TO THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES

That a bloody massacre, or a bloody execution has been enacted at the seat of the National Government, is now a well known fact. The only question to be settled by the people of the United States--is--was it done by virtue of law--or was it a lawless, and therefore a nefarious transaction. Upon this question, those citizens of the District of Columbia, who are opposed to the administration of both the national and city governments, desire to be heard.

The whole press of Washington city, viz: the Union, the National Intelligencer, the Star, the States, the National Era, all give the same version of the main features of the transactions of the 1st June. Every member of the City Council, in favor of the administration, have applauded and voted for resolutions of thanks to the President, to the Mayor, to the Officers of the Marines, for the parts they severally enacted in that tragedy. Not one of the several performers has repudiated his share in the rewards thus offered by the Councils, and by the presses here and elsewhere, and they are presumed to defend their views of the whole transaction. We, therefore, bring them before the bar of public opinion for trial--and we trust to show by incontrovertible proof, that they are guilty of the crime of shedding innocent blood, without provocation, contrary to law.

We trust that all prejudice against the view we take of this subject, based on the action of the presses and corporate authorities of this city, will be removed by a simple statement of facts. Every democratic press is the recipient and expectant of Executive patronage, which every one knows, depends upon full and unshrinking defence of its measures. The Intelligencer's local editorials are prepared by editors and employees under similar influences. One of them is an English foreigner, bitterly hostile to the American party, another is the most violent member of the Board of Aldermen, and another is a member of the same board, and all are democrats and advocates of the administration. The Era, the abolition organ, takes the same course from hatred to the American party, and goes one step farther than his associated presses, and with unblushing effrontery 00034has said that all the points now disputed, are admitted, notwithstanding positive and personal information to the contrary, and then goes on to denounce as criminals all concerned.

We call the attention of the people to another fact. The judicial investigation required by law, and uniformly made elsewhere in all cases of death by violence, has been refused and resisted by the authorities in this city. No warrant to arrest the Mayor or officers, or privates of the Marines, could be obtained, although a coroner's inquest, after an examination of thirteen witnesses, had pronounced a verdict which declared that the death in the case before them was caused by gun-shot wounds made by the Marines. Justices refused to issue warrants, although earnestly appealed to, and nothing could be done to bring the guilty, if any such there were, before the Criminal court.

There is now a grand jury in session, its foreman, Mr. Geo. W. Riggs, and one of its members, Mr. Wm. T. Dove, have already taken a warm and open part in favor of the resolutions of thanks by the Board of Aldermen of which they are members, as will be seen by the proceedings of the Board recorded in the Intelligencer of the 25th of June last, and have therefore prejudged the case.

Among the most guilty in this whole affair are the presses of this city. Their responsible managers have perverted the truth, have misrepresented the facts, have applauded the guilty, and slandered the innocent, and have done irreparable mischief to that most powerful engine of liberty and justice, a truthful and talented Press. When the proofs in this case shall be read and compared with the earnest and repeated asseverations of the presses, and democratic letter writers of this city, shewing a reckless disregard of truth on their part, and a desperate determination to throw off from their patrons the odium which is sure to attach to them for this horrible outrage,--who will hereafter believe them, even if by accident they should tell the truth.

We now present a brief statement of the occurrences of the tragic first day of June, 1857, which the future and impartial historian will characterize as a deed of blood, of cold blooded murder and reckless butchery; which will be sustained by numerous affidavits.

It is supposed, that previous to the 1st of June, 1857, the Mayor, the Chief of Police, and the Captain of the Auxiliary Guard had been induced to believe, from mere idle rumor, that a party or parties from Baltimore, would visit 00045our city on the day of election. It is a well known fact, however, that for several years past it has been the practice of the different political parties to send from this city to Baltimore, and from Baltimore to this city on the day of election, scores of persons, paying their passage, and in many cases, paying them for their time. In consequence of this rumor, the Chief of Police and several of his officers were at the depots, to inspect the passengers who should arrive in the cars which left Baltimore at quarter after four o'clock in the morning. Their testimony is, and they would not certainly underrate the number, that some 25 or 30, old and young, men from Baltimore came on in the train.

These persons, or the most of them, were seen at and near the 1st precinct of the 4th ward early in the morning, about the time the line of voters, amounting to one hundred or more, almost exclusively anti-Americans, had been formed on the pavements stretching from the polls towards K street, and were quietly casting their ballots. About this time John H. Goddard, a candidate for the Board of Aldermen, a man of strong feelings, and most decided in his opposition to the American party, got into a controversy with some of the party from Baltimore, and some of our own citizens. He pushed one or more of them off the curb stone into the street, and was struck in the breast by a brick-bat; the combat became general--pistols, clubs, stones, fists, were employed, the fence leading to the poll was perforated with many balls, a large number of stones were thrown into the room where the judges sat, they and their clerks fled, the polls were closed, and the police cowardly abandoned their posts. The fact is distinctly stated, and there is proof of it, that the first shot was fired by the Chief of Police. Order was soon restored, and we learned of no other disturbance at any of the precincts, except that of the 2d precinct of the 2d ward, which was soon quieted. This disturbance is said to have been the work of the party from Baltimore, aided by some of our own citizens. After the disturbance in the 2d ward, the riotous parties scattered, or separated, or went into concealment.

The Baltimore party were not openly seen together again that day. Most of them, if not all, left in the evening train for Baltimore. So far as any reliable evidence has been obtained, it does not appear that any of them returned to the 4th ward polls, or the neighborhood, after the morning riot; nor was the voting there in any manner interrupted 00056until the arrival of the military. The morning riot was over before 10 o'clock. The military reached there after 1 o'clock. So that for nearly four hours before the arrival of the Marines there had been no disturbance of the peace, and those who had previously been engaged in breaking it were absent during that time and did not return. The riot in the morning was not so great as that which occurred at the same precinct last year, caused by an attempt of the foreigners to take the polls, and which was easily quelled by Mayor Towers and the police force.

We must now go back to the time when the police retreated. Mr. John H. Goddard, who was the candidate of the administration for the Board of Aldermen, was seized by a powerful American, his friend, and carried by him in his arms out of the melee to a place of safety and set down. Mr. Goddard then started down the street, and at the distance of four or five squares he met the Mayor and the Captain of the Auxiliary Guard in an open barouche, going towards the polls; he got in the carriage, which drove to the polls of the 1st precinct of the 4th ward. Everything was quiet. They left the Captain of the Guard, and the mayor and Mr. Goddard went to the Navy Department and to the President. Upon their representation, an order was procured requiring the Marines to hold themselves in readiness, which was despatched to the Navy Yard. After this the Mayor prepared that communication to the President, which has been published in the papers as the authority to order out the Marines.

While the riot was going on at the 2d ward polls, two citizens, Ex-Mayor Lenox, and Dr. Thomas Miller, a Democratic member of the Board of Aldermen, went to the Mayor to procure additional police to suppress that disturbance.--They stated the case to the Mayor, and he replied in substance, that it was unnecessary, for he had a requisition for the Marines who would soon be there.

Tenders were made to the Mayor by other citizens of their readiness to aid in suppressing the riot, if there was any; the aid of the armed volunteer soldiers was also tendered by one of the commanding officers. He declined all. Finally the Marines arrived at the City Hall with loaded muskets and fixed bayonets.

They were officered by at least four officers, and marched without music. The Mayor took charge of the detachment, and, accompanied by several citizens, marched them to the corner of 7th and I streets, where they were halted. The 00067polls were closed by the judges, and they determined not to open them again until the military were withdrawn. In the meanwhile an immense, and highly excited crowd thronged 7th street, and it was swollen at every moment.

After the Marines left their barracks, a parcel of young men and boys, residents of this city, seized a small gun which was kept in the Anacostia Engine House, (and which had been spiked for more than a month) and ran with it after and passed the Marines, on their line of march towards the City Hall. They took the gun up 7th street to the open space near the market house, and by some means procured ammunition and loaded it. Every single person, man and boy, about that gun was a citizen of Washington. The police have the names of most of them, but they have fled until the storm shall have passed. They therefore know that they were not Plug Uglies.

The gun was loaded some time before the Marines reached I street, and more than one respectable citizen had gone to the young men who had it, and remonstrated with them, their answer was, they did not intend to use it unless they were attacked by the Marines, and then they would fire.

After halting the Marines for a short time at I street, they were marched up to the open space formed by K street an New York and Massachusetts avenues, and halted on the flagging on the East side of 7th street. They came into line, fronting to the West. The gun was on the opposite side of the street. A gentleman, well known, and a highly esteemed citizen of the 4th ward, and another respectable citizen of the 6th ward, separately went to the Mayor, and told him that they had just come from the young men, who were at the gun, and if he would give them twenty-five citizens, they would undertake to take it without trouble. They received no answer, and immediately after this a company of Marines charged across the street upon the gun. When the charge began there were thirteen or fourteen persons at the gun, all fled but one man and a little boy, the boy endeavoring to escape was bayoneted, he was afterwards shot--a boy of ten or twelve years of age. He is still living. The man escaped.

As the Marines reached the gun, firing commenced.--Three young men were sitting upon a market house bench, near the gun. One of them--Wells --was mortally wounded, the other two escaped. They say that this was the first shot they heard or saw, and it came from the Marines. --The Marines fired a volley at those who were running into 00078the market house in their advance. Immediately thereafter, the other company of Marines wheeled and fired directly into the dense crowd on 7th street, and down Massachusetts avenue, so that they fired three different directions. Many were killed and wounded. It is said that among them, were some of the Baltimore Plug Uglies. But after the most diligent enquiry we cannot hear of one of them who was either killed or wounded; yet there is clear and distinct proof that a member of the Empire Club, from Baltimore, was wounded by a musket ball. His name is well known, and he was carried to Baltimore that evening by the cars. It may be proper here to state, that a number of that notorious Democratic club were in Washington on the day of election. We have their names, and are prepared to furnish them.

It was a dreadful massacre. It can alone be justified on the plea of an imperative necessity. In that event, there should be no difficulty in ascertaining by whose order it was done. He who gave the command to fire should openly avow it, and court a judicial investigation. Yet, so far as has been ascertained, no one will admit that he gave the order. If the Marines fired without orders, some one should still be held responsible for taking United States troops, with loaded muskets and fixed bayonets, into such a position without having control over them.

The local government, and the officers of the General Government, and every newspaper in this city, alike justify it. Yet no Coroner's inquest has been held by their order, or under their countenance. The most positive testimony has been adduced to show that the Mayor gave the order. Public justice, public peace, public order, public safety, public liberty, and private wrong and suffering, all cry out for such on investigation--not an investigation in the secret chamber of a Grand Jury, but an open, public free, unchallenged investigation in the face of day.

Should we present to the Freemen of the United States, all the evidence which we have in our possession relative to this deed of blood, we would swell the publication to that of a volume, instead of a small pamphlet. We shall therefore confine ourselves to a number of affidavits, and a few extracts from two or three papers, which have fortunately fallen into our hands.

00089

From the Louisville Journal of June 15th, 1857.]The Bloody Tragedy at Washington City--A Plain Statement of Facts--Americans Vindicated-The President and Mayor guilty of Deliberate Murder--American--born Citizens subjected to an Iron--heeled Tyranny.

