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Show 174 APPENDIX, Oh ! Slavery's form that hour was Peen Polluting all our air, Its fearful front and fiendish mien A tH.l twining chains were bare, And well that Hall, in Freedom's name, Hath spoken out wi~h words of flame! Is then the hallow'd home of Penn A place no longer free? Have Rush and Franklin li ved in vain, 0 recrnant land, for thee? Can Freedom's cry, flung wildly out From sunny vale and hill, 'Vake in thy sons no answering shout or proud devotion still ? . Shall the stern voices of her slam Thrill from thy olden graves in vain? No! from thy ruin, glorious Hall! Shall rise a battle cry,-Unsinged, ''upon the outer wall," Our lofty banners fly : Our conqu.ering arms are truth and light, Encircling love our shield, And firmly for ETERNAL RIGHT We will maintain the field :- 'Vo unto us if now we falter, 'Vhen Freedom bleeds on her own altar? Though o'er us now the raging storm, And rushing waters round, Though fierce the lig htning's lurid form And dread the thunder's sound, Oh, brightly yet the promise·.sign Shall span the arching dGme, . And singing birds, and glad sunshme, And balmy breezes come-:- . \Vhen 'fl'anchised sla\'Cs theu songs shall ratse, And yon blue welkin ring with praise! REPOit'J.' OF '!'HE l'OLlC.G COMMITTEE. 175 NO. V. Soon after the Hall was d e~troycd, the reflecting, orderly and virtuous portion of the community began to express their disapprobati~n of the conduct of the Mayor. To allay this discontent, the Mayor published the following card in the daily papers: A CARD.-TO THE PUDJ.,tc. "FELLOw CrnzE:-o!l:-FOI' the purpose of putting .a'~ end lo iuquiry as to the cnuscs which led to the late much to be rcgt·ct~l."tl v iolati~n of the puLlt.c peace, and ~IIY con~/ucl O!J the OCCIIsion, I have only to say that the Counctls of ~l~e e1ty kftve ajJP,mnted 11 eommJttce to uwesttgatc both, nud thnt I shall cheerfu lly abide by the decJ&Jon, be It what 1t mny. YouL· most obedient scnant, Jons SwJFT,..iJfayor. .lf1ay ~5th , J8 38.'' The publication of this card in the Pennsylvania Inquirer of May 28th, was the first intimation we had that the Councils purposed any inves tigation of the Mayor's conduct. By the extract from the Journal, published with the Police Committee's R eport, it will be seen that the resolution requesting that committee to investigate the subject, was adopted not till three days after the publication and six after the date of the above card. Hence it seems that the Mayor or his friends decided on an inves tigation before the councils did so; and from the committee's subsequent conduct it would seem, not only that the action of Councils was anticipated, but that the case was prejudged, and the inquiry instituted merely to exculpate the Mayor, and the Police Committee themselves, from deserved censure for not having preserved the peace of the city .. No wond~r .the Mayor was so. willing to a~ide by the decision of a commtttee, a maJOrtty of whom were h1s personal frtend s-the chairman especially so-and who, moreover, were themselves implicated, inaamuch as the Mayor and city police are under their immediate control and direction. The following is the Report : REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON POLICE, On the circumstances attending and connected with l/,e destruction of the Pennsylvania Hall, and other consequent disturbances of the peace: lJfr. Warner, Chairman. Read in Councils, July 5th, 1838. Philadelphia: printed by L. R. Bailey, 2G North Fifth Street. CoM~ION CouNCIL CHAMBER, May 31st, 1838. I do hereby certify, that the following Preamble and Resolutions were this evening passed by the Select and Common Councils of the City of Philadelphia; viz. "Whereas, there is great excitement in the public mind in reference to the late disturbances resulting in the burning of the Pennsylvania Hall and other breaches of the peac:e: And whereas, it would be prejudicial to the reputation of the City and the Corporation to let these events pass unnoticed, thereby giving a tacit assent to these infractions of law and good order: Therefore, "Resolved, That the Committee on Police, be requested to investigate and report to Councils the circumstances attending and connected with the destruction of the J:lennsylvania Hall, and other consequent disturbances of the ~peace.'' Extract from the Journal. .OtteJJt LEVI HoLLINoswoRTn, Clerk of Common Council. |