The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-08-05
A Catholic Paper ON Riots and
Drafts.


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Since the last issue of the Tablet this
great city has pa>ssd through terrific or
deal of mob-sw and popular fury. From
the morning of Monday, the 18th day Of
this month OF July, to the night OF Thurs
day, the 10Th, almost every ward of the
city was in the hands Of an lniuriate mob,
thirsting for blood and bent on destruc-
ton. Neither the life nor the property
of any loyal citizen was sale, and IT re-
ouired only the ruffan in the crowd to
raise the cry Of Black Republican (mean.
ing loyal to the country and the lawful
autharitesl against any well-dressed ia
dvidual, TO have him beaten to death in
the most revolving cruelty, and his dwell
ing, il known, sacked aud burned to the
ground The ostensible cause of nil this
was "the draft" which commenced on
the Saturday previous, 9th inst, but
what had the drafting to do with the
universal crusade against the unfortunate
children of Ham everywhere throughout
the city-even in the wards Imperative
" quie.-hunted like wild beasts, and not
merely put to death, but 10 some instan-
Ces HCtuaiIy
1t was truly pitiable sight in q city
calling itself free, TO see these unhappy
fugilives-men, women and children
hunted down all over the city, and that
there is no denying it !--by lrishmen,
70 setne extent FAe people wAey per-
haps, OF all others in Europe, have suf-
fered most from persecution and oppres-
et E.xrral hora fraa coil xpbara oil
men are supposed to have equal rights,
as the foremost prosecutors, the murder
ers, the tormentors of poor, bel pless,
despised race ! Shame, shame on such
Irishmen--they are disgrace to the
country from which they came, in an evil
hour assuredly, for had they remained at
home they would, in all probability. have
been different men, living in differen,
atmosphere. We know, Of course, that
the Irish did but part of the rioting,
but they will find that the chief odium
will be thrown on them, rs it always is,
when auy possibility exists of doing so.
For our own parts we do not wonder
that the laborlng classes should oppose the
draft, and We always feared they would,
especially as the obnoxious $500 exemp-
ton clause gave them q plausible pre-
tense, but we never dreamed that they
would take law and justice into their own
hands, and have recourse to murder, fire
and pillage as a means Of redressiug their
real and supposed grievances. Had they
come together in vast numbers and 81
multaneonsly IN every town and city, and
quietly. but firmly protested against the
obnoxious measure. the effect would have
been all they desired, aud the quieter and
more orderly their bearing the more re-
spect their sternly expressed will not to
be drafted would have commanded. Then
they would have proved themselves law
abiding citizens, fit for the exercise Of
self-govern is it now
In what position do the workingmen
Of New York stand today before the
whole civilized world? On par pre-
cisely with the sans catettes Of the French
Revolution There is no use trying TO
soften it down-suck is the dreary aspect
OF The case. and although we know that
many thousands of our workingmen did
not JPN the rioters, or the robbers who
followed in their wake, still the stern re-
cord Of history will make no distinction,
ant the great riots Of July, 1868. will
form bloody page in the annals of New
York, till the end Of time evermore.-
Yes, our children and their children will
shudder MS they read that dismal tale, and
their checks will burn with honest shame
for the brand of disgrace then stamped
on the brow Of our noble Island City
On, shame ! shame shame for New
York; shame for The misguided men,
whether Irish, German. or American,
who lent themselves. and melted Others
to the commission of such atrocious out |
rag s ~r,a rur. wee uuuttrrabfB woe
for the blood that has been shed, among
the rioters themselves and among our he
role police aud gallant soldiers who fell
In the discharge of their duty to the citi-
zsns Of New York.