To the Editors of the Louisville Journal:Washington, June 9,1857.

The American party in this city is truly in a deplorable state. We have no paper here to represent our cause, and the Baltimore press has been so delinquent that lies have been propagated throughout the country in such profusion we feel almost disheartened when we think of making an attempt to controvert and deny them.

The papers of this city have circulated the report that the Marines were called out to quell a riot, and that they fired on the rioters to preserve the public peace. There never was a more unqualified lie propagated in any community. The Marines fired upon peaceful citizens, who had collected to observe what the Marines were called out for. There never was a more cold-blooded murder in the history of our country than this was, and your readers will ask why does this not appear to the world so. My friends, come to Washington and see and hear for yourselves. We have no means of publishing the facts. We have endeavored to have a legal investigation of the facts, and we cannot get a justice of the peace either of our own party or any other party, to issue a warrant for the arrest of the Mayor, on the oath of as good and reliable men as ever lived in any community.--They are afraid--they are under the eye of the General Government--they are under the rule of Democracy and Romanism, and they dare not.

The conduct of the Mayor and the President has been applauded by their mercenary hangers-on--yes, sir, the President of this Union, Mr. James Buchanan, of Pa., not only approves of the course of our drunken, bloody Mayor, but exults in the hope that he has crushed the American party of Washington. Sir, the President by his frown has prevented a legal investigation of this murderous outrage, because he knows facts would be elicited on such examination of all parties that would implicate him and his party: that would damn them in the eyes of the country!

Will the people of Kentucky believe that the man to whom they gave their votes in the late Presidential election has caused the rifles and arms of the American Rifle Company 000910in this city to be taken from them by the Secretary of War, while a company of Irish and a company of Germans are allowed to keep quiet possession of THEIR arms and guns. Such is the fact. The American company were under bonds to the amount of $8,000 for the security of their arms, and have never in any instance proved themselves lawless or forfeited their bonds--but arms and guns have been deemed unsafe in the hands of the American people, and can only be trusted in the hands of their foes.

Would the Kentucky people stand quietly and see their friends shot down by their sides by hired slaves for party purposes, when they were not aggressing, and not be avenged? Would they see the plotter and executors of this horrible deed landed and extolled by hirelings and sycophants--and approve--and not feel the blood of other days burn in their veins? Sir, I can answer these questions. I have seen the foreign party attempt to take possession of our ballot--box, and to kill our friends, and I have seen them destroyed--I have seen justice outraged and disregarded by law, and I have seen the law enforced by the people, and that promptly and energetically. I have seen murderers eulogised by their admirers and abettors, and I have seen them overwhelmed by public opinion and the justice of our people. Would, sir, there were something more of that spirit here! would we have the force to assert our rights--would that we had an organ like the Journal to repel the false and slanderous charges of foreign slaves, and that would dare to assert the truth and stand by it.

We want you to help us. State the facts in the case, and we can furnish you as many and four times as many affidavits as you produced two years ago in the case of the riot in Louisville to prove the statement we have made. We want the facts brought before the country, and we want the President and his party of murderers exposed. C.M.A.

To the Editors of the Louisville Journal:Washington, June 8, 1857.Gentlemen: The National Intelligencer of to-day contains articles from a great number of papers in different sections of the country, both Democratic and Whig, condemnatory of the transactions which took place here on the day of the municipal election, throwing the entire censure upon the Americans. I am grieved to say I think the Intelligencer has done its full share in misrepresenting the transactions of that day, in throwing blame on those who do not deserve 001011it, and in justifying the conduct of those who, without any justifiable reason for so doing, brought the Marines upon the ground and ordered them to fire upon the people. Many of the papers whose remarks the Intelligencer quotes undoubtedly spoke as they did from the confidence they placed in its candor and truthfulness, not being aware that, so far as Americanism is concerned, it seems to be as strongly prejudiced and uncandid as any journal in the city.

Unfortunately for the Americans here, they have no paper through which they can make their own statements. They are dumb, and compelled to let the false representations of their most bitter and vindictive enemies go to the world uncontradicted; of course their friends elsewhere have nothing to say in their defence or justification, and join their enemies in the hue and cry of condemnation.

That there were some twenty or thirty very young men and boys here from Baltimore on the day of the election, who sympathized with the Americans, is not denied, nor that a disturbance occurred at one of the polls in the Fourth Ward early in the morning; but that the disturbance was of a very serious character, that it continued long, or could not have quelled by any half-dozen resolute policemen, is denied. It is also denied that there was any rioting at the time the Mayor called upon the President for a military force, or afterwards. It is asserted by Democrats and Whigs, who were at the place of voting during the whole time, men who did not vote the American ticket, that, at the time the Marines were marched upon the ground, everything was as quiet and the voting was going on as orderly as at any poll in the city.

But they had been ordered out and must of course do something; accordingly, after taking the swivel, which about twenty boys had brought from the Navy Yard, (by the way, the boys did not start from the yard with it until after the Marines had been marched off,) they were ordered to fire in different directions, their muskets being loaded with one ball and three buckshot each. Eight or nine persons were killed, and more wounded; and who were they?--"Plug Uglies" and Americans of course, because they are charged as having been the rioters; but no: not an American or a "Plug Ugly" was killed--all the victims, I believe, to a man were anti -Americans!

There was no more necessity for the employment of a military force of United States troops-- regulars --on this occasion than there was for the President himself assuming 001112the command of them; and of course the ordering them to fire with ball and buckshot cartridges was, as several of the personal and political friends of the Mayor, and Capt. Tyler, who gave the order, are guilty of deliberate murder in the estimation of many citizens who sympathize with them in their hatred of Americanism.

But while it is admitted that there were "Plug Uglies," or young men and boys so called, from Baltimore at the polls here on that day, it is also asserted that there were a greater number of rowdies here from the same city, members of the Empire Club, who came as the avowed enemies of the Americans. Of the presence of these the Intelligencer, Union, States, and Star say not a word.

I think there is no doubt but the calling out of the Marines was determined upon some days previous to the election.--Mayor Magruder and Capt. Tyler both entertain the most malevolent and vindictive feelings towards the Americans, who are hunted down by the Administration and pursued with the same spirit as were the Covenanters of Scotland by the blood-thirsty Claverhouse and his savage horsemen.--The blood of the Americans was sought, but, instead of their falling by the murderous fire of the U.S. Marines, anti-Americans fell.

I do not justify the presence of any Baltimoreans here on the day of election; far from it; but I cannot forget the time when rowdies were habitually sent by the Democrats from one city to another to drive the Whigs from the polls and stuff the ballot boxes with illegal votes; nor can I remember that the Union and other Democratic papers ever condemned the doings of those rowdies. Their virtuous indignation is new-born, and of course easily excited.

The condition of the Americans here is that of a conquered and oppressed people. They are pursued with relentless hatred; the thousands of workmen employed upon or in the public buildings, if discovered, they are presented at once with their "walking papers;" of course not a man in Uncle Sam's employ dare own that he thinks "Americans ought to govern America." The avowed of such a sentiment would cost him his place in less than twenty-four hours. Such is American freedom at the Capitol of "the model Republic!" Among the hundreds of men employed upon the public buildings, there is scarcely a sprinkling of American laborers and mechanics, and one hears a constant jabbering of Irish, German and Italian.

001213

It is asserted that the Marines at the Navy Yard numbered but 59, on the morning of the day of the election, and yet 110 appeared on the ground under the command of Captain Tyler, not more than one-twentieth of whom were American born; they were principally Irish--some few Germans.--How was the number so suddenly increased? I am told that, when the order came, Irishmen were taken out of the workshops of the yard and transformed into Marines, impromptu, by encasing them in uniform.

As showing the feeling of the Administration towards Americans, I give you the fact that, since the murderous affair in this city, the Secretary of War has taken from the American Rifle Company their arms, upon the flimsy and hypocritical plea that they were not safe in their armory in the City Hall, while he considers the arms of the Montgomery Guards, an Irish company, perfectly safe in a building, the lower part of which is a livery stable!

Talk about "American liberty and equality!" there is not a Capitol in Europe where there is more tyranny and oppression than is exercised here; and there is not a more slavish, truculent, timid, subservient body of men in the world than can be found among the employees of the Government in Washington city. That it is so, is a most mortifying and humiliating fact. An Eye Witness.

[From the New Orleans Daily Delta, of June, 1857.]LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.Election Riot--Decorations for the Capitol--Abolitionist Outwitted.

Washington, June 11, 1857.

Editors of the Delta: The rumors and reports and newspaper statements here about our election riot have been so various and conflicting, and deeming truth in such a case to be an important thing to lay before the public. I would not send my letter till the best evidence had been given under oath before the coroner's inquests.

From that testimony, it turns out to have been pretty much a family affair. The substance of the testimony is this:--At the upper precinct of the Fourth Ward, while the voters were standing in a line one behind another to take turns at the ballot box, just at the entrance of the narrow plank passage, which admitted one person only to move up to the box, some persons--no one knows who--began to push others. This led to resistance, of course, and in a 001314minute the line was broken and a general row was raging between Nothings and Anti-Know Nothings. Brick-bats and stones were thrown, some pistols were fired, and one man is said to have been wounded; the board passage to the ballot box was torn away, and one of the election judges it is said, was struck in the wrist with a pistol ball. This was about ten o'clock. In about twenty minutes all was quiet and the voting going on as orderly as it was before the disturbance began.

At the commencement of the disturbance some one ran to the Mayor-about half a mile--who wrote a letter to the President asking for a force of United States troops. This was dispatch to the President--about a mile and a half--who sent for the Secretary of the Navy and after consultation on order was made out for a detachment of Marines from the barracks at the Navy Yard, three miles from the President's House. By this time the disturbance was at an end. On receiving this order--carried by the Mayor, or sent to Col. Henderson--a hundred and ten men were sent from the Marine Barracks to the scene of difficulty, under the control of the Mayor. When they reached that place they found the people voting quietly; the disturbance having subsided about two hours before their arrival. They learned, however, that near to that place--at the East end of the Northern Liberties Market House--number of persons were assembled with a little swivel, all in full view. The Marines were ordered to charge them with bayonets and take the piece. (It was now one o'clock.) They did so; they who had possessed it abandoning it on the approach of the Marines. After they had taken the piece they returned to their former position and formed into a hollow square. Then it was that they were ordered to fire. Four witnesses in the first inquest swore positively that they heard the Mayor give the order, and fourteen that it was after the taking of the little gun, and that there had been no firing and no disturbance whatever for two hours preceding that action; that, between the taking of the little gun and the firing by the Marines, there was no provocation whatever given. The advocates of the Mayor deny this; not on oath, it is true; but they affirm that the Marines were assailed, abused, fired upon, and wounded--one or two--by the ruffians, violaters of law and order, and that they only returned the fire of those scoundrels--"Plug Uglies," &c., and that no good citizen can regret the chastisement they received, awful as it was--some seven or eight having been 001415killed on the spot and more than twenty wounded, some of whom have died since.

But, there is one circumstance which they do not tell, and which none of our city papers has disclosed. It is this:--with one single exception, every one of those killed and wounded by the firing of the Marines, was of the Anti-Know Nothing Party, and all but one citizens of Washington!-- One Know Nothing was badly wounded in the harm: It was his place of voting, and he was standing near the Marines, not dreaming of danger--unarmed, quiet--near his place of business, and not having taken any part whatever in the disturbance. He is a man of good character and respectability.

