"[H]ad the civil authorities acted with some degree of promptness, vigor, and determination, the riots would not have assumed such proportions. But it has proved in all of our late troubles, they act feebly, make no attempt to exhaust all power at their command, flee out of harm’s way, apply to the Governor for protection, and results in the calling out of the National Guard, who must stand the blunt, the stones, the abuse, and curses of the mob, and the slurs of the pusillanimous sympathizer, and the Guardsman is expected to stand and take all."

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Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Added on April 10, 2026
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Original Language: English

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Imported from EN Wikiquote

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Reading_Railroad_Massacre