Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-05-16

,orrs for the removal Of the women and chill
dTen On Tuesday morning he reiterated MS
nsrem,tory demand, but, within an hcur' DO
assreod to waive everything be had Claimed
and reluctantly consented to send hls own
forces TO take down the flag. Thus lhe non 10
Of New Orleans was fully indicated: One uia
not surrender; sno only, as the Mayor e'o,
quantity EXPRESSED it, Welded such obouiei'ce
"a the VICTOR is enabled to ex.ort from tns
rsntiye Il is doubtful whe;her there couiu
have been found in tia city slngle man WIZ
ling to execute Flag. officer Fsrrssuts ue'
lad. The yulnen, even under the threat
-, hombardm.nt and slaughter, exhibited no
svmpturns of trcpidsl!on. They drew up
ns,i,ion 10 the Mayor and CouAcil, praying
I'm, the d ~ might not Of removed, aVo~ ing
,h,mseye. wiling to submi. 10 oil the cons'
rlances. rhs following is rha petition. il was
s;.nri by yery large num5er Of ladies', IN
oIe,,;r, tt,s ns.,,cs oil the mss, distinguished
families in the city
ITO the Honorable the Mayor and Common
Council OF the City OF New Orleans
Tine petition of the riveS, Tie ''Hiig!."is' Tue
mn,l,ers and the sisters 81 year ':oH'r.l ush''
.Uu,ir, standing :hat FinsrS"'"cF arr"
commanding The naval squadron nov threat
enIng the cay, has gwen i'',i'c 10 tht ""'to''
ties Il, hsul dow! .be l. h!s"nn STATE IL from
the Cit, Hal, a..d IL inako loFiuas SCI VI SUI
render If the CITY oi New Orleans, Win inc
alternative OF removing the H"I''9h h;'u c'li'd'
rem y tDIn i.rty eight houre sc q" pray j'ur
H-nnr ard your HoGoistl@ Body i" refuse 10
surrcrdof he city or hau 'i""n tae n'g
which il tho emblem a TIE Sovereignty u,
Louisiana, promising y'ii Ctr coli''ehShse '"'
support.
And nov cams the sad,raL All !r:@st ;0.rnn
act OF this strange ani rvsnini 'ifama. me
city hsd gained her point she had achieved
a moral victory II the face al AT 1rerPH"erlng
force and ct the mouth OF the cnrmys cannon:
Her honor had been maintained. No ono could
accuse her OF cringinE suhInsslTenesS or IN
decent aacrity in surrender. But the moment
had come when toe period nj h"r liberty was
10 end when the hour nf Ter captivity was
t., begin. The fas which ia. s!S days had
Il ja.ed frorn hrr City Hall, was Mt las! 10 he
removed; not, 1t is true. b. ner, but by the
ruthless hand of an in9ader IL "aS only now
that women began To weep *'id men % E'eiu
| to overwhelming emotions. Gricf ana triumph
contended ~ith each other III the hearts OF the
people 4 great victory anil great hnmllla-
ton were to he consumma.cd III Slnee acL-
at ll.3O, 4. a.. Federal ior5e consisting
OF about 900 armed mfrlneI, AID nu'r'ef o.
sailors dragg;ngtxn brass hGT"Zcr1. ttiH ~hIlc
nnt'e. Gnmand Gf captain Bel, landed !. thS
head Of Canal Street. where 'hey proceeded to
raise the United States fig over inc Custom
house. TINS accom- lshrd they directed TIER
Gnu rae towar, the City HILL ,"nt iing Laiay cite
Square h. the Camp S''eet gale Inc marines
formed or TIE sllart; the c,nnGnS Terc drag
zsd through into st. Charles street. and plant
ID % rs 10 r,nge up and down the street, the
sailors standing alongside and ready to dis
charge them on tie slightest demonstration 0t
hostility from tho immense crowd consregatsd
around tic open space in troat at tho Hall
In the Mayors parlor were Tie Mayor, his
Secretary, some members Of TIE Council and
frw cit,E.ns. AT IL o'clock Al emphatic
knock Il. the door announcal the presence OF
tas Federal officers. Capt. Ba accompanied
By single sailor, entered the room. 81 have
come" said be to tho Mayor, ''so receive the
fay which floats over this building" ~ do
no; understand you, Sir, returned the Mayor.