It is, indeed, remarkable; that the Marines should have poured their volleys into the ranks of "Plug Uglies" and "ruffian Know Nothing," and hit none of them; but, on the contrary, should have killed and wounded only the enemies of those they supposed they were shooting.

Our city papers alleged that a band of "ruffians" from Baltimore, calling themselves "Plug Uglies," came here and were the authors of the disturbance--and that it was they who assailed the Marines and received so severe a chastisement for their villainy.

If this statement were true, it would make these "Plug Uglies," the most extraordinary people that ever existed; for our whole city police was to catch, or even to see distinctly, a single one of them; and they seem to have had the power, on being shot, of transforming themselves into well known citizens of Washington, and "Anti-Know Nothings." For, I state emphatically and positively, that, according to the best evidence, one Baltimorean only (Mr. Dalrymple) was shot by the Marines, and he is admitted, on all hands, to have been a Democrat. All the others were well known citizens of Washington.

This statement is made from the best evidence that has been given And, as some may think such a statement should be responsibility of a proper name, I have to request that you will give my proper name to any one who shall ask it of you.

I would say, in addition to the foregoing, that the reason why an impartial statement has not appeared in any paper published in this city is that every one of them is devoted to the Anti--Know Nothing" party, and, will not publish anything that reflects upon that party; and an impartial statement of those occurrences must necessarily do so.-- 001516Neither would a reporter of any of those papers write down the testimony which was given under oath before the coroners, either of Know Nothings or of Anti-Know Nothings. The little swivel was brought to the market house by a gang of young men and boys at the Navy Yard, who, seeing the Marines turn out, ran to the fire-engine house and dragged it out and came along the most of the way in company with the Marines--Whether Know Nothings or Anti-Know Nothings I am unable to say, as no definite testimony has been given on that point; but, from the fact that they were passed on the road by the Marines, and came along afterwards in their rear without molestation, and that those killed and wounded by the Marines in connection with the circumstance of the capture of that little gun proving to be Anti-Know Nothings, it would seem that they must have belonged to that party. I will only add that there is no stronger proof in support of the story that a gang of "Plug Uglies" were here from Baltimore, than there is in support of the other report that a band of "ruffians," calling themselves the "Empire Club," came here from the Eighth Ward, in Baltimore, for the purpose of interrupting the election in our Fourth Ward, which had before given a small majority for the American party, in the hope, thereby, of preventing the election of an American Alderman for that ward, and consequently securing for the "Anti-Know Nothings" a majority in that branch of the City Legislature. But, really, there is no reliable evidence in support of either.

[From the Louisville Journal of the 22d June, 1857.]We have already spoken of the outrageous policy pursued by the Sag-Nicht organs throughout the country in lauding to the skies the foreign population, and trying to disparage and degrade the native-born to a level with the illiterate hordes of Irish papists and German infidels which infest our country. It is not enough for these Sag-Nicht organs to praise the patriotism, courage, and surpassing virtues of the foreigners at the expense of our own countrymen, but the Democratic President of the United States has, in a practical manner, demonstrated his belief that the true-hearted sons of the soil are not fit to be trusted with the public arms, whilst the vilest dregs of other countries, men who blindly obey the behests of their priests or demagoguing leaders, are considered entirely trustworthy. The blush of shame should mantle the cheek of every honest American at the 001617degrading spectacle of a great nation, which has, in the opinion of its President, so far retrograded as to render it unsafe to allow the native population at the National Capital to have possession of the public arms. If this policy is followed, foreign mercenaries, by which the republics and empires of old were brought to ruin, will soon control our government, and the insolence of foreigners towards native-born citizens will be unbearable. It is but reasonable that the foreigners should think themselves vastly superior to native-born citizens when they are told continually that their devotion to the country far exceeds that of the sons of the soil, that their courage is undoubted, whilst native Americans are a poor cowardly set of ruffians, and that every characteristic of manly virtue adorns the foreigners, while the baser and more brutal passions govern the American-born citizens.

There are facts of deep significance in the conduct of the Mayor and other officials of Washington in regard to the recent election disturbances there. The time has come when every American who truly loves his country and her institutions should ponder well upon this subject and look into the fearful abyss upon whose very verge we are now tottering. The letter to the Boston Traveller which we published yesterday was written by one who avows himself opposed alike to Americans and Democrats. It states that the writer's testimony is derived from "the principal actors," and it denounces the atrocious affair as a "massacre utterly unprovoked and useless." It is a candid and impartial statement. The facts show for themselves, in addition to the affidavits, that we have published. No partisan feeling prompts the correspondent of the Boston paper to suppress the facts in the case as the authorities have endeavored to do, and we see clearly the dawning of a day when this inhuman and unprovoked destruction of innocent life will receive the reprobation it well deserves from the voice of the nation.--Why have the Democratic organs so suddenly become silent? Why have they so grossly misstated the whole affair, and, after trying to cast the whole infamy of the bloody deed upon the American party, why have they seduously concealed the fact that only one American was shot where scores of Democrats, women and children, and negroes were killed or wounded? Why is this, but in continuance of their scandalous policy to villify the American party by misrepresentation and calumny? The minions of the administration may hope to escape from punishment whilst they have the 001718protection of the federal government, and doubtless the President, by his power, can avert all punishment from them, but a cry of execration will ascend from the earth which has drunk up the heart's blood of these slaughtered victims, and the ears of civilized humanity will ring again with denunciations of this horrible and atrocious murder.

That it was premeditated is shown by the sworn statement of a Baptist clergyman of high standing and thirty years' residence in Washington, who heard the mayor and other leading Democrats in conversation, and distinctly swears that the mayor threatened "that they (the Americans) should have no children's play on that day, that he would give them powder and ball." And well he kept his word. The Marines could be relied upon to shoot down American citizens. In the words of the Boston correspondent, they "could be trusted because they were nearly all Irish, and their officers were in government pay, and wholly independent of civic ties and feeling." The officer in command of this force is one of the most bitter Democratic partizans in the country, and he could be relied upon in his vindictive hatred of Americans to execute any command to promote Democratic party interests and shoot down Americans.

We make another extract from the Boston letter, and call attention especially to the latter portion of it:

This riot, and many others south of a certain sectional line, within five years past, bring us to reflect upon the present and probable future condition of the South in two respects. It is claimed that slavery is conservative; that the principles of and habits of subordination inculcated among the population by the institution are a sure security against popular excitements, against sudden outbreaks, against tumult and disorder of every kind. Now, not only is the claim unfounded, but the exact reverse of it is true. The South is the land of bloody riots, of fierce and insatiable eruptions of passion, not only between individuals, but among masses of the people.

The number of foreigners at the South is less than one-tenth of that at the North. There are not enough of them there to excite jealousy or awaken apprehension, and yet the rage of the native party is so inflamable that election day is a day of battle and confiagration. How, then, will it be when the Irish, French, English, and Germans crowd around the polls there, and absolutely elbow Americans from the ballot box, as in New York, Massachusetts, and Illinois. The question presents a picture more vivid that I can describe.--Already American troops cannot be depended upon in the South. The Democracy even here rely upon Irish Marines! And don't they shoot the natives?

The number of the Marines at the Washington Navy Yard was doubled on the day of election, as the muster roll shows, and they have as suddenly disappeared. Where did they come from? Were they the Irish employees in the Government workshops, who were called away from their 001819work to imbrue their hands too willingly in American blood, or were they members of the Democratic Empire Club, of Baltimore, pressed into service for the occasion? The proceedings of the two meetings in Washington differ vastly--one (the Mayor's) dealt in invectives and sweeping denunciations of Baltimoreans, who were supposed to have been engaged in the riot, and the other (an immensely larger meeting than the Mayor's) passed resolutions and appointed a committee, without distinction of party, "to elicit the whole truth as to the origin and progress of the events which resulted in that dread tragedy." Which of these meetings was actuated by the most proper motives--the one which courted an investigation, or the one which shunned it and avoided all allusion to it.

Only one Baltimorean is known to be hurt, and he is a member of the Democratic Empire Club. We would not uphold the Plug Uglies or Rip Raps or any other band of fighting men of Baltimore in going to Washington to interfere in the election, any more than we would commend the conduct of the Democratic leaders here, who tried to produce a riot in the late judicial election, but as yet there has been no proof that the Plug Uglies actually did interfere. None of them were hurt, whilst one of the Empire Club, numbers of whom were in Washington, is now lying dangerously wounded. The facts speak for themselves, and, upon the evidences already adduced, we do not hesitate to pronounce this Washington affair one of the most horrible outrages ever perpetrated in this country. An effort has been made by the Democratic authorities at Washington to suppress all investigation into the affair, but when the facts are made known a terrible responsibility will be found to rest upon the Mayor of Washington and the President of the United States for using and permitting the use of the military forces of the United States to promote Democratic partisan purposes in a municipal election.

We publish below a number of affidavits, from respectable citizens of Washington city, in reference to the late election difficulties at the National Capital. Our correspondent sends us these, which were taken at random from the numbers which have been procured from spectators. An effort has been made to suppress all investigation, and with the power of the Federal Government and the press of the city to back the Mayor and his confederates we were fearful that no inquiry would ever be made of what is now represented to us as a foul and wanton murder of innocent citizens. 001920The statement in all of the Washington papers was evidently prepared by the same partisan hand, and those papers endeavor to fasten the stigma upon the American party in order to relieve their own guilty partisans from the indignation of a nation. We ask an attentive perusal from our readers of the letter from our correspondent. The treatment of the poor sufferers in the hospital was infamous.--The blood of innocent victims calls aloud for a just retribution, and we are glad that Judge Crawford, in an able charge to the grand jury, has directed them to investigate this atrocious deed.

In connection with this we make the following extracts from a letter in the Boston Traveller of June 17:

Washington, June 13."A careful inquiry, and certainly an impartial one, for I equally oppose both parties engaged in the disturbance, has satisfied me that the late terrible slaughter in the streets and houses of this city by United States Marines was wholly wanton and unnecessary. I cannot repeat private conversations with some of the principal actors in the tragedy, but from such testimony I derive the conviction that the authorities and United States military officers were swift to shed blood, and were glad of an opportunity to do it without legal accountability.

"In the disturbances which took place around the polls the lower class of Washington Know-Nothing were undoubtedly conspicuous; but the riot was not so alarming as to call for any other means of repression than the civil authorities, aided by the regular police and the special constables who could have been speedily summoned into service. The call for federal troops was wholly unnecessary.

"It is said that some scattering pistol shots were fired as they dispersed; but it is admitted that their arms were comparatively worthless, and it does not appear that in this opening of the melee any one on the Government side was hurt. The piece was taken, the real rowdies were running for their lives, and not one of them was injured. But here commenced a massacre utterly unprovoked and useless. One company, under the command of Capt. Tyler, the same that had taken the cannon, fired toward the west at random, and charged around the market-house in that direction. It is claimed that at this time a shot was fired from a crowd of 002021persons about fifty yards from the second company, which had remained stationary, by which one of the marines was wounded in the face. This crowd consisted of men, women, and school children, boys and girls, who, not dreaming of any fatal result, had come to this point as a favorable one from which to view the scene of excitement. The men were respectable citizens, mostly Democrats; the women were the wives and daughters of residents in that neighborhood.--They lined the sidewalk and filled the windows and doors of the buildings.

