Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

SHOCKING OUTRAGE:

The repose of the city was yesterday (Sunday) disturbed by a more daring and flagitious riot, than we remember to have outraged the civil law and the decorum of society for more than forty years. The extent of the views entertained by the instigators of this shocking transaction has not been, we believe, as yet sufficiently ascertained. The selection of the Lord's Day, for exciting a general scene of confusion and disorder, whilst it sufficiently characterizes the principles of the actors, is also a very strong collateral evidence, that their intentions were of the most atrocious nature.

Four men, (two of whom are United Irishmen, and the other two of a similar description of character) had the unparalleled effrontery and profanity to assault the members of the Catholic Church, during divine service, with a most seditious and inflammatory petition against the Alien and Sedition Laws.

In this insolent paper, to procure signatures to which they were profaning the temple of the Most High, it is asserted, that a greater proportion of Irishmen fought the battles of the Revolution and guided the councils of the country, than of Americans. This assertion is selected from amidst a continual train of calumny and scurrilous abuse against the people of America, because if such a slander will not rouse the indignation of every man of honor, whether he be American or Irishman, nothing can. Further to second the objects of the rioters, they had affixed a placard to the door of the Church, in the following terms--

"The natives of Ireland who worship at this Church, are requested to remain in the yard after Divine service until they have affixed their names to a memorial for the repeal of the Alien Bill."

After having disturbed and broken up the ceremonies of the Church, several of them were detected by the wardens, on going out to examine into the cause of the disturbance, reading this inflammatory paper from the eminence of a tomb stone to a considerable crowd surrounding them. On being asked their motive for disturbing the divine service in so unprecedented a manner, one of them (a well known seeker of repose) replied that he was an Irishman, who had come there for the purpose of promoting the good of his countrymen. "You lie, you rascal," was the spirited reply of a young man, "you are no Irishman; you are a traitor." This fellow immediately drew a pistol and presented it at the young man, but had not courage to discharge it. The other instantly knocked him down, and trampled on him. The indignation of the much-abused assembly would probably have sacrificed the wretches on the spot, the just victims of outraged decorum, had they not by precipitate flight, escaped from the immediate scene, and thus given time for the incensed passions to cool.
The rioters were pursued, overtaken, and carried before the Mayor for examination. One of them was committed to prison-the other three found bail. A fifth, who was apprehended in committing an assault on the house of one of the evidences, is also in jail.
We forbear to enter into the minute particulars of a transaction, too well calculated to rouse the keenest resentments of every sober, decent christian, and to stimulate their minds to a dangerous excess of madness. For the same reason we shall suspend, until time has calmed the perturbed passions of our fellow-citizens, those reflections which naturally present themselves: one thing, however, must be noticed. Old Minos, on hearing of the affair, promptly betook himself to the scene of enquiry. His conduct here far outdid all his former outdoings. In brief, he openly said-the prisoners ought to take their hats and walk off.
Respect for that Age, which this rash, unthinking Man dishonors, it is probable, alone prevented his being committed immediately to prison.