II haso come" said Captain BIZ, correcting
himself, ITO take down thu a,g which floats
cvcr this building" 81 nov understand you,
sir" was the reply Of tho Msynr, and then he
continued: You haze already been informed
HAT ibis city Is no lorgera military pos; that it
lr,s hetn evscuNod - tic Confederate torcas
| that il pussesses IN means Ut defending itself
against The guns Of lilo squadron now lying
in front OF il. But although incapable OF pre-
venting you !ro'p occupying The city With
your iorcos; although Unable TO return your
! Are if you should open your guns upon us, ne
have refused 10 make n formal act q! surrender or
take down from this Hall The fiiB of LOUISIANA
now floating over 1.-THE symbol nf tie sover
eighty OF tina; State from which New Orleans
DRIVES Der municipal existence. Without
ststing thai. had the city o"ncd a COrt;deTete
H., that flag wond not have been raised in
place Of the ono yCu attack, will remark
| lnst, had we TO, become instructed by rXiin-
pie as 10 TIC in: entir1s Il your Government,
We should haro been astonishcd tt y0ur do
mand f)r tho removal Of tho tag Of State
which constituted member Of that very
Uainn You declare il to be your purpose 10
restore. fanr commander nis prcclaime! his
mission hert 10 b.. hr ~ r1ae.Tuc!luh 1t TIC
Union. atu The maintenance II the ConstItu-
ton cf the United States, while, NJ thu same
time, in demanding the removal III ouT tag,
be stntcd that he did no: rec6sni2; inc State
Of Lnnislsng 1r its Government While thus
IN CT ct admitting the inpossihllly Of achiav
ing the ostensibe ohjYct Of his mission. he im-
plledly declares the purpose Of hs Govern
nent to 10 the destruction ri the rights Of
III: States, tha Suppression u tn State Gov
ernnients and the absolute coz q lest 81 the I'ro
pie against ~Enru tbs gar ls maged.
"iou will not he interrupted, sir, in fulfilling
the orders Of your superior but wilt firm
you that even the women Of this city have pc
t!;uncd US n,ser 10 take down that Gag our
selves and will say, moreover, that DO not
think could TINS! in New Orleans, or Louis
lara, Is cit,zen-nsy, not even negro, wGo
would so lar degrade and de11se himself AS IT,
lay hand on our i 6 With the object CT
lowering it at the demand Of an encms.'
The Mayor having concluded, C.Pt Bell re
marked that he would proceed to The top Of the
building in fufirnen. of the purpose for which
he was self and loft the room Nth that Oh cct.
Tno May or then walked ont, accu,np ani6d by
all who had BEEN present Mt the interview, de-
scendci Tho steps az the Hall, end took his po
81 ion with his friends, IN ina Epen space in
front. There remained not soul in the building
except the Federal emmssaries. Profound
silence porradcd the Immense crowd below
Not cvon whisper WAS heard. Tho very air
was oppressive with stiffness. Tho marines
stood sta.ue-likc within the square, their b1yo
nets 81 stening IN The sun beams, aud their faces
stoed with ind ference. Among the vast mul.
,itade Of citizens, the wet checks of women,
and the compressed lips AM darkeaed brows
of ulcu, heIraycj their consciousness Of the
crra; tumiat;'I ,SL!sn bad ovortaknn them.
Bit not s;nyIu eye was directed to he sum
nit CT The HALL Curiosity itself VAS quel!ed
by the sadness and sclemnity Of the occasion.
No one but those engaged in tho work sa~ the
dg doscerd. Twas only When Capt. Bell re
appeared, bearing the trophy under his arm,
that the people, krs~ the decd had been con-
summatrd. The word vsc than given to retire
The marines flied eff through the Square ,ha
cannon were dragged in the rear, with Their