"Instantly, without a word of warning, the marines fired into this crowd, killing three or four and wounding three times as many more. This same company then faced about and shot in the opposite direction where there were very few persons, but managed to kill two, one of them a colored wood-sawyer with the tools of his humble craft in his hands. They brought him down at two hundred yards distance.--Another platoon changed front and fired down a street not yet enfiladed by their guns, and pinked a conductor of the railroad at one hundred and seventy-five yards. He was taken in the back and died promptly.

"That there was no necessity for the firing is shown by the fact that all the persons hurt, but one "American " and two negroes, were Democrats. It will hardly be charged or believed that they were there to abet a riot and prevent their own friends from voting, or that they would have disobeyed any proper order from their own Mayor and his military allies to disperse and leave the ground free for a fight between the troops and the insurgents. Why was the United States army and navy called upon at all? Why were not the militia companies called out to preserve order? There is a deeply significant reason. The Mayor was afraid to summon the American companies lest they should refuse to fire upon the people, and he was equally afraid to call out our Irish and German companies from the danger of a conflict between them and the people. The marines COULD be trusted, because they were nearly all IRISH, and their officers were in government pay and wholly independent of civic ties and feelings."

Want of space prevents us now from commenting fully upon either these extracts or the subjoined affidavits. We shall hereafter notice both at greater length. The disarming of the native-born militia whilst the foreigners were permitted to retain their arms, and the premediated calling out of the marines, as shown by the affidavit of a clergyman 002122of good standing, cannot be too strongly condemned. It was utterly atrocious. The heavens will yet ring with denunciations of this barborous outrage when the truth is completely, as we feel confident it will shortly be made known. Mark the fact that only one American was hurt; all the rest, except two negroes, were Democrats. The following is the letter of our Washington correspondent accompanying the affidavits referred to:

To the Editors of the Louisville Journal:Washington, June 14, 1857.

Gentlemen: The American party of this city have been endeavoring since the 1st inst., to obtain a legal investigation of the occurrences of that day, as the Administration has been so strenuously opposed to the step, they have been thus far unsuccessful. A great many affidavits have been taken of persons who were on the ground at the time of the murder, and some of whom are now at the point of death. These affidavits have been taken without respect to party, so far as members of the other party were willing to give them in-the tendency of all being to the same point, and affirming the fact, that the murder was most uncalled for, most brutal and atrocious, and the more so, because it was premeditated and predetermined for days before it occurred.

The affidavit of the Rev. Thomas Plumsill shows clearly that the determination of the Mayor, on the day previous, was "that he would give them powder and ball." The muster roll at the barracks a week previous and a week subsequent shows that during that time there was an increase of some 60 Marines on service. There were two Marines on that day who received pistol-shots, one of whom I saw fall to the ground but a few rods from me, shot in the mouth.--Since that time, nothing has been heard of this Marine at the barracks. A member of the Empire Irish Club, of Baltimore, lies dangerously ill of a shot received in his mouth, in Washington on that fatal day. The bayoneting of Biddleman when he was down, and the shockingly cruel manner in which he was dragged by his wounded arm, show that there were others than the United States Marines in the troops, and that they were gratifying a brutal and blood-thirsty spirit of revenge. But what has been the course pursued by the murderers since that day? Of all the dead, but one single inquest was held, and the facts elicited at this inquest have been suppressed from the columns of the 002223newspapers. It was too evident to the party in power what would be the result of these inquests, and the dead have been hurried away to their graves without any form of inquiry as to how they came to their death. The inquest held was on the body of a native, and the rest who have died were all of the foreign party.

What has been the treatment of the wounded poor, who had no friends, or homes, and were compelled to take refuge in the city infirmary?

I visited the infirmary on Friday, the 12th inst., with a friend, to find out the condition of these poor sufferers. I found only three persons there who had been shot by the Mayor; one was an Irishman, one a German, and one a native, though all extremely poor and laboring men. The two foreigners, from the time they entered the infirmary, had renounced Democracy, and had not ceased to heap curses and abuses on the head of the Mayor. The consequence has been that the German, although shot in the calf of the leg below the knee, has been allowed to lie and mortify for want of aid and care, and is perhaps dead now while I pen these lines.

The Irishman received only a slight wound in the shoulder, and, being able to take care of himself, is recovering.

The native is a carpenter by trade, without family, and has no friend within two hundred miles of him. He was shot while running. The ball entered the hip and displaced the bone, glanced, and came out at the lower portion of the abdomen. The bone has not yet been reset nor his wound probed. After seeing him, I immediately sent for a physician at his request, but the gentleman, feeling some delicacy in going to the hospital, at first refused, but consented on last evening to take charge of the poor man if it was still his desire to have him. It is exceedingly doubtful whether he will now recover, as his wounds are very highly inflamed. His screams on Friday night were exceedingly distressing; and although for thirteen days he has been writhing in agony, without friends and without proper care, that guilty, miserable, vile murderer, our Mayor, though a practising physician, has not been near him to help him or see him, when his office is within the sound of the poor sufferer's cries. Is this humanity? Is this duty? Is this Democracy? God save us from such, and our country from the rule of monsters who planned this deed, who assisted by their orders in carrying it out, who uphold, sustain, and glory in it as a triumph, who propagate the villainous reports of it 002324to the world which have appeared in our papers, and who shield in any manner those connected with it from the punishment their crimes deserve.

The accompanying affidavits, taken miscellaneously from numbers we have, will show you clearly the spirit of the deed and the unvarnished facts in the case.C.M.A.

P.S.--Since writing the above, the German who was shot in the knee has died.C.M.A.

The following are the Affidavits:District Of Columbia,}Sct.Washington County,}

This day came before me a Justice of the Peace in and for said county, Rev'd Thomas Plumsill, an ordained minister of the church of God, or free communion Baptists, for thirty years a resident of said district, who being duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath declare that, on Monday, preceding the election on the 1st instant, in the city of Washington, he was called to the Mayor's office in said city to attend to some business for a friend, where he found the Mayor, F. McNerhany, naval storekeeper, S. Gates, and perhaps another, who were conversing with the Mayor. Mr. McNerhany was recommending Mr. Gates to the Mayor as a suitable person to fill the appointment of commissioner of the fifth ward. When he had concluded that business, he (McNerhany) told the Mayor he had heard that the Know-Nothings had boldly asserted that no damned Irishman should vote on the day of the election, and he advised and requested the Mayor to have the marines called out. The reply that the Mayor made was "that they should have no children's play on that day, that he would give them powder and ball."THOMAS PLUMSILL.

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 11th day of June, 1857.THOMAS C. DOWN, J.P.

WASHINGTON, June 12, 1857.I hereby certify that on the first day of June, between 12 and 1 c'clock, I went to the third ward polls to vote. There was no crowd and but two persons in the pen or passway. I voted and walked down to the fourth ward polls.--There was no crowd or any disturbance there of any kind. I was learning on the pen or fence that the voters pass through as a spectator, and in a short time some one sung out from the street or pavement that the Marines were coming up. I kept my stand and saw them form on I street. A justice of the peace came to me and advised me to go home, that I might get hurt. I stated everything was quiet and no one would hurt me. The squire still insisted on my going home, stating "you are as liable to get hurt as any one." They very soon came up before the fourth ward polls, and the window of the polls was closed as they arrived. They were marched from there in front of the market-house, when they halted. I was not aware when the Mayor and his soldiers went to the market house that a swivel was there. I went across the street from the Mayor and soldiers and saw a swivel surrounded by persons whom I took to be boys, and a short time afterwards there was a charge made by the Marines, and, seeing them coming across, I got over a bench inside the market sheds. I saw them take the swivel from the boys and pull it across the street, without any resistance or force on the part of the boys. They then took their positions in the same place they had left, when I saw them bring their guns up. I then ran for the opposite side of the sheds between the markets, and when I got to the door on the opposite side the soldiers had discharged their guns. I turned around and saw a man down near midway of of the space behind me who appeared to be shot in or through the thighs. I then went down Eighth street to I street, up I to Ninth street, and came through the market and crossed over to the place where the Mayor, Gen. Henderson, and Mr. Carlisle were standing. The wounded and dead were taken away before I returned.

002425

There had been no disturbance or pistols fired from half-past 9 in the morning, and I never saw a more quiet election in Washington for the eleven years I have resided in this district.

I did not see any one shoot or throw a stone at the Mayor, Gen. Henderson, or officers or soldiers. I went with them from the market house to the City Hall, after the soldiers had stacked their muskets. The Mayor came down a few steps of the City Hall and ordered the people to go home or or they would be fired on again. In a short time after that I left for my home. There was no disturbance at the City Hall at the time the Mayor gave this order and made the threat in the presence of peaceable citizens of Washington.

NIMROD GARRETTSON.

The foregoing affidavit of Nimrod Garrettson, who states that he is fifty-six years of age, was made and sworn to before me, this 12th day of June, 1857.

A. ROTHWELL, J.P.

WASHINGTON, June 12, 1857.Thomas J. Dawson, being duly sworn, doth depose and say that, on election day, the 1st instant, he was present at the time the marines came to the first precinct of the Fourth Ward, and heard W.B. Magruder, the Mayor, distinctly give the word to the marines to fire, at a time when there was no disorder, and to his certain knowledge there had not been any disturbance at said polls for at least two hours, and that the firing all took place after the capture of the swivel by the marines. He further says that the polls were open and the voting going on quietly when the marines came up. They were then closed until after the marines had left the ground, when they were again opened.

THOMAS J. DAWSON.

Sworn to before me this 12th day of June, 1857,

A. ROTHWELL, J.P.

WASHINGTON, June 12, 1857.John L. Freidrich, as resident of the city of Washington, by birth a German, being duly sworn, doth depose and say that, on election day, the 1st instant, he was on Seventh street, near the place of voting, at the time the marines went up; that he stood on the west side of the street, near Hyatt's dry goods store, and that there were no rioters or firing of pistols from that place; that, after the swivel had been taken from above the market house, and when there was no further disturbance, he heard W.B. Magruder, Mayor, give to the marines the order to fire, when the discharges were made toward the point where he was standing. He further states that there had been no disturbance at or near the place for two hours before the arrival of the marines.

J. LOUIS FREIDRICH.

Sworn to before me this 12th June, 1857.

A. ROTHWELL, J.P.

WASHINGTON, June 4, 1857.Daniel Biddleman states that he is nearly fifty-two years of age, has resided in this city for twenty-five years, has a family of three children dependent on him for support, and his trade is that of a tinner. He resides in the Fourth Ward and was attending at the polls on the 1st instant. When the Marines arrived on the ground, he was under one of the sheds at the Northern Liberty market house to avoid the rain which was falling. He had nothing to do with the cannon. There was no disturbance existing at the time the Marines arrived. Almost immediately after they came, and without reading or proclaiming the riot act, the Marines charged upon the swivel, and began firing in several directions. He endeavored to escape from the range of the firing and hastened from where he was standing to go into the market house, when three Marines fired upon him, and one rushed upon him and bayoneted him in the side. One ball shattered his left arm so badly that it has since been amputated just below the shoulder. While thus wounded some person, unknown to him, came up, and, seizing his wounded arm, commenced dragging him towards Seventh street, where the Marines were stationed, notwithstanding his remonstrances on account 002526of the pain he suffered. When they reached Seventh street, delivered the affiant to Mayor Magruder, who also seized him by his wounded arm, although he begged him to let him go, that he did not intend escaping, but he was forcibly dragged across Seventh street, and down toward the wood-yard of Burr, when meeting Dr. Waring, the Mayor allowed him to take charge of affiant, who conducted him to the drug store of Mr. McIntire, where the first aid was afforded him. He suffered excruciating pain from the rough handling of his shivered arm, the bones of which he could hear grating against each other.

