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Show 140 DESTRUCTION OF THE HALl .. may not be improper here to state that before we co m~ e n ced building, the Mayor was informed of our intentions; and he boastmgly assu red us that 11 the abolitionists should never be molested while ftc was Mayor!" This conversation, howe\'e r, took place before the last gene ral election . At about su nsPt, the Mayor informed the President of our Board that he u·ould disperse the mob, if' he could have possession of the bt~ilding; but if 110t, he could not tlo it-he lwd nut sufiieient disposable force. TILe Preside nt told him, the Manager!:! Jid not intend to t:llie the res_ponsibility of ~pposing the civil authority-we did not intend to do any tluug that would Illjure our claim for indemn ity, or relieve the county from responsibility; ami thereupon directetl the door-k eeper, in the prc:wnce of the Mayor, to ~leliver up the keys to the Mayor, who th en matlc a speech to the mob, 111 substance as follows; Fellow Citizens :-l wi~h to :ultlrcss you a few moments. 1 am SOI'l'Y to pen:ci1•c these tlis. tul'lmnccs , Lut I must hope tlmt 110thing will IJC ti'IIIISnetcd COIIll'!ll'Y to onlc1· Hilt! p~.:ncc. Out• ~:;~::r:. 101;gu1·:~1;.' h~~~c c~;;;;~~~:~ ~:;~~.?;';, ~~~:~};~~~~i·~~;~' ot~~~n;:,.~~~)~~~~~~~~~~··; a~~~· ~~1~~::~ ~f~~:~~i::~ woultl be foltowctl by t·cgrd Cl'et· aftt: t· , Thet·c will be no mct:ting here tl1is c1·cning. This house l1:1s heen given up to me. The ~tanagers hacJ the right to hold theit• meeting; hnt as good citizens they have, :.t my request, sus. JK'ntlccJ their nwt·ting lOt· tl1is e1cuing. II e never call out lhe 1TU.litary here .1 \Vc tlo not uccd such mcnsm·cs. lutlccd, I would , I'd· low citizens, look upon you ns my police .1 I look UjiOn you us my police, n11d l lnLSt you will abide hy the luws, :1nd keep order·. 1 now hid )Oll t!u·cwcll fot· the night. The mob then gave "three cheers for the Mayor," ;md soon after commenced the attack. This was done by forcing open the lloors, and carrying papers and the window~blinds upon the speal\er's platform, where they set fire to them, and turning the gas pipes towards the flam es thus increased their activily, anJ in a few hours the buillling was consumell. It is esti mated that 15,000 persons were present at this scene. As was to be ex peeled, the inactivity of s uch a vast concourse of spectators, as well as the inefliciency of the magistrates, greatly emboldened the mob; and being stimulated by :heir success in the destruction of the Ilall, they were now prepared for further outrages. 'l'he next day dawned on such a scene as Philadelphians were unused to beholcl. \Ve shall not allempt a description. It seemed as if Pandemonium had broken loose. Evening came to witness new scenes of violence. The mob attacked and set fire to a new building in Thirteenth near Callow hill street, intended for the "Shelter for Colored Orphans"-" a charitable institution having no connection with the Jlnti.Slavery Society." The police magistrate of the llistrict in which the "Shelter" is located, declared that, although personally acquainted with nearly all the inhabitants of that distri ct, he did not recognise a single individual of them as engaged in the mob whir:h attacked that building. The mob was composed of stran~ gers! On Saturday evening, Bethel church, in Sixth street, belonging to the colored people, was attacked, and some slight damage sustained. The private dwellings of several citizens were also surrounded, and threats of violence loudly made. The pri1u:ipal object (\f hat red, however, appeared to be the office of the Public Ledger, which paper, although not an abolition pape r, had been an advocate for free disc ussion, and had expressed itself in manly terms of disapprobation at the burning of the Hall. But the rioters learning that considerable preparations for defence had been malic, suddenly lost much of their " regard for the right of prOperty and the preservation of the Constitution of this Union." They only assembled about the Ledger of- |