Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-04-15
From the Richmond whie.1.

THE LATE RIOT IN RICHMOND, VA.
In Difference to the weak suggestion of authorities
who are scarcely less afraid to acknowledge disa-
greeable truth than the despetism at Washing ton,
the papers of this city forebore to make mention Of
the riot which occurred on Thursday morning last
When Fort Donelson fell, tho news was kept back
from the people for nearly week, and to repeated
enquiries made at the War Office, the answer was
glven. that the government was In possession OF TO
intelligence. This was to have been expected from
the person then at the bead Of the War Department,
but uader the new regime the people had right
to expect, and did expect, courage ard common
sense. To suppose tina: in city containing nearly
hundred thousand people, every tongue and every pen
would be checked in obedience to the request OF any
human being whateverS and because the newspapers
were silent-to believe for an instant, that the
throng of especial correspondents" would pass
over the most precious item that has fallen into
their nets since the war began-to hope that the
courts would close their doors and investigate crime
in secret session-to dream that passengers leaving
by the cars, farmers going ont on horseback, wo-
men IN buggies and hucksters in chicken carts'
would one and all be stricken dumb, or, retaining
possession Of their speech would refuse to thelr
wives, children, friends, neghbors and goss the
marvellous story of the great "bread rl0t-tne
breaking open of storesthe calling out Of the mill
tary-the appeals of old citizens-the repeated
reading of the riot act by the Mayorthe eloquent
harangue Of the President in furniture wagon to
n crowd Of innocent men, squares away from the
scene of female burglarism in brosd daylghs-to
suppose that all this could be suppressed by any
agency conceivable, much less the mere silenclng OF
she papers, is say the very least of it. tho slIest
expectation that entered the brains of men ont
side OF strait jackets.
This ti,nidity, or want Of common sense, or what
ever else it may be called must be regarded as by
far the worst part of the business The riot itself
is as nothing compared it If the authorities who
tO
the truth whatever 1t may be- or SO deficient in in.
teect as to suppose that such q thing as female
riot could occur in Richmond, at any time Of the
day or night and not be known outside Of the city
limits, then are we just as badly off as if we were
starving. We arc not starving, nor are we on the
verge oil it but the ostrich system OF hiding the
head behind leaf whenever danger is near, or
thought to be near, does obtain in our councils;
and there, and there only, is the only real trouble
perceptible in this whole matter.
Happily, these daylight buglaries are undergoing
judicial investigation; great. part Of the stolen
goods has been recaimed the ringleaders are being
arrested they will be1ried and punished; full
account of the Affair." from its obscure origin to its
disgraceful elimination, will be made public and
the exagserations that have gone to the country
will be counteraeted.
That there was any just ground for the shameful
disturbance of Thursday, no one believes. The
it is looked into the more causeless it appears
Doubtless there is much suffering in the city. But
the fund voted the poor was BY no means exhausted
the churches were willing and abundantly able 20
relieve distress private benevoence had not once
been appealed to. No petition, no rtmonstrance
had been made yet, on sudden, hundred or a
hundred and fifty we'll dressed, plump checked wo
men, led by virago who is known to iovo made a
fortune by market-gardening, and cheered by rab.
BILE of gamblers and ruffians, who protected here
by the special federation Of the Confederate, State
and Municipal governments, that mlsrule this un-
happy city-all of a sudden this throlg OF courte-
cans and thieves assemblies in the Capitol Square,
organizes and proceeds to break open stores to get
what for.sooths Not meat and bread, but boots,
shoes, silk dresses, tobacco jewelry, brooms, and
the like. These, the Mayor, in his investigation
last Friday, suggests pernenty are not articles of
food. But there is proof more convincing than
any yet given of the absurdty and fasehood Of the
plea that this row was occasioned b. suffering for
food or clothing, and that is the fact, substantiated
by svery hous.kespsr m the city, thst, notwith-
standing high prices and scarcity of provisions,
there have been fewer applications for charity than
in any previous winter for many years. The en-
tire absence of beggars at time like this and in
city SO crowded by idlers IS Richmond, is very
table The writer Of this article can testify, that
during the whole winter he has encountered but
two beggars, one Of whom, an obvious imposter
wanted to tight because her veracity was doubted
tition for "a quarter to buy catechism 2 The
truth is this pettcoated foray political in its
origin; as the simultaneous disturbances in other
cities indicate, and as the evidence before the Mayor
will yet prove.
If there be a-soul of good in things evil, this ri
diculous affair may be turned 20 account 1t ought
to put stop to boarding, to suppress speculation
to induce producers to bring in supplies, to make
the government facilitate transportation, and to
clean out the gamblers, loaiers and ruifans, stock
lock and barrel. Let Congress at once pass law
requiring every man to show that he is engaged in
some honest useful calling else 60 into the army
forthwith. In this way the five and twenty gamb.
ling houses that feed every d2y nearly as many
thousand idlers, and thereby run up the price Of
provisions, will be swept away. And let our high
officials display little courage and little reason.
The people are not afraid Of unpleasant truths, why
should they be Let them not attempt impossibill.
ties But, the reports in the papers will go to the
country and encourage other riots Better cor
rect account in print than thousand exagserations
from as many tongues and private letters If the
riots occur, put them down; it is easily enough
DONE But, the Yankees will get hold OF it Ger
tainly What if they do? Let them make tho
most of it; they Ore going to do their worst, any
way Better thousand fold that the Yankees
should ply their lying arts with all the aid the DIS
affected here give them, than the people should
see that the government of Jefferson Davis is tmo-
rous about any thing on earth. The people are
manly; so should their government be, and put
bold, calm face on everything. If any ching could
be "kept back" the fate of Ananias should warn
US of the folly of attempting it Have We gotten so
deep in the mire of sneaking evasive, alternately
trucking and bullying policy, as not to be able to
turn round and face Yankees and females combined?
Or shall it go to the country that the Confederate
government is scared out Of its wits because par
col OF women broke open store and stole palr of
shoes?
The following remarks by locker on, are very
just and true as far as they 60:
To the Editor Of the Wig:
happened to be spectator Of portion of the
dolngs Of the mob of Holy Thursday" did not
witness the organization on Capitol Square, or
the outrages committed in Cary street When