DANIEL BIDDLEMAN.District Of Columbia,Washington County, Sct.The above deposition of Daniel Biddleman was this day sworn to before me, a justice of the peace in and for said county, this 4th day of June, 1857, having been read to him by me before being signed.

A. ROTHWELL, J. P.

WASHINGTON D. C., June 22, 1857.I reside on L street, between 9th and 10th. On Monday, the 1st of June, I went to dinner from my place of business at 12 o'clock; after I had eaten my dinner I went round to the polling place of the first precinct of the third ward; on 7th street, between K and L street, east side, about half-past 12 o'clock; the polling place of the first precinct of the 4th ward was on the next square below, on the same side of 7th street; at the time I arrived I was struck with the remarkable quiet of the street at both polls, but very few persons being in the street; I had been on the ground but a few minutes when a report was brought that the Marines were coming up, we laughed at what we supposed was a joke, but our informant assured us he had seen them at the City Hall, and that they were on their way up; I paid my tax at the window, got my certificate, and while I was up at the other window to vote, the marines made their appearance on the street, and halted at about I street. At this time there was no disturbance on the street, and all was as quiet as a Sabbath day; I deposited my vote, and walked down towards I street; I saw about a dozen persons, mostly boys, pulling a small brass cannon up the street; the marines were beyond this party, advancing up 7th street: the cannon party halted in the middle of the street, in front of the market shed; the marines halted in front of the 4th ward polls; I had walked along slowly observing what was going on, and when I arrived near the cannon party, I crossed the street obliquely quite near them, and observed Mr. R. Wallach, alone remonstrating with them, and telling them they must not fire or attempt to fire the cannon; I did not think they would do it as quite a large crowd had followed the marines up, and were still around them; I passed on to the corner of K and 7th streets, and observing that some ladies had taken refuge from the rain under the back shed, I went over and warned them how matters stood, they went away, and I passed around the north side of the market house to 7th street again; the cannon was now moved to the flaging in front of the shed, there was some commotion around it, and a flourishing of what appeared to be spoke-sticks; I crossed over again to the corner of 7th and K streets, west side, the marines advanced in line on to the sidewalk in front of the polls, and moved by files up 7th street, until the right was about opposite the market house, the left about half-way across the open space between the shed and the corner of K street, outflanking the cannon party on both flanks; they halted on the flaging, east side of 7th street, and faced to the street; I passed down 7th street about 80 feet and took a position at the curbstone; the 1st company wheeled by their left across 7th street, coming down nearly to a right angle with the 2d company, who stood their ground a few files on the right of the 1st company, charged bayonet in wheeling, I heard a rattling of sticks as they charged down and two or three muskets were fired, followed by a few pistol shots, when the 1st company fired a volley, the left platoon bringing their pieces down to a point blank range, and firing obliquely down 7th street. The 2nd company now fired a stragling fire, most of them firing at a great elevation, and not seeming to fire with that relish which had marked the 1st company. As the crowd rushed by me from the corner I saw several persons laying around either 002627killed or badly wounded; in front of me was Mr. Deems, who was the only person between me and the marines in the street, he lay about six feet from the curbstone near the flaging crossing 7th street in the street, behind me was a colored man shot through the stomach; in coming down I had passed a friend of mine on the corner, I went up to see if he was hurt: the marines were reloading; not seeing my friend on the corner, I went out into the street again, and a gentleman coming up recognized Mr. Deems, I handed him his cane with a large gold head to it, which I picked up and requested him to take charge of it; I asked several persons to assist me to pick him up out of the mud and lay him on the pavement, which we did; no riot existed, no "riot act" had been read, no proclamation made, and no call upon the citizens for assistance, and when I looked around upon the innocent who lay weltering in their blood my heart ached, and I regretted I was not armed for defence, and left the place in disgust.

CHARLES LEMON.

Sworn to before me this 24th day of June, 1857.

F. S. EVANS,

Alderman from the 3d ward, Washington City, and ex-officio a Justice of the Peace.

District Of Columbia,}Sct.Washington County,}Statement of David C. Bohlayer, before me a Justice of the Peace in and for said county, after being duly sworn according to law. He was at the first precinct of the fourth ward in said city at the late election on the 1st June instant, when the marines arrived opposite the polls and halted. After remaining there a short time, Mayor Magruder and General Henderson walked up to the market house, where the boys had a swivel. The affiant accompanied them. In about two minutes the marines arrived opposite the swivel, and were ordered to charge and take it, which was executed by a small number of them; the swivel was taken across the street and placed in the care of the marines, who were drawn up in line there. After this was done, a piece of brick was thrown at the marines, when a musket was fired from the ranks; whereupon Mayor Magruder said to Gen'l Henderson, "fire upon them, General--shoot the ruffians down," or words to that effect; the order was accordingly given, but by whom this affiant cannot positively state; and a number of muskets were fired by the marines at persons standing at the market house and sheds adjoining; one of the marines charged bayonet on a man, who catching the bayonet in his hand, drew a pistol and shot him in the face, after which the rest of the marines fired up and down 7th street at the crowds on the sidewalks, who had made no attack on them, and made no resistance, but ran for their lives. At the time the Mayor gave this order, witness was standing within a foot or two of him. He is clear in belief that no pistol was fired from the crowd before the muskets were fired, as he was so situated he must have heard them if they had been fired; there was no disturbance at the polls before the marines came, and he is confident there would have been none but for their arrival. The Mayor was evidently intoxicated, and staggered in walking up the street.

DAVID C. BOHLAYER, His X mark.

Subscribed and sworn to before me a Justice of the Peace in and for said county,

F.S. EVANS,

Alderman from the 3d ward, Washington City, and ex-officio a Justice of the Peace.

District Of Columbia,}Sct.Washington County,}Personally appeared before the subscriber, a Justice of the Peace in and for the District and County aforesaid, Joseph Downing, aged 68 years, a resident of the City of Washington for the last forty-two years, and a master carpenter, who being duly sworn according to law, deposeth and saith, that on Monday, the first day of June, 1857, he was near the first precinct of the 4th ward, and a rain coming on, he retired under one of the sheds of the Northern Liberties 002728market for shelter. He saw the marines when they marched to precinct aforesaid; all was quiet: there was no disturbance, nor any indication of riot, and the people were quietly casting their votes; I I heard no discharge of fire arms until after the marines had fired, and I was in a position to have heard firing if any had taken place: at the time the marines fired the sidewalks and streets were crowded with peaceful and quiet men, women and children.

JOS. DOWNING.

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 20th day of June, 1857 F.S. EVANS, Alderman from the 3d ward, and ex-officio a Justice of the Peace.

We, the undersigned, were present and heard the aforesaid affidavit read to Joseph Downing, herein named, saw him affix his signature thereto, and make oath to the same.

LEONARD STORM,J. McNEW.

WASHINGTON, June 23, 1857.In a conversation I had with S.H. Carlisle, a voter in the 6th ward at the wounded on the 1st instant, and asked him if it were so, and when it occurred; he informed me it was true, and that it happened at the 4th ward polls; and in the course of the conversation said his brother was a member of the Democratic party and of the Empire Club in Baltimore. Subscribed and sworn to before June 23d, 1857.WM. DIXON.H. NAYLOR, J.P.

Personally appeared before me a Notary Public in and for the County of Washington, Thos E. Lloyd, a resident of said County, who upon oath declares that on the 1st June, 1856, he thinks between the hours of 12 and 1 o'clock, P. M., being in the neighborhood of Pennsylvania Avenue, was informed that the United States Marines were ordered up from the Navy Yard, and that they were then at the City Hall; he went to the City Hall and found said marines drawn up in front of the building; he noticed that they carried their muskets at a half-cock and capped; he knew not then what their intentions were; soon afterwards they were ordered to march, and he followed them; the rain falling heavily, he sought shelter in a store opposite the Patent Office, remained probably ten minutes, then passed up 7th street, and found the marines in line, halted, their right resting on I street; saw no indications of riot; business appeared to be proceeding; the street was thronged with citizens; windows of the neighboring houses open, their occupants, male and female, viewing the military; children were playing along the street; soon after his arrival at the last named point, the marines were ordered to advance; up 7th street until direct'y opposite the Northern market; a portion of them charged towards the market at a run; heard one or two shots fired; saw they, the marines, had possession of a swivel; did not know until that moment where the swivel was; after obtaining possession of which, they commenced firing right and left; their principal fire being directed at the corner of Massachusetts avenue and 7th st., at which point a number of citizens were congregated. The time intervening between their march from the corner of 7th and I streets, and the firing upon the people could not have been, in the opinion of your deponent, more than three minutes; he saw no necessity for the firing, no excitement existing at the time more than is usual at our annual elections.

THOS. E. LLOYD.

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 12th day of June. A.D. 1857.EDW. F. BROWN, Notary Public.

Before me the subscriber, a Notary Public of the County of Washington, personally appeared Ebenezer Hughes, a resident of the City of Washington, by trade a carpenter, who upon oath declares that on the morning of 1st June, 1857, he voted at the first precinct, 2d ward; about 1 or 2 o'clock I walked up to the first precinct, 4th ward polls; the marines were then upon the ground, their right resting on I street; saw them march from the corner of I street and stopped opposite the polls; Dr. Magruder ordered the polls to be opened; they remained closed; the marines were then ordered to march; they halted opposite 002829the market; I was then standing about six feet from the swivel, on the west side of 7th street, on the pavement; then some one gave the order to a portion of the marines to advance and take the cannon; they did advance, and about the time of taking possession of the swivel commenced firing around and about and in every direction; I jumped over one of the market stands to escape; saw a marine struggling with a man to obtain possession of a pistol; went to assist him and was shot through the hip; at the time the marines crossed over to take the swivel some half dozen men were in possession of it; they were endeavoring to retreat; and the cry was raised "don't fire" by those in possession of the swivel; I saw no riot or disposition to riot, on the contrary, they seemed disposed to remain quiet; I saw no firing of pistols until after the marine fired.

E. HUGHES.

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 12th June, 1857,EDW. F. BROWN, Notary Public,

Washington County, D.C.

