The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-08-02
The New Orleans Riot.

Trouble has been brewing In Louisiana 1Of
some time. The State Convention of 1864,
chosen while the war was still in progress, was
necessarily composed of Union men. That
Convention has been summoned to reassem-
BILE, and last Friday Gov. Wells issued his
proclamation ordering the election Of delegates
from parishes unrepresented. There had been
great excitement previously, and the Govern
or's intentions were unknown until the pro-
clamation, mailed from his plantation on the
Red River, was received by his private Secre-
tary in New Orleans. The Secretary of State
refused to sign the document, but decision of
the Supreme Court to the effect that his signi-
ture was unnecessary obviated that difficulty,
and the paper was promulgated.
A large meeting of louisiana Unionists was
held the same day in the Mechanics Institute,
which is now used for the purposes of the
State government, The hall of the House Of
Representatives was densely packed with an
assembly composed mainly of freedmen, while
on the stand was seated Elk Gov, Hahn as pre-
siding officer, r. King Butler and other prorni-
nent loyalists, besides several leading citizens
Outside the building in the streets, stands
for speaking had been erected, around which
was crowded several thousand of freedmen,
their white sympathizers and few of the
other white kind. II have heard Sumner,
Stevens, and even Wendell Phillips speak their
political sentiments" says correspondent o.
the y ny s I'D Rear s1 raHdicslsm, until this
meeting, as it fell from the lips ofthe Southern
Union speakers" Gov. Hahn proclaimed that
the Government could not put down the ne
bellion until 1t called upon the blacks 10 fight
against the rebels, and the Unionists of the
of the South are forced to call on them for as
sistance in restoring government after the
end OF the war. Another speaker very truly
said that the people of Louisiana are nearly all
rebels. s.-.. ill.,. ftAo.se rs
The enthusiasm Of the audience was almost
mbounded. A torchlight procession by blacks
followed the meeting with brass and martial
music. 1t is said that almost every freedman
in the procession was armed either with pis-
toll. knife, bludgeon or paving stone. They
tramped, too, in a determined manner,
and impressed lookers-on with the conviction
that they would deal roughly with any one
who attempted to interfere with them. But
few attempts were made, however. At one
point on the right ofthe procession, some white
men having made a remark obnoxious to the
blacks, a fight occurred, during which pistols
and knives were used freely, resulting in the I
wounding of two whites and one black, but no
serious injury to any one. 116R rt
Such was the state of feeling, such the de-
termination on one side. 1t was no secret
that the Convention If it met, would ratify
the constitutional amendment, disfranchise B
the late rebels, and probably enfranchise the
black loyalists. The party of reaction and UNI
equal rights were determined to prevent this
result, at all hazards Judge Abel, who has
previously distinguished himself by decision
pronouncins the civil rights law demonstrations
al, now charged his grand jury that the MEM
bers OF the convention must be indicted as dis
turbres ofthe public peace, and the rebel element
of the population seized upon this charge to
create difficulty. They tee yraphed to Wash
ington and got assurance from the President
that the military would not ne allowed to OBJ
struct or interfere with the process of the
courts, and Mayor Monroe issued an infam-
matory proclamation Sunday evening laudato-
ry OF the Executive reconstruction policy and
denunciatory Of the convention.
The convention met at II o'clock, Monday
noon. 26 members being present, Judge R. X.
Howell (since missing) in the chair. R. King
Butler (also missing) moved an adjournment
of one hour, during which time the Sergeant
alarms was directed to compel the attendance
OF absentees. The hall was densely packed
with freedmen and whites.
just after the adjournment procession
containing about hundred freedmen, carry
ing United States flag, and marching
through the streets with martial music. ar
rived at the Institute, having had slight dis
turbance on Canal street. At this juncture
the merchants all over the city, fearing the
coming riot, closed their stores.
When the procession entered the bu;ld;nr
a squad of police followed, and attempted tn
make arrests. A scene of the widest conf,-
sion followed. Pistols were fired, clubs and
canes used, and brickbats few in every diree-
ton. The policemen claim that they were
merely attempting to arrest the Canal street
rioters above mentioned, but certain it is that
they mounted the platform where small
bodJ OF the members yet remained, and one
OF tnem presented pistol at them, using
offensive language. The policemen were f.
nally driven out of the building. leaving in
side Governor Hahn, Judge Howell nv ms.
tie and other gentlemen, mostly clerks ~.
tached