Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-08-03
DOUGLAS.
An Interesting Reminiscence-His own
Account Of the Mob in Chicago.

Capt. j. Madison Cuts, a brother-in-
law of Stephen A. Douglas, has just
issued from the publishing house of Ap-
pleton & Co., "a brief treatise upon
Constitutional and party questions and
the history of political parties, as he
received it from Douglas himself
Though the book contains nothing that
is not generally known in relation to the
career and political principles of the
great statesman, we extract the following
descriptive account of the disgraceful
riot with which the Abolitionistssand
Know-Nothings Of the city greeted his
return to Chicago after the passage of
the Nebraska bill in 1854. 1t is given as
related by Mr.. Douglas himself
When | returned to Chicago | was met
at Buffalo by friend, who brought let
tiers from other friends at Chicago, pro-
testing against my return, and warning
me that | would be inevitably killed if |
did. Insisted upon going, and did so.
| arrived there in the morning, went to
my hotel, and, after few days, three or
four, issued notice of speech TO be
made by me, in front of North Market
hall. All the newspapers in the city de-
nounced me, and published daily articles
encouraging personal violence, remind
ing the people that in 1850, on the
passage of the compromise measures, |
had returned and succeeded in quelling
an outbreak against those measures, and
that this thing could not be done a second
time. Know-Nothingism had, during
the Nebraska bill, been organized in the
United States for the first time, and in
Chicago the anti-Nebraska men had or
ganized into Know-Nothing lodges and
probably included within these lodges
nine.tenths of all the men in the city.
1t was ascertained that they secretly de-
termined and bound themselves by their
oaths not to allow me to speak and 1t
was known that one of these thirty or
forty lodges ordered by telearaph, and
received by express from New York, the
night before | was to speak, 25O of Colt s
revolyers
When the day arrived the flags were
hung at halfmast on the shipping in the
harbor, and for several hours before the
time appointed, all the church bells in
the city we're tolled, at which signal the
mob assembled in force of about 10000:
| had forty or fifty men who pretended
to be with me privately, but not hall a
dozen we're so openly; they were all
afraid. At the appointed hour | repaired
to the meeting and went upon the stand,
and was greeted by that unearthly yell
taught and pracliced in the know-noth-
ing lodges-a howl no man can initiate.
| stood and looked at the mob until the
bowling ceased. When they ceased l
commenced by saying, that | appear
before you tonight for the purpose OF
vindicating the Kansas-Nebraska act
Before the sentence was ended the howl
began again. When it ceased l would
begin. and as soon as commenced, 1t
was renewed. At times | appealed to
their pride, as the champions OF free
speech, for q hearing; the howllng was
renewed, At other times | would de-
nouncs them as set of towards who
came armed with bowie knives aud pis-
tolls to put down one man unarmed-
afraid to hear the truth spoken, lest there
might be some men among them who
would be convinced
At one time | got hearing for ten or
fifteen minutes, and was evidently max
ing an impression upon the crowd, when
there marched in from the outside body
of three or four hundred men with red
shirts, dressed as sailors, and thoroughly
armed, who moved through the crowd
Immediately in front, and peremptorily
ordered me to leave. / stood and looked
at them until they ceased yelling, and
then denounced and put them at deh-
ance. and dared them 10 shoot at an I'M
armed man. The pistols began TO hire
all around the outside Of the crowd, evl-
IDENTIFY into the air; eggs and stones
were thrown at the stand, several OF them
hitting men who we're near me, and Tor
several hours this wild confusion cen
tinued. The wonder is, that amid
that vast excited crowd no one was
so far excited or maddened as to hre a
ball at me. The stand was crowded with
my enemies, reporters and newspaper
men. and this undoubtedly was my best
protection. | stood upon the front OF
the stand, in the midst of that confusion
from eight o clock in the evening until a
quarter past twelve at night, when | sud.
denly drew my watch from my pocket
looked at il in front Of the crowd, and in
a distinct tone Of voice said, at an inter
val of silence 1T is now Sunday morn
iug-Tll 20 TO church and YOU may 60
to hellr' aud l retired amid the uproar
cot into my carriage and rode home
The crowd followed the carriage, and
came near throwing it off the bridge into
the river as We crossed; they had seizes
Il for that purpose, and lifted it, but tht
driver whipped his horses violently and
dashed through and over them, and wen
to the fremont House, where / retired