I, T. G. Clayton, of the city and county of Washington, being at the scene of the sad tragedy which occurred on the 1st instant, at the municipal election in this city, do state on oath that I was in the Patent Office about one o'clock, P.M., when I was informed that the marines had just marched up 7th street; I then immediately left the office and went up 7th street; I saw the marines before I came up to them in the vicinity of I street, where they had halted, but by the time I reached 1 street on my way up, the marines had formed into line and were on their way to the Northern Liberty market house; when they arrived with the head of the line opposite the market house, I had arrived on the corner of 7th and K streets, which is the N. E. corner of the square. The marines halted and formed on the flag stones crossing Massachusetts avenue and facing on 7th street; I do not think that over three minutes elapsed after halting until the order was given to charge on the party on the other side of the street having the swivel; when the crowd fled and the swivel was taken; directly on taking possession of the swivel by the marines, some three or four shots were fired by the marines into the crowd in the neighborhood of where the swivel had been! and then pistols were fired from the same crowd at the marines; the marines then commenced at the head of the line to fire in the same direction; I saw one man about this time standing at the southern end of the market sheds on 7th street fire a pistol at the marines, at which time the lower or southern part of the lines of marines facing on 7th street, turned their muskets toward the corner where I stood and fired into the crowd; I was within thirty yards of them when they fired, and at the time supposed they were firing blank cartridges, until I saw a gentleman in front of me fall, and then turning around, I saw two others lying on the pavement close to where I stood; those three persons were all I saw at the time who fell around me; I afterwards saw two others lying in the store of Dr. McIntire, who were shot by the marines as I believe. I further state that at the time the marines came up to the market I saw no riot, nor had there been any disturbance at the polls for near three hours; and that on the corner where I stood all was quiet, and no pistols or guns to my knowledge were fired at the marines from this point; and in my opinion, the firing of the United States Marines was entirely uncalled for. All of which I solemnly swear to be the facts in the case as I saw them, to the best of my knowledge and belief.

T. G. CLAYTON.

District of Columbia,} Ss.County of Washington,} "Sworn to and subscribed before me this 12th day of June A.D. 1857.EDW. F. BROWN, Notary Public.

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 20, 1857.On Monday, the 1st day of June, whilst coming up from the 2nd precinet of the 6th ward polls, I saw some marines passing from the Navy Yard up to the headquarters of the United States Marine Corps, opposite to which I reside. I was informed that they were to proceed to the City Hall to quell a riot. After some few minutes I saw a body of marines of about one hundred march out of their barracks and proceed towards the city; as they came out of the gate a 002930crowd had collected, and were talking loudly, appearing to be quite excited and indignant at the use then apparently about to be made of the marines; immediately after the marines had passed up street a part of the crowd collected at the barrack gate passed down street, and having been gone some few minutes, I saw some persons coming up the street, apparently drawing something behind; they were stopped a short distance below my place of business and residence by one of the police officers; but they soon came on, and then I saw they had a small brass cannon, which was on wheels; about half a dozen persons had hold of the drag rope of the cannon; the marines had gotten out of sight before the cannon appeared, and I should think the marines had time to have gotten half way to the Capitol, which is about one mile from my place of residence.

J. S. BALL.District Of Columbia,}County of Washington,}To wit:On this 20th day of June, 1857, personally appeared J.S. Ball, and makes oath on the Holy Evangely of Almighty God that the within statement is true to the best of his knowledge.

JAS. CULL, J.P.

On the first day of June, I left the office of T.G. Clayton, Patent Agent, on 7th street, at not far from half-past one o'clock, and proceeded up said street to Massachusetts avenue, on the side opposite the polls; while there, I saw for the first, anything to attract my attention; there were several boys with a small brass cannon mounted on an axis with one wheel, and a plank, or piece of timber instituted on the other end of the axis in room of a wheel, some drawing and some pushing, having a stick placed in the mouth of the piece to assist in pushing: their appearance was so novel, that it caused my attention to be attracted towards them, what could be the matter I knew not, everything was in a state of peace, with the exception of an individual on the stand above the polls swearing that he cared for nobody; I saw there was nothing doing there as was reported in the forenoon; I then changed my course to return to the office where I had spent the morning in writing; as I turned I saw the appearance of the military making their way towards the polls, I waited until they came nearly opposite the polls, where they halted; by this time the cannon was placed in front of the market nearly in range with Massachusetts avenue; I then proceeded on my way down towards the office, when I met Mr. Clayton going towards the polls, I turned around and went back; when we arrived at the corner nearly opposite the polls, the military was placed opposite or nearly so to the cannon; on my coming up to the corner mentioned, I met several new acquaintances, mechanics; I had some business with a model maker in the Patent Office; after a few words, I mentioned to the bystanders, that from what I had heard in the morning I expected to see a tumult; at that moment a number of the marines charged on the cannon company, who left and ran, and at that moment a part of the marines fired towards them, which was in direction of the market; at the time of that explosion I saw a man fall, and make an effort to get up but failed in the attempt; I at that moment cast my eyes to the marines nearest me which I think was not far from thirty yards, and saw them level their guns in that direction where I stood; I supposed that they had blank cartridges to intimidate, not so, that moment they fired into the company where I stood, the most of whom were on business, and no talk that could give rise to the least suspicion that there was an evil designing man, as far as I saw; the instant they fired, the man standing at my left hand, a little in advance of me, fell, and partially hit me as he fell; I instantly stooped to help him up, supposing that he had stumbled, seeing the blood gush from his head, and that he was shot, I immediately cast my eyes to the right, and saw another man fall near the curbstone; another one fell brushing against my right side; a young man with whom I had become acquainted, a tinner by trade, fell in front of me, a ball passed through his lungs, yet he sprang to his feet, caught me by the right arm, and cried "Oh, my God!" and passed by me, running nearly the whole length of the square before he fell, the blood gushing out upon the pavement at every breath, by which I traced him a few minutes after the slaughter was over; the next man that fell was behind me, he was shot in the neck, while he was being examined I learned that he was a breaksman from Baltimore; I also saw some of them level their pieces 003031down Massachusetts avenue and K street; a negro man running down K street having his saw and buck upon his shoulder, about one hundred yards from the marines was shot from behind through the heart; these are about all that I saw slaughtered, I saw many more wounded in a shocking manner; I further state that there was no firing until after the marines first fired; I then heard several pistols fired.

ASA BLOOD, Senr.District Of Columbia, }Ss.County of Washinghton,}On this 12th day of June, A. D. 1857, before me a Notary Public in and for the County and District afforesaid, personally appeared Asa Blood, senior, and signed the foregoing paper in my presence, and made solemn oath that the statements therein contained are true to the best of his knowledge and belief.

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribe my name and affix my notarial seal, the day and year aforesaidEDW. F. BROWN, Notary Public.

By special request, I hereby declare myself a Democrat, and certify that I voted the "Union Ticket."this year and last year, being the only years in which have voted at corporation elections since 1848.

EDW. F. BROWN, NOTARY PUBLIC.

Substance of statement made by Jno. B. Kaibel, a German by birth, now lying in a most critical state at the Washington Infirmary, in the presence of T. E. Lloyd, Joshua Henshaw, and Dr. Stewart, June 4th, 1857:

I was standing at the corner of Massachusetts avenue and 7th street, southwest side, saw the marines charge across the street and take possession of the cannon; another party of marines commenced firing on the the people; they turned their guns on every side; fired at the corner at which I was standing; saw them take steady aim; they looked around among the people and when they saw a chance fired; I was wounded; two or three men fell around me; no disorder or riot about me; am positive that the marines had possession of the swivel before firing commenced; the party with the gun only offered opposition. The above occurrence took place on Monday, June 1st, 1857, between the hours of 1 and 2 0' clock, P. M. gun only offered opposition. The above occurrence took place on Monday, June 1st, 1857, between the hours of 1 and 2 o`clock, P.M.

WASHINGTON, June 11th, 1857.T. E. Lloyd, Esq.--Sir: In answer to the inquiries contained in your note of this date -1st, whether any voting was proceeding at the time of the arrival of the United States Marines; 2d, whether any riot existed from 11 o'clock, A. M., to the period when the citizens were fired upon; 3d, whether the riot of the morning was or was not quelled; 4th, whether you closed the polls on the arrival of the military, &c. we have to state as far as our knowledge of the facts extends, that there was no rioting at the the first precinct of the Fourth Ward polls at the time of the arrival of the U.S. Marines; that no riot existed at said polls from 11 o`clock, A. M. to the period when the citizens were fired upon; that the riot of the morning had been quelled, and the voting was proceeding quietly when the U. S. Marines arrived; that, having received no assurance of protection from the Mayor or those acting under his authority, and not the slightest official intimation of his intentions, the polls were closed, and we sought that security for our persons and the suffrages of the people which the proper authorities had not afforded us.

Very respectfully,JAMES H. BOSS,FRED. IDDINS,ROBT. ISRAEL,Commissioners 1st precinct 4th ward.

Comment.--It is proper to state, notwithstanding the excitement which grew out of the firing of the Marines upon the citizens, and thereby killing and wounding a number of persons, that the polls were re-opened, and the voting resumed about 3 o`clock, P. M., and that they were not again closed, or in any way interrupted until the hour of 7 o`clock, 003132P. M., which is the time fixed by law for closing the same thereby giving ample time for all persons who were legally entitled to vote, to deposit their ballots.

Personally appeared before me, a Justice of the Peace in and for the County of Washington, in the District of Columbia, Francis A. Tucker, a resident of the County aforesaid, who being duly sworn according to law, declares and says that he was present at the first precinct of the Fourth Ward in the city of Washington, in the aforementioned County and District, on the first day of June, 1857, that he arrived there about half-past eight o`clock in the morning; found the election going on peaceably and quietly; stood within ten feet of the polls for half an hour; then visited the polls of the first precinct of the Third Ward, remained there a few minutes, and returned to the position he had occupied at the fourth ward polls; noticed a number of young men, about twenty in all, who appeared to be lively and frolicsome, standing near by; saw Mr. John H. Goddard, a magistrate and candidate for Alderman, advance towards the young men and speak to them, but did not hear what was said, not being sufficiently near, but judging from what he saw a difficulty was about to take place, crossed to the opposite side of the street; in a few moments thereafter there was a general fight with fists, stones, &c., lasting probably three minutes; heard the reports of fire arms; on hearing the first report, turned and walked away to the corner of Seventh street and Massachusetts avenue; in a few minutes thereafter returned to the place I had last left; this was about 10 o`clock; about fifteen minutes after the difficulty, the Mayor of Washington, accompanied by John H. Goddard and Capt. Mills, of the Auxiliary Guard, rode up in a barouche to the polls; saw Mills alight from the barouche and stand on the pavement close to the polls; the Mayor and Goddard after stopping about two minutes rode off in the direction of the President's House, and was informed at the time that the Mayor said he was then going to have the Marines ordered out; when the barouche containing the Mayor and others reached the polls there was no rioting, nor was there any during its stay there. Deponent left that vicinity about 11 o`clock, when the election was being conducted without disorder of any sort.

F. A. TUCKER.

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 26th day of June, 1857,

F. S. EVANS, Alderman from the 3d ward,Washington City, and ex-officio a Justice of the Peace.

WASHINGTON, June 20th, 1857.A rumor was currently afloat that the arms in possession of the American Riflemen were removed from their Armory, at the City Hall, on the afternoon of the 3d instant.

Not giving credence to the rumor, I started off (the next day) in company with Lieut. P. H. Simms to examine the premises and ascertain the truth of the above report, when, to our surprise, we found that they had been removed to the U. S. Arsenal; but by whom, and whose order, we knew not.

