downright hardiness; he will be treated civilly, we doubt not, by the citizens of Utica; he cannot claim that he deserves to escape castigation. These are the objects of this man. The laws of propriety forbid that he should come here. We are to be picked out as the head-quarters of Mobocracy in the state of NewYork. This man and his coadjutors are resolved to press forward with their designs, and thus endanger the north as well as the south, and our institutions. So a man may contend that he has a right to smoke a cigar in our powder-house. The inevitable tendency of their conduct is to sunder the ties of the union. They intend to hold their meeting, raise a mob, and break up this Convention of freemen! It is designed to fix a deep and dark stigma on our name." "It is to be recorded in history" that we were among the first to betray the liberties of our fellow-citizens, and trample in the dust the constitution of our country. "We wish they would not select this as the place of their" infamy. But Such were the queries and conjectures of the friends of order, when at early dawn they beheld the unwelcome "Agitators" in their streets. as "they were a peaceable people," and the authorities of the city had been set at defiance, they feared they should have to "lie down under it, and quietly submit to the disgrace." The very man who had been active in preventing conservative measures in the city, was the editor of a public journal, and had diffused his disorganizing sentiments to a fearful extent. The following language published in the editorial column the day be fore, could not be mistaken." "It is, (says this same "A. G. Dauby) "therefore, certain, that the court"house cannot be occupied by the incendiaries. "Where, then, will they go? We have no patience "with those who haggle about the right to come "here and hold a Convention. The right thus audaciously asserted, is a right to perpetrate mis"chief, disturb the peace of society, excite civil "commotion, promote insurrection among the slaves, "produce anarchy and bloodshed, and to dissolve "the union; but all this, we are gravely told, can "be done legally, and therefore must not be op、 posed! The 'union must be preserved.' It must "then be defended against legal and illegal assaults. "Were there no law out of the decalogue against “theft, would a man's property be less sacredly his "own? and would stealing be less a crime than it "is at present? If sufficient safeguards have not "been provided to protect our free institutions from "being destroyed by deluded or wicked men, all "who wish their perpetuation will desire that they may be found and adopted. 66 "The whole south is waiting with trembling anxi"ety to know how we bear ourselves in this matter— "whether we meanly truckle to their and our ene"mies, or, with a spirit of manly independence, in"dignantly frown upon those who would affix an "indelible stigma upon our name and character. "The Richmond Enquirer, the ablest, most influen"tial, and moderate paper of the whole south, speaks 'to us in strong and indignant language. No one 66 can read what it says without believing that it is મ necessary to do something to allay the excitement; "and yet we are madly advised to let the conflagra66 tion go on, or at least not to obstruct those who are daily adding fuel to the flames. But what are we "told by the Enquirer? It says emphatically, 'Utica "has to choose between two courses- -Will she en"joy the honour of repelling the disunionists and "fanatics from her gates? or will she be degraded "by the presence of another Hartford Convention? "Every eye of the south is fixed upon the meeting "of the Convention within her borders. Every 'tongue is busy in discussing the probability and "the consequences of the meeting. We call upon "the citizens of New-York to arrest these madmen "in their career-who know not themselves what "mischiefs they are inflicting upon the country, and "especially upon the coloured population, whose in"terests they are professing to serve. We call, above "all, upon the good citizens of Utica, to keep this "moral pestilence from their door. We call upon "their respectable mayor, who was the chairman of "the late anti-abolition meeting, to rouse up, and "with the aid of all the patriots of Utica, to arrest "this mischievous meeting. Stop the madmen's 'hands, that would apply the firebrands to the union "itself."" To these latter remarks not the least intimation of dissent was given by Dauby, but manifest approbation, as has been seen. These inflammatory sentiments together with those of Samuel Beardsley, constantly repeated at his incendiary meetings, had already become familiar with those mysterious beings, who are seen only on occasions of great tumult. David Wager was more than usually conversant with individuals of low character, or rather no character. Old Hooker was up from New-York. Gen. Spinner, sheriff of Herkimer, was also in town. The large jugs were wending their way to the grogshops according to order, not to be turned away empty, for want of funds, ;t and Lyman Adams, it was supposed, had already got his bond of indemnity.‡ "No man with an honest heart, with a sound and intelligent mind," who had watched the progress of things, could now pretend that the "occasion was not destined to find a law for itself." At last the agitators proceeded to the court-house pursuant to adjournment; and he who was attracted by "the meal," which he said he thought he "could see on the cat's back," "cometh also among them," as well as the multitude of degraded wretches which had by this time gathered themselves together from vari * A noted drunkard and disturber of the peace from the twelfth ward. + It was asserted by persons professing to know the fact, that the mob were furnished with intoxicating liquors by men claiming respectability. Certain it is, that large numbers of them were drunk during the day and following night. + It was currently reported that this Adams (a man of low character) refused to act as leader of the mob, until indemnified, and that a bond was accordingly given him. This, it is presumed, is a matter of conjecture. Such a bond would have been void in law; but if any man should have given such a bond, he would not of course, expose his conduct by contesting its legality in a court of justice. ous parts of the country. What was there transacted, will in part appear from the proceedings published.* From the task of recording the indecent and inflammatory remarks which were intended to apprize the mob of the design and effect of these proceedings, the pen of the author already shrinks with horror. The convention in the mean time had assembled and organized at the Bleecker street Presbyterian church, with the express permission of both the Trustees and congregation. A committee of twentyfive was appointed at the Court House; THE NAMES OF THAT COMMITTEE ARE RECORDED; their principal duties as appeared ostensibly, was to ascertain the time and place of the meeting of the convention, and tell the "said Delegates" of the number and character of their constituents. The meeting at the court-room takes a recess, and this famous COMMITTEE OF TWENTY-FIVE led forth and impelled, by the prime mover, Samuel Beardsley, like a pack of faithful hounds quickly starting at their master's call, intent upon their prey, dart forth into divers streets and narrow lanes hunting for the convention. Among this well trained pack were found, As many dogs there be, Both mongrel; puppy, whelp, and hound, At length, they find their way to the church where the convention is sitting, preceded and surrounded * See Appendix, No. V. |