the investigation Of Congress "Let justice be
done though the heavens fall" Let the blame
rest where it properly belongs. II the Presi-
dent and his agents are innocent, let them have
an opportunity to show their innocence. This
massacre in cold blood in the streets Of our ma
tional Capital, this killing ofpeaceably disposed
citizens by the United States soldiery under the
command Of United States officer and beneath
the very eyes Of the Secretary Of War and
Of the President himself, was either justiiable
or unjustfable. 1t was either the performance
of public duty or the most wanton and in
excusable outrage upon the rights Of citizens
that ever was perpetrated. fit was justifiable,
Col. Marshall's resolution offered an opportuni-
ty for its justification II it was only the per-
Torrance Of solemn duty, this resolution
would have enabled the actors to show the fact;
bIt the investigation was suppressed, not by
the opponents of the Administration, but by its
friends and supporters. The very party whose
organs all over the country had been most in
dustrious in charging the American citizens in
Washington and Baltimore with producing the
necessity for this massacre of citizens at the
hands Of the Government soldiery, now refuse
to permit an official inquiry into the facts. This
is damning proof against the Administration
its completely in this murderous outrage. 1t
will be so considered by the masses Of the peo-
pie, and all the vituperation, all the foul calum
mics that have been poured out by the Admin
istration organs upon the heads Of the members
Of the American party Of Washington and Bal
timore, in connection with this sad affair, will
now be justly returned with accelerated weight
upon the already doomed heads Of the President
and his willing and subservient agents. They
deserve it and they will now have to bear the
stigma, the odium, the everlasting disgrace of
having used the armed forces Of the Govern
ment not only in interference with popular
election, but in numbering citizens of the United
States while trying to prevent their exercising
the right of suffrage, the badge and the right of
free citizenship.
This resolution demanding an investigation
was introduced by the acknowledged leader of
the American party in the House of Represen-
tatives. 1t was rejected by the Democratic sup
porters Of the Democratic President In the
absence OF any other proof, this fact alone is
sufficient to fasten indelibly upon the President
and his immediate agents the crimes which
were thus attempted TO be investigated. We
earnestly hope that our able and gallant Repre-
sentative will not be satisfied with the objections
thus offered, but that he will again and again,
in season and out Of season, press this matter
home upon this corrupt Administration until
they shall consent to such an investigation as
will exhibit the whole truth in reference to this
dreadful massacre The blood Of American
citizens, slain in cold-blood in the streets Of our
National Capital, cries aloud for justice, and,
unless the time for justice at the hands Of an
American Congress is already past, unless al
ready the Presidency Of these United Staes has
been converted into tyrannical despotism, and
unless the Democratic members Of Congress
have become mere servile tools, abject cringing
slaves Of the Democratic President, the investi-
CATION will be allowed and the censufo will fall