We at once repaired to the Capitol and called upon Wm. Hickey, (Colonel of the Regiment of Volunteers) whom we asked him if he was aware that the arms and accoutrements belonging to the American Riflemen had been surreptitiously taken from the fire proof vault, while the key was in my possession. His reply was, that he knew nothing about it, for he had not been consulted upon the subject, and expressed much surprise and astonishment when I imparted the facts to him. He advised me to go and see Maj. Bell, at the U. S. Arsenal; we at once went down there, but the commandant being absent in the city upon business, we retraced our steps, and gave up the investigation for the day. On the 8th ultimo, I addressed the following letter to the Secretary of War:

WASHINGTON, June 8th, 1857.Gov. Floyd, Dear Sir: Having understood that the arms belonging to the "American Riflemen" were removed from their Armory, at the City Hall, on 003233last Thursday, 4th inst., I respectfully inquire if it was done by your order, and if not, can you give me any information in relation to their removal.

Very respectfully your obedient servant,ROBERT T. KNIGHT, Lieut. Commanding American Rifles.

P.S.--Is there any cause assigned for their removal? If there is, you will confer a favor by an explanation.

R. T. K.

After waiting several days I received the following reply:--

War Department, Washinton, June 13:h, 1857.Sir: In reply to your inquiry of the 8th inst., I have to inform you that on the representation of the Mayor of this city, that the arms in the possession of the "American Riflemen" were in an exposed and insecure condition in a basement room of the City Hall, orders were given on the 3d inst. by this department to the Commanding officer of the Washington Arsenal to take charge of them for safe keeping at the Arsenal.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,W.H. DRINKARD, Acting Secretary of War.

Lieut. Rob't T. Knight,Commanding American Riflemen, Washington.The above is a true statement of the facts in relation to the removal of the arms belonging to the American Riflemen.

ROBT. T. KNIGHT, Comd'g American Riflemen.

The American Riflemen is a volunteer company, composed wholly of native-born Americans. Their armory was a fireproof vault in the basement of the City Hall, having an iron door, which was securely locked and the Key in the possession of Lieut. Knight. * How then was an entrance obtained into said vault? The Mayor of this city can furnish an answer to the interrogatory. It should also be known, that there are are two volunteer companies in this city composed almost entirely of Foreigners, Viz: the German Yeagers and Montgomery Guards, who have the possession of their arms; and two others, a large majority of whom are Foreigners, Viz" The Highlanders and the Union Guards, whose arms are deemed safe in their charge, when the armory of one of these companies is over a Livery Stable!!!

*That part of the City Hall in which the arms were placed, was under the immediate control of the Mayor--and was and is responsible for its safe keeping. In order to show how false was the pretext for their removal, it is only necessary to add that the headquarters of the City police is in an adjacent room, not ten feet from the door of the arsenal of the Ride Company. We make declaration, that the only arms held by the volunteer companies of this city which were really fully and completely guarded and safe, were those arms. But we retract and qualify that declaration--they were safe from ever danger except from arbitrary, executive despotism.

There is also another important fact, which should be known. The company of Cadets at the Georgetown College, a Catholic Institution, are armed with muskets furnished by the United States.

During the afternoon of the 1st of June, 1857, there was sent from the United States Arsenal at Greenleaf Point, 80 stand of muskets, and 7,000 rounds of fixed ammunition, to 003334Winder's Building, for the purpose of arming a company of U.S. Artillery, ordered from Fort McHenry, and which company arrived about nine o'clock at night, when it is notorious that for more than six hours before their arrival, and during the entire night, the city was as quiet as a country village.

There is another incident which we must not pass unnoticed. Dr.--, a respectable physician, residing in the Eastern portion of the city, stated to a friend that he visited the Marine who was wounded at the 1st precinct of the 4th ward, on the 1st of June, inst., and that the Marine informed the physician that he was not wounded until he had discharged his musket at the crowd of people, who were near said precinct. This disproves the truth of the declaration of an officer of the Marines, who justified the order to fire upon the ground that one of them had been first wounded by a pistol ball from the sidewalk, whereas it appears he had already fired at the crowd, some one of whom returned the fire with effect on him.

The theory of our government is "the law is to govern." The general temper of the people, until lately, has been to defend and to submit to the law. What will be the emotions of indignation and alarm, with which the law-abiding people of this country will learn, that the chief magistrate of the nation, the commander-in-chief of the army and navy of the United States, has delegated to an intemperate and reckless substitute that fearful power, upon which hangs so often the lives and security of the citizens. The personal habits of the Mayor were well known, and his condition on the first of June was apparent.

Another incident, which occurred after the return of the Mayor and the Marines to the City Hall, after the affair at the 4th ward polls, displays his situation very significantly. In consequence of a shower of rain coming on, the Marines were conducted for shelter to the centre portico of the City Hall, and a crowd of men and boys also collected there.--There was not the slightest disorder, not even loud talking among them, when the Mayor in an imperious manner ordered "all good and orderly citizens to retire to your houses, or I will order the Marines to fire on you." This order, so insulting and humiliating to the persons present, was immediately obeyed, and a general dispersion took place.

It was in the power of the President and his Secretary to have ascertained the true condition of things in the city in less than half an hour, and could then have learned that 003435complete tranquility and order reigned at those polls to which the Mayor invoked an armed intervention.

What then must be the sentence passed upon the Executive, if it shall appear that not only was there no just cause for interference on his part, because no riot was in existence--that the person who invoked it was an unfit agent for its exercise-- but that he himself had no legal power to grant it, under any circumstance within the range of supposition. If we do not misconceive the plain import of the law, it will appear that the President's power over the regular troops is limited as precisely as is any of his powers, and that no power is granted him to introduce the regulars into the street of Washington, to act upon its citizens, until various preliminary circumstances have been developed, and various preliminary actions been performed, all of which were absent on this occasion.

The following are the only acts of Congress which bear on the subject:--March 3d, 1803, section 24.

"And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States be authorized and empowered, on an invasion or insurrection, or probable prospect thereof, to call forth such a number of militia, &c., &c. If a sudden invasion shall be made in either county in this District, or in case of an insurrection in either country in this District, or in case of an insurrection in either county, the commanding officer of the militia of the District, or of such county, is hereby authorized and required to order out the whole, or such part of the militia, as he may think necessary, and in such manner as he may think best for repelling or suppressing such invasion or insurrection, &c., &c."

The Act of Congress approved February 28th, 1795, section 3d, provides that whenever the President of the United States shall order out the militia to suppress any obstruction to the due execution of the laws, he shall by proclamation command such insurgents "to disperse, and to retire to their respective abodes within a limited time."

The Act approved March 3d, 1807, section 1st:--"That in all cases of insurrection, or obstruction of the laws, either of the United States, or of any individual State or Territory, where it is lawful for the President of the United States to call forth the militia for the purpose of suppressing such insurrection, or of causing the laws to be duly executed, it shall be lawful for him to employ, for the same purposes, such part of the land or naval force of the United States as 003536shall be judged necessary--having first observed all the prerequisites of the law in that respect."

We herewith append a list of the killed and wounded, as furnished by the Washington "Evening Star"--a rabid Loco Foco sheet--and the proof is clear and indisputable, that not a solitary member of the American party was killed, and but two wounded:

THE WASHINGTON RIOT.Reckless Charge--Democrats and Citizens the Victims--The Riot Act Not Read--The Cartridges of the Marines, &c. &c.By further details, received last night, of the riot and bloodshed incident to the Washington election, it will be seen that the charge of the mischief upon the "Plug Uglies" of this city is reckless and unjust. We should be the last to exculpate them from blame if they deserved it, but by by the showing of the democratic presses, published on the spot, they fail to parade among the lists of killed and wounded a single individual known to be a Rip Rap or Plug Ugly.--The Star (a bitter locofoco sheet,)publishes the following as authentic:

KILLED.Archibald Dalrymple, brakesman on the Washington Branch Railroad, and who reached this city by the eleven o'clock train of yesterday.

Francis M. Deems, a clerk in the General Land Office, and late of Cumberland, Md.

D.H. Alston, constable, formerly of the firm of Rawlings & Co.

Ramy Neal, colored, formerly waiter at Walker & Schadd's restaurant.

--Redding, colored, of Georgetown.George McElfresh, a young man.A German lad, from the Seventh ward, about 16 years of age, named Christian Lindig, died during the night from a wound received in the neck.

WOUNDED.Col. Wm. F. Wilson, of the Land Office--misprinted Williams yesterday--shot in the left arm while standing at a second story window.

Thomas Wills, Anne Arundel county, Md., shot in the spine.

James Wright, from same county, shot in the thigh.

003637

P.F. Bell, seventh ward, shot in the so as to require amputation.

Daniel V. Fenton, residing on South F Street, Island, shot in the arm while standing upon the street conversing with some ladies. His neck was also grazed by a ball coming from the opposite direction.

Richard G. Hyatt, wounded severely in the shoulder, while standing in his store on Seventh street.

--Heath received a buckshot wound in the cheek.

Capt.J. McGuire, shot in the nose.

James Lawrenson had his head grazed by a ball.

A young man, a tinner, named Biddleman, had his arm shattered so terribly as to require amputation.

A youth, named Chas. Spencer, shot in the leg and breast.

Morgan Farrel, residing at D. Johnson's, on Greenleaf's Point, shot in the head; the ball and pieces of the skull were removed by Dr. Morgan from the brain; recovery doubtful.

A youth named Adams, from the First Ward, wounded in the foot.

--Kibbey, arm fractured.

--Summers, saddler, badly wounded.

Richard Owen, shot in the arm.

John Owen, shot through the hand.

John Fouke, severely wounded.

Ebenezer Hughes, carpenter; fatally wounded it is thought.

James Slatford, plasterer, shot in the leg and through the body. [It is stated that this Slatford early in the day shot a little girl on English Hill, killing her.]

A young man named McGlue was injured.

We have already given a list of those injured at the riot in the morning, and we learn that Justice Donn received some severe blows while manfully standing up for law and order.

In the Seventh Ward there were some demonstrations of the rowdy element.

Two young men named Palmer were badly beaten with slung shot, and one was shot in the arm and the other in the head; both will probably recover.

A young man named Sullivan was attacked in his mother's house and very badly beaten.

A boy standing between the two precincts of this Ward had his face terribly mashed with a brickbat.

Mr. A.K. Shephard received a slight flesh wound.

Charles Bestell, a young German of the best character, and employed by Mr. George Junemann, was one of those 003738unfortunates who were injured in the riot yesterday. He received a large bullet in the right shoulder (entering below the shoulder bone and coming out about seven inches higher,) while passing through Seventh street. Dr. May is the attending physician, and the young man is doing pretty well.

A friend has enclosed us the following statement of the whole affair, which agrees perfectly with what we gave yesterday:

"That there was a disturbance at the polls in the Fourth Ward is not denied. But it was not of so formidable a character that it could not have been suppressed in ten minutes by a force of resolute and courageous policemen. Unfortunately, the present police are notorious for their cowardice and inefficiency--and on the occasion referred to manifested more than usual imbecility and weakness. They fled ingloriously from the field at an early stage of the disturbance, and abandoned the ground to the disturbers of the peace.

