Government Involvement

Democratic leaders, such as Governor Seymour, had an interesting response to the draft riots. Many thought the riots were legitimate. Governor Seymour, when giving a speech to the rioters on Tuesday, July 14, was thought by some Republican reporters to have endorsed the riots. The Democratic position was that the working class immigrants had a right to protest the drafts that were seemingly unfair. However, the line between what was considered just peaceful protesting and full out violent mobs hanging innocent African-American victims was crossed from the start, justifying the Republican party outcry against the riots. A solution was needed to stop the destruction of the whole of the city and its people, and fast. Police forces were being barricaded out of certain neighborhoods, and overall mayhem was taking over the city. On the second day of riots, Mayor Opdyke sent for federal troops, but refused to declare Marshall Law which would give the federal government control of the city. On the fourth day of riots, the federal troops arrived from Gettysburg, ending most of the protests.