The record-union., 1892-10-21
MODS CT ONE CENTURY.
Brief Accounts of Many That Have
Ragged in America.
A Hundred Years Ago the Father of
His Country Was in Peril of His
Life-A Treasonable Uprising in
Pennsylvania in the Year 1893.


This free country, where law has al
ways triumphed in the end, has seen
many bloody mobs from the beginning
of its history. Some of them are almost
forgotten and are worth recalling. One
of the problems which beset the early
politicians was the aggressive and brutal
custom of England in impressing our
seamen on the high seas. 1t 50 happened,
says the New York World, that about
1893, when the question OF impressment
was particularly agitating the public
mind, England and France became en-
gagged in open warfare. Washington de-
cided upon policy of neutrality. The
general feeling in the United States, how
ever, was with France. The tricolor rep
resented liberty, and as such was popu-
lar with us.
At this iuncture a fiorid, fat, fanatic
Frenchman appeared in America as the
accredited representative of France or of
the Girondists, who were uppermost at
the time. Citizen Genet, as he was called,
had a dangerous duty to perform. Sc
cretly he proposed to get America TO as
sist the French against England. Cltlzen
Genet landed at Charleston, where he
was received with every mark of favor.
Later he moved on to Philadelphia,
where he was welcomed in a fashion that
led him to suppose he had the whole OF
America at his feet. The Fourth of July
that year was more of French celebra-
tion than an American. Genet: the red
cap OF Ii erty on his head, sat al the post
Of nonor. lie sang the "Marseillaise"
with tremendous effect. The red cap OF
liberty was passed from man to man
around the table. Next day the town
was on fire with enthusiasm for the
French cause. Another dinner was held.
AT this Genet passed around the board
the head OF a pig upon huge platter. AS
each guest arose, the platter passing be-
lore hlm, he stuck his knife III the pigs
head-symbol OF the late French Alng-
at the same time uttering maledictions on
the head OF royalty!
THREATENED GENERAL WASHINGTON.
Next Genet distributed a number of
letters OF marque and reprisal to such
American ships captains as his glowing
offers of reward could allure into q SyS-
tenn of piracy directed against Great
Britain. The news came to official ears.
Genet promptly denied his act OF treason.
lie explained that the commissions were
not given under authority OF the French,
but under seal of private French enter
prise; but all this only made the matter
Crat was fitted out as a privateer. Genet
came on to New York, where he met
with an enthusiastic reception. a trusted
official in the employ OF the Government
called on Citizen Genet and asked an eX-
pIanation OF the fitting out of the Little
Democrat. In wild rage the Frenchman
threatened Washington, declaring that
he would appeal from the President to
the people. Messrs. Henfeld and Sim
gleree, alleged pirates, were promptly
arrested, and subsequently they were
discharged. This was a new victory for
Citizen Genet, who sat in the old Tontine
Coffee-hoUse, New \ ork city, laughing
gleefuIly, while outside, from the flag
staff, haunted in the breeze the red cap OF
liberty and the French flag. He called
tie proposed piracy serving France"
He said that the nited States in prose-
cutting was guilty of 1.-THE crime Of aban-
doning friends"
A placard was carried on the streets
representing Washington on the guillo-
tine. Excitement rose to such a pitch
that for days fully ten thousand people
stood under Washington's windows be-
fore his house in Philadelphia, threaten
ing to drag the President through the
cutters. Washington was on the point
OF ordering Genet out of the country
when word came that Genets party had
gone to pieces in France. He was forced
TO abandon his mission to become pri-
Ndlc American clllL6n.
MoBS IN THE KEYSTONE STATE.
Pennsylvania, the seat of many riots.
was the first State in the Union to wit
ness a popular uprising. In March, 1893,
the Germans in Eastern Pennsylvania
resisted the officers who came to take the
measure of the windows i'll their homes
= direct tax had been levied on window
glass Thirty citizens were arrested
They We're conveyed to iail to await trial
lxF Of
one Fries, appeared, surrounded the
prison and effected the release Of the pris-
oners. The militia was promptly called
out. The mob reigned for some days all
through Northampton, BUCKS and Mont
gomery Counties. Fries was captured
and placed on trial for treason. 1T was
the first time such a charge had been
presented against a citizen OF the Union.
lie was convicted, pleaded hard for a sec
ond trial, and finally was condemned to
death. AT the last moment President
Adams came forward with pardon. For
this he made many political enemies
In Baltimore, in August, 1872, the first
blood was shed by mob after the Revo-
luton. newspaper of that city vio-
lently attacked President Jeflerson's en-
barge, which stopped the foreign COM
merce OF this country. One dark night a
mob broke into the office of the paper.
smashed the presses and sacked the
building. In the course OF the riot
eleven men and women were ruthlessly
shot down.
The abduction of the poor Batavia
ricklayer, Wm. Morgan. is still sur
rounded with some mystery. but not the
disorders which preceded il. Morgan
had just been Initiated into the secret of
Free Masonry. He was needy, and
thought that he might make a little
money by publishing some of the ''se-
crets'' of the order. AS he had turn at
writing his task was filed In due
course the manuscript was handed to a
country printer. The affair came to The
ears of the local lodge. The Free Ma
sons broke into the printing office,
smashed the presses, stole the manu-
script and finally burned down the build
ing. Morgan was brought to trial and
finally discharged. After that he disap-
peared from the sight of men. The re-
suit was that other mobs rose up and de-
nounced Free Masonry all over the
Union. Morgan's book was a feeble
effort after all. AS result of the Morgan
excitement the Phi Beta Kappa secret
society was expelled from Harvard in
1881. Free Masonry became political
issue.
CHURCHES BURNED IN PHILADELPHIA.
The year 1884 was notorious for its
riots. Political excitement was reused
by President JaCksOn's s refusal to rechar-
ter the United States Bank. a worthless
paper currency soon menaced thousands
with ruin. The April elections in New
York city witnessed some severe riotiug.
For four days troops were quartered in
Washington Square trying to quel the
violence of the mots. IN October Of the
same year the City of BrOtherly Love was
shocked by terrible rios. The mob de-
stroyed thirty buildings, among them
two churches. An Old negro man was
made to leap out of an upper story OF a