The Mayor himself, we regret to state, was not in a condition either to inspire respect or to command obedience to the laws. And what is more, it is the belief of many who have the best opportunities of arriving at correct conclusions, that the ordering out of the Marines was deliberately planned beforehand by the Mayor and Capt. Tyler, who is himself a resident of the Fourth ward, and a most bitter and malignant partizan of the Locofoco school. In corroboration of this assertion, we will assert that Edward F. Queen, a regenade Whig and Roman Catholic, declared on Friday or Saturday that "the Democrats intended to vote early, and that if the Americans got their votes in at all it would be through a file of Marines."

When the Marines had reached the City Hall, before proceeding to the Fourth Ward polls, Mr. Joseph H. Bradley, Jr., one of our most estimable citizens--a gentleman universally beloved for the purity of his life--went to the Mayor's office and remonstrated with him against the employment of the troops. There were several gentlemen present, among them Walter Lenox, ex-Mayor, and Doctor Thomas Miller, an Alderman of the Second Ward--all Democrats. Mr. Lenox remarked that it was a private conference, and requested Mr. Bradley to withdraw. Mr. Bradley declined, and again urged the Mayor to withdraw the troops, pledging himself in the case raise a special 003839police force to preserve the peace. The Mayor refused, and ordered Mr. Bradley to leave the office.

And here let it be remarked, that the disturbance of yesterday in the Fourth Ward, was not to be compared in extent or fierceness with that which occurred last year in the same precinct of the same ward, and which was suppressed by Mayor Towers and his police in fifteen minutes without the loss of a single life.

And further, at the time of the arrival of the Marines, everything was quiet about the polls, and the election was proceeding in an orderly manner, while groups of citizens were conversing peaceably about the election, as is usual on that day.

With regard to the cannon, about which so much has been said, we will state that it belonged to the engine company at the Navy Yard, and when the Marines took up their march for the City Hall, some members of the engine company seized the gun and followed the Marines with the intent of defending their fellow--citizens in the Fourth Ward it attacked by the troops. The citizens of the Fourth Ward had no action or connivance in the matter--nor had the Baltimoreans, if any were present. The gun was brought from a section of the city at least two miles from the Fourth Ward.

This gun was captured by the Marines, and then commenced the work of death. The Marines fired in platoons, in five different directions, killing and wounding inoffensive citizens standing peaceably in the streets in the doors and windows of their houses, and in their stores. One man was killed on the corner of 6th and Massachusetts avenue, 500 feet in an opposite direction from the scene of the disturbance. Eight human beings were thus massacred in cold blood, not one of jwhom had the least participation in the disturbance. The whole affair was a deliberate and unjustifiable murder, which requires the most rigid investigation by the civil authorities.

In the first place, there was no necessity for calling out the Marines at all. In the second place, there was no necessity for their firing on the citizens. Captain Tyler himself admitted this after the bloody deed was done. In the third place, the Riot Act was read at all, while the law requires it to be read three times. Thus the whole proceedings were grossly in violation of law.

There is no authority in the laws of the United States for the President, or any other officer, to order out U.S. troops 003940to suppress ordinary disturbances of the peace. In case of insurrection, and in the event of the civil authorities becoming overpowered, the militia may be called out. But there is no authority for calling U.S. troops into service until all other means of suppressing an insurrection shall be exhausted.

In the opinion of many residents of the Fourth Ward, this whole difficulty, which has resulted so disastrously, arose chiefly from the imprudent and disorderly conduct of Capt. John H. Goddard, who distinguished himself at an early part of the day by his aggressive behaviour towards members of the American party. Goddard was the Democratic candidate for Alderman, and was defeated, as he deserved to be.

Above all, the conduct of the Mayor was utterly inexcusable. His reckless disregard of law, and his violent intemperate deportment throughout the day, can only be accounted for on the presumption that he was bereft of his senses by some artifice best known to himself.

As another instance of the insane conduct of the Mayor, we will state that after the murderous outrage in Seventh street, and when a large crowd of peaceable citizens were assembled in front of the City Hall, where was held the election of the second precinct of the Fourth Ward, and when the Marines were occupying the portico of the hall, the mayor came out on the steps and commanded the people to disperse, or he would order the Marines to fire upon them! At this threat, the crowd, fearing another murderous onslaught, gave way like frightened sheep.

After the disturbance was over, and the dead removed to the residences of their sorrowing families, the U.S. Flying Artillery from Fort McHenry were summoned to Washington, and arrived at nine P.M. They were entrusted with the important duty of guarding the household of Mayor Magruder and Capt. Tyler. Yet the streets were perfectly quiet throughout the evening, as much so as those of a country village.

The strangest part of this strange affair remains to be told. Up to this hour, no inquest has been ordered upon the murdered men. We have been informed that no inquest will be held. Is this possible?

Finally, if as is asserted by the government party, Americans were disturbers of the peace in the Fourth Ward, how does it appear that in the fusillade of the Marines, Democrats alone or chiefly were slain?"

004041

BY TELEGRAPH.The Washington Riot--Public Meeting of Citizens.Washington, June 2.--A large meeting was held to-night in front of the City Hall, in regard to the riot. The speakers were General M'Calla, Doctor Clayton, Councilman Lloyd, all of the American party, who spoke of the killing of persons, by the Marines, on the day of election, as a cruel, cowardly and bloody massacre of the innocent; and of the conduct of the Executive authorities as a trampling under foot of the sacred rights of citizens and of law and order.

Mr. Lloyd's advice to be prepared for the next attack elicited spontaneous cheers of approbation. At the same time he invoked them to preserve the peace. A committee of two from each ward was appointed to prepare suitable resolutions, and call an adjourned meeting after the inquests on all the victims has been concluded.

Inquests have been held to-day in two cases. Three witnesses swear that the order given to the Marines to fire was by Mayor Magruder, after the swivel was taken from the rioters. Preliminary measures have been taken to bring the matter to a judicial investigation.

The Mayor's conduct was severely condemned by the meeting to-night, which finally separated with mingled cheers and groans.

The community is still in a feverish state on the subject of the riot.

[From the Baltimore Clipper.]THE RECENT RIOT AT WASHINGTON.Washington, June 5, 1857.We are here in the midst of troublous times, and we may well say God help us! The reign of James Buchanan will form a bloody page in the city of Washington city and of our country. If this is a sample of the conservatism which was to mark his administration before the close of his Presidential term, our country will be drenched in blood. We have no newspapers here to which we can have access to publish to the country the truth concerning the bloody doings of Monday last. The National Intelligencer, which has heretofore been distinguished for its moderation and its propriety, its local columns, now, in misrepresentation, 004142unfairness and malignant partizan feelings, outstrips the "Star," the "States" and the "Union." This need not be wondered at, when we state that the local reporter is an Englishman by the name of "Hardy," whose hatred of the American party is bitter and malignant.

I propose to furnish you with a few facts. Mr. Biddleman, I presume, about forty years, in delicate health, a turner by trade, was shot in the arm, and then bayoneted when lying in this situation. A distinguished locofoco took him by his wounded arm and dragged him about eighty feet, although Mr. Biddleman informed him that his arm was crushed. Although eight persons were killed by the fire of the foreign soldiery, inquests have been held in but two cases so far as we can learn after diligent inquiry.

The corps of the reporters for our four city dailies, who are ever on the alert for an "item," not one was in attendance at the two inquests to take down testimony, and even to furnish the public with the verdict of the jury.

A friend of mine who was one of the jury of inquest, in the case of Christopher H. Alston, a quiet, peaceable, and unoffending citizen, who was shot down on the pavement on 7th street, has given me the following statement of the evidence before the jury. There was fourteen witnesses, exclusive of the physician. The purport of the testimony was to this effect:--That at the time the Marines reached the 1st precinct of the 4th ward, which was about 1 o'clock, P.M., all was peaceful and quiet, and had been so since 11 o'clock in the morning.

Every one of them testified that there was not a shot fired until after the murderous fire of the Marines, when there were two or three pistol shots fired by the opposing party as they fled from the scene of murder and death. A little boy, perhaps about fourteen years of age, who was standing by one of the witnesses, excited by the murderous doings of these foreign soldiers, took up a stone about the size of an egg, to throw at them; this witness remonstrated with him, but he persisted, and a Marine took deliberate aim and fired but fortunately missed him.

Two of the witnesses testified postively, that they heard Mayor Magruder request the Marine officer to fire, and four others testified that, although they did not hear Mayor Magruder request the officer to give the order to fire, yet they saw him speak to the officer, and upon his doing so, the officer stepped forward and gave the order to fire.

The witnesses further testified that not a solitary officer 004243or soldier or policeman profferred the least assistance to the wounded and dying, but marched off to the City Hall.--And in conclusion all the witnesses testified that the firing was unprovoked, uncalled for and unjustifiable.

You now have, in brief, the evidence in one case, and we aver, that could we have had a full, free and fair investigation, in every case of the slain, with the evidence taken down by a stenographer, a thrill of horror would pervade the entire country. But we are in a doomed city. The Judges, the Marshal, and every branch of the Government--general and municipal--are arrayed against us, and woe be the unfortunate member of the American party who shall fall into their hands.

[From the Baltimore Clipper.]Washington, June 4, 1857.

The Washington Newspapers-Inquest on the body of C. H. Alston, &c.It is not a very remarkable thing that the foreign journals here should suppress facts. The Intelligencer is placed in precisely the same position of the Evening Star and States, the local columns being under the exclusive control of the local editor, who is a rabid English partizan. So you see we have no organ here to see us righted, consequently we turn to you in our need to place the truth fairly before the American people.

On Tuesday afternoon, the 2d instant, there was an inquest held on the body of Cornelius H. Alston, composed of thirteen jurors. Fourteen witnesses were examined, two of whom swore positively to the fact of Dr. Magruder having given the order to fire. One swore that he saw the Mayor go to Captain Tyler and say something to him; immediately after the Captain gave the word to fire.

All of the witnesses swore that there was perfect order at the polls when the marines arrived on the ground, and had been for at least three hours previously. They all likewise testified to the fact that all the parties were shot after the capture of the swivel. One of the witnesses swore that he was in the immediate vicinity of the swivel when the Mayor came up and exclaimed, "Men, don't shoot, for God sake; for God sake don't shoot, men! If you do you will be sorry for it; I only intended to march the marines up here, and then they will go home."

004344

The gun was no sooner turned by the party having it in charge, when the Mayor gave the order to charge and take the gun, and on the capture of the gun the order was then given to fire, when the work of death commenced.

It is well to remark here that to the certain knowledge of the writer of this articles, that at least five of the witnesses had voted the Union Ticket. The jury was composed of our most respectable citizens, selected by the coroner, Mr. Thos. Woodward, from their places of business, without any regard to their politics. In fact they were almost to a man personal strangers to him. Thirteen jurors, of whom six were Democrats, to only four of who exceptions have been taken, and that by the "States," not as citizens but as partizans.--They retired for an hour, and then brought in the following verdict:

"That the said Cornelius H. Alston came to his death by a gun shot would received while standing peaceably and quietly at the corner of 7TH street, opposite the Northern Liberties Market (recently his place of business,) from a detachment of United States Marines, acting under the control of the Mayor Of Washington; and the jury further find from the concurrent testimony of all the witnesses, that the firing by the Marines was all subsequent to the obtaining possession of the swivel."