Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-05-22
From the Louisville Journal.
What Others Saw of HIS.

gress of all parties upon the floor of the House
in relation to the raging and maddening ruf.
fianism that nightly stalks and stabs and
shoots and knocks down and robs in the
| streets of our national Capital, and then re-
peat, if they have the Satanic impudence to do
so, their stereotyped outcries about the alleged
| lawlessness Of such Know Nothing cities as
Baltimore and New Orleans and Louisville!
Why, in Washington, Sag-Nicht city, hav-
ing Sag NIGHT Mayor and Sag NIGHT police,
Astounding more in Sag-Nichtism than any
other city of the same magnitude in the United
States, and lying right under the eyes and
noses of Sag NIGHT President, a Sag -Nicht
Cabinet, a Sag NIGHT Congress, and Sag
NIGHT Judiciary there is more murder and out
rage of all descriptions every month than
there is in any American city of the Union in
three years There Sag Nichtism reigns I'M
checked. 1t has a fair field to show exactly
what it is-to act out its whole nature No
arm can be lifted against it without being hewn
from the shoulder ...
The world may look at Baltimore or New
Orleans or Louisville to see what Americansm
is when struggling against slanderous, insolent,
INSCRIPTIONS, and violent foes, but let the
world look to Washington City to see what
Sag Nchtism is in the full and free exercise
of its unresisted control. Our national Capital
is, in the eyes of all civilized countries, our
national disgrace. Men of all countries on
visit to Washington City marvel that robbery
and murder can be perpetrated there every
night not only for series of months but for
years and not single one of the ruffians be
arrested and brought to justice. A stroll
through Sherwood Forest in the days of Robin
| Hood and Little John cannot have been more
perilous to an English nobleman than walk
at night through some Of the principal streets
of Washington now is to an American gentle
man. Although We never, like Gen. Quitman,
sailed forth in Washington at night out of
mere curiosity to see whether anybody would
attack us, we have been on Capitol Hill near
the hour of midnight when we heard guns
and pistols in all directions much as they are
heard in other cities when the boys are 70. tn
upon their wild orgies on Christmas eve.
The Washington correspondent of the New
York Times thus describes the miserable and
most lamentable condition of affairs at our seat
of government:
"W ashington is pandemonium. There is
no other city IN the Union, not one, in which
the life, the person, and the property Of the
citizens are so unsafe as in Washington You
speak in dispaI aging terms frequently of New
York, Baltimore, and New Orleans. Compar-
ed with this place, New York is field of Ely
stun. 1t has, with its suburbs, 100000 in
babitants; Washington, with is suburbs has
less than 10000. Yet doubt whether there
have been so many deaths by violence, so
many riots, in New York as in Washington
during two years. And the whole Of this ter
ribe scene OF anarchy, crime, and confusion,
is the result Of misgovernment The social
crisis which we have reached is traced, in
every candid citizens mind, to the sediions
arising in party contests, and in the ncompe-
tency and viciousncss OF those entrusted with
the administration Of law Murder, riot, rob-
berry and arson Iule the city. They stalk
abroad and take possession OF the streets by
day and night Each week the peaceful and
worthy citizen laments the black record of its
, predecessor, and hopes that the next will bring
him the immunity from danger and insult
which he formerly enjoyed. But crime grows
by what 1t feeds on, and has now become I'M
endurable The patience of the community is
exhausted.
From March to April, there were reported
in Washington, small as that city is, thirteen
cases of deadly assault with pistols, bowie.
knives, &c, several deaths ensued, and besides,
there were reported eleven highway robberies
nine riots, and seven incendiary fires; and the
report is stated on good authority not to have
included one-half of the cases We generally
feel it our duty to differ with the New York
Tribune but that paper sometimes states the
truth and states it strongly Speaking of the
Washington outrages, which have at length
appalled, even Democratic members of Congress,
} the Tribune says:
They are legitimate fruits of the prevailing
system. Our Government has been admins
tered on principles the opposite of good morals
and good manners for many years, and the re-
suit Is before us. Like master, like man.
When Jarvis waylaid the son Of John Quincy
Adams, Secretary Of that President, and carry
ing a message TO the House, the chief Demo
cratic official organ set the example Of approval
Of the act. No indignity was deemed too
great by the oligarchs to be hurled at the
Puritan President" In due time il was
authoritatively asserted in the Senate that the
spois system was thenceforward to prevail
Greedy ruiiians from all parts of the country
flock to Washington. a war of pure aggres-
sion was commenced in Texas followed by the
later Mexican war. Cognatc rufans ruled the
elections. The Empire Club, as mentioned in
the debate in question, composed Of ruffianly
characters, controlled the election in this CITY,
and defeated Henry Clay. That club mum.
bered not a few actual criminals, which did
not prevent President Polk from receiving
them with honor at the White House and
Mr. Buchanan with a full knowledge OF the
fact, too, appointed Rynders Marshal OF this
district When Mr.. Sumner was murderousy
beaten down on the floor of the Senate, the
majority Of that body tacitly, if not openly
approved the savage deed. When Denocra-
tic member of Congress slew an IRISH waiter,
he was punished Tor it by triHiug fine. When
violence and crime, national and individual,
are at premium, what wonder that the poi
soned chalice should be returned 70 the lbs of
the chlvarous members, or that they should
now be quaking for fear Of slung.shot, knives,
and pistols used against them by the very
! ruflians whom they have created to control
elections and invited to Washington? Of a
piece with all this was Mr. Pierce's and Mr..
u ka.a ia. -. r