The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1861-04-26
The Proceedings OF Friday Night.

We condemn in the most unquallned man.
ner the disreputable proceedings that Oc-
CURED in this city ON Friday night of last
week, and trust for the honor OF our good
name abroad, that nothing of the kind will
BE- repeated. We have no sympathy with
mobs, or with exhibitions of mob spirit,
and whether they take place in Baltimore or
in our midst, our voice shall be ever, as it
always has been, lifted against them. We
respect patriotism, and can make allowances
for excitement intensified by events that had
occurred and were occurring. which took
deep hold on the people, but we have moth
ing but words of reproach for that spirit
which exhibited itself here ON Friday night
to interfere with the right OF private opin-
ion, and which, without cause and from
needless suspicion, made improper and I'M
warrantable demands on citizens.
The raising of . secession flag, prompted
by whatever motives, whether done, as we
believe it to have been, in aspirit Of culpable
foolishness to answer taunt, or from more
rcprehensible motive at the present time,
when the public mind is inaamed and excl
ted to an extraordinary degree, was indeed
calculated to arouse public Indignation, and
every allowance should be made for its exhi-
bition. Those coguizant OF it should have
known better. Knowing US we do, from the
admission of one of the parties charged with
being concerned in it, an admission which
was made to us in the presence of the May
or, that there was not one word Of truth in
their public denial of being cognizant OF
the raising Of the flag, we have no very great
regret ON their account. Ii does not very
much surprise us that in this peculiar feature
of the exhibition the dictates of patriotism
were not guided by judgment, and IN the in
flammatory state of the public mind an ex-
cited crowd made demand which. as the
obnoxious flag had been withdrawn soon az
ter it was displayed, was unreasonable and
censurable.
This was, however, not an offence which
deserves 50 large share of public reproba-
ton as that committed by the mob, we call
things by their right names, when without
provocation they made demands in the spirit
Of mobocracy ON men whom they suspected
of disloyalty to their country, and who were
peaeeably pursuing their business avocations,
or had retired to the quiet Of their homes.
Every right thinking man, every good citi-
zen who values public order, will see that
the preservation of the public peace, the
safety Of the community, and a respect for
the enjoyment of rights secured by the laws,
demands that every exhibition of riotous
spirit should DO frowned down, and that all
manifestations Of such character should
meet with stern rebuke. There can be no
state OF society worse than that in which
such u spirit bears sway. This is too obvi-
GUS To demand calculation. weregret deep
ly the riotOus proceedings, and this regret is
made heavier because we know that there is
really no difference in sentiment among us
in regard to the duty to stand by the coun-
try, in our community. Democrats vie with
Republicans in expressions Of loyalty to the
Government, and are as ready to make sacri-
fees for the common good. Partizan feeling
in the breasts OF all respectable men has been
hushed, and the leading men OF both parties,
Us we'll ~ the masses, are united in deter
mination to maintain the integrity Of the
Government. And now having said this
much, we trust that our neighbor Of the
Democrat, whose patriotism we know to be
fully equal to our own, and who has abund-
antly proved by his condemnation OF the
proceedings Of the secessionists his fidelity to
the Union and to the stars and stripes, will
bear with us IL we say that he very much
overestimates the extent Of the mob spirit,
that his apprehensions of danger from 1t
hereafter have no real foundation, and that
he docs injustice to Republicans in suppos-
ins that any considerable number Of them