Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-04-24
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.


ignored the name of Democrat, which they
have too long disgraced, and now appear in
their true colors. Henceforth we shall know
them only as the anti American party, hostile
to every american interest and to all who
call themselves Americans. They are the same,
by whatever name they may call themselves
They have shown themselves to be, and have
fearfully proven it in times past utterly re-
CARELESS of the public veal They are com
posed Of the refuse of all parties, traitors to
principles once and again protested, the rag
tag, and bob tail of society, the ignorant, the
vulgar, and the profane, the foreign rufian and
the native blackguard These may seem harsh
terms, but the man who will look upon their
actions, must come to the conclusion that no
party could thus act whose members were in
fuenced, in their action, by a desire to benefit
the city in which they live, or to promote peace
and harmony, and good will among the citizens,
and, consequently, acting as they have and do,
and declare their intention to continue to act,
they must be influenced by the very spirit Of
discord, the demon whose presence is only in
voked by the vicious, the profane, the outlaw,
and the habitual disturber of the public peace.
Well, what has the convention dones They
have nominated man as their candidate Tor
the chief magistracy of the city who accepts
the nomination. and now stands before the peo-
pie of Washington as the anta-American can
didate for that Office We are opposed to the
title of this nominee, to the manner of the
nomination, and to the gentleman himself
Leaving the manner for the present, let us look
at the nominee Wehave no personal acapint-
ance with Colonel Berrett If we were to meet
him in the street we should not know him.
But we know those who do know the Colonel
intimately, and in the strength of their knowl-
edge we pronounce him unfit for the position.
The city of Washington being in the condition
it is represented to be by the anti American
convention, common sense would dictate that
a man of nerpe should have been selected-not
a man who keeps his courage up by pouring
spirits down--but man possessed OF moral
courage that kind of courage which makes
man afraid to do wrong-but which, IN the
discharge of duty, makes him fearless OF con-
seauences-bold as lion and firm as adamant.
Who would think, for instance, of placing
man at the head of municipal affairs In Wash
ington, at a time when, according to Democratic
testimony--the city being under Democratic
rule-the bloody Know-Nothings" are gov
erning the city, maugre the muskets Of the
Marines-who is afraid of ghosts and hobgob-
Inns, who dares not stay in dark room alone,
for fear the devil will fly away with him body
and soul. This reminds us of an incident we
heard the other day. A man and wife had re-
tired to bed In the night, the wife fancied
she heard man in the house, and waking her
husband, besought him to get up and drive the
marauder away.
"Jimmy Jimmy, wake up, say, Jimmy,
theirs man in the house. Get up and drive
him away. Don'tyou hear what a noise he is
making. There, he is in the next room"
"Do you get up, wife. Suppose he was to
shoot me- What would become ofyouG"
Well, since you cannot protect me, will
protect you, am not a coward!
Hal Hall Hall! GooD.-The anti-Know-
Nothing resolutions, among other causes, at
tribute the violence and outrage unfortu-
nately prevailing here" to "the inadequate
punishment inflicted for minor offences" and
"the bad example Of men in high places" We
have not time now to notice only these two,
deferring the others to more convenient time.
With all our heart we agree with the author of
these resolutions as to the terrible influence of
the above causes in producing the "CioLeace
and outrage unfortunately precaiIing here"
And first in the catalogue of minor offences for
which there is no adequate punishment is the
crime of drunkenness-and especially Of cBi-
ciaL drunkenness--for which there appears to
be no punishment at all Thepoor and wretch
ed, the homeless wanderer, and the miserable
outcast it is true, are fined for the benefit Of
the city, and if not able to pay, are sent to the
farm for thirty or sixty days at the pleasure Of
the sitting magistrate, and the fast young
man and the man who never intended to be-
come drunkard, are compelled to pay fines
and costs to help the city to pay the interest
on her largely increasing debt But the pun
ishment is not adequate TO the offence, in our
opinion, although, in the opinion of many, the
man who is patriotic enough to get drunk and
suffer himself to fall into the hands of the law,
and be fined, is a good citizen. If the fines
and penalties were doubled in these cases,
would 1t not be better for both city and citi-
zen, inasmuch as the one would have more
money, and the other more patriotism. What
makes the matter worse is, the fact that there
is one class Of drunkards who do not pay at all
they arc not patriotic enough to get drunk
for the good Of the city, but prefer to drink at
the city's expense. These are the official
d,unkards, Mayors, Naval Storekeepers, &c,
&c. Is this impartidIi
Who, but the men who occupy ''high places"
and who set examples ofdebauchery, drunken
ness, profanity, and obscenity, are chargeabe
with setting "bad examples"
1t is true that much, very much, Of the
evidence and outrage" so prevalent in Wash
ington, is chargeabe to the bad example Of
"men in high places"-places which they dis
grace, and from which wholesome public SEN
timont win soon compel them to retire.
REMOVAL OF THE CAPTAL.-Some Of the Re-