Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-04-06
The Riot.

Inc hlUls
In Difference to the weak suggestion Of authorities
who are scarcely less afraid to acknowledge disagree
able truth than the despodsm at Washington, the pa
pers of this CITY fore6ore to make mention Of
the riot which occurred on Thursday morning last
When Fort Donelson fell, the news was kept back
sror, the people for nearly week and to repeated IN
op;res made at the War Oce, the answer was given
thai the Government was in possession Of no intei-
sepee This was to have been expected from the per-
80, then at the head Of the War Department but under
the new regime the people bad right TO expect and
did expect, courage and common sense. To suppose
tb,tiu city. containing nearly hundred thousand
peope every tongue anu every pen could be checked,
In obedience to the request Of any human Oeiug what
ever and because the newspapers we're slent-iO be-
r,ve for an instant that the throng Of Especial cores
o,a.pt,p would pass over the precious item that
Ia, fallen into their nets since the began-to hope
tina, the courts would close their doors and investigate
crime in secret session-to dream that passengers eav-
Inc by the cars farmers going out on horseback, Wo-
p,.n in bugges and huek ters in chicken carts, would
one and all be stricken dumb, or retaining possession
Of their speech would refuse to tell their wives chill
5ren friends, neighbors and gossips the marvellous
story Of the great "bread" rotthe breaking open OF
sor.s-the ealing out Of the mil,sry-the appeals OF
Old citizens-lhe repeated reading Of the riot act by
tbe Mayor-te eloquent harangue Of the President IN
furniture wagon to a crowd Of innocent men, squares
,u,y from the scene of female burgltrism in broad
d,vlight-o suppose that all this could be suppressed
nv ,uv agency conceivable, much less the mere silen-
cling Of the papers is to say the very least of it the
ses, expectation that ever entered the brains of men
outside Of s,raitjsckets.
This timdity. or want of common sense, or Vhatev-
er else it may be called must be regarded as by far the
worst part Of the business The riot itself is as moth
Ing compared to t. If the authorities Who rule this
Conederacy are so pusanmous as to fear the truth,
whatever il may be- or deficient Rteec as to sup
nose that such thing as female riot could occur in
Richmond at any time Of the day night and not be
known outside of the city limits, then We just as
badly Of as If we we're starving. We are not starving,
nor are We We on the verge OF il but the ostrich sys-
tenn Of hiding he head belinda leaf whenever danger
Is near or thought be near does obtain in our eoun-
ellis and there and there only is the only real trouble
pereeptble in this whole matter.
Happily, these daylight burgaries are undergoing
judicial investigations great part Of the stolen goods
has been reclaimed the rngeaderS being arrested;
they viii be tried and purished full account Of the
affair, from is obscure origin to its d'gseefu culmina
ton, will be made public; and the ezAggeratOns that
have gone to the country vii be cOunterAcsed.
That there was any just ground for the shameful dis
turbAnce Of Thursday no believes. The it is
looked into the more causeess it appears Doubtless
there is much suffering in the city. But the fund
voted the poor bynO exhausted the churches
we're willing and abundAntly able to relieve distress;
private bensVoenee had not once been appealed to- No
petition, no remOnstranee had been made yet, on a
sudden, hundred or hundred AAd fifty Well-dreSsed,
plunp-eheeked women, led by viragO, Who is known
70 have made fortune by marketgardening and cheer
cd By a rabble Of gamblers and ruhians who pro-
tec,ed here by the special federation Of the Confederate
State and Municipal governmental that misrule this
happy ety-al Of sudden this thrOng Of COurtszans
aud thieves assemblies in the Capitol Square organizes
and proceeds break open stores to get what for
sooth Not neat and bread, but boots, shoes, silk
dresses tobacco jeWely brOOms and the like. These,
the Mayor in his investigation last Friday suggests per-
nently are not articles Of food But there is proof
aOre convincing than any yet given of the absurdity
and sehood Of the plea that this row occasODed
By suffering for food clothing and that is the fact
subsantiaed BY every hOusekeeper in the city that
notwithstanding high prices and scarcity Of provisions,
there have been fewer applications for charity than in
any previous winter for many years The entire alb
Ssnce Of beggars at q time Ike this and in a city so
crowded By dlers as Richmond, is very notable The
writer of this article can testify that during the whole
winter he has encountered bat two beggars one Of
whom, an obvious impSstOr, wanted TO fight because
her veracty was doubted while the other set upon him
with the stunning petition FOR " quarter to buy cate
Ohum The truth is this petcoated foray was pOliti
zeal in its origin as the simultaneous disturbances in
Mar eitss Indicate and the evidence before the
" win yes prove.
hAsrs be = soul Of good in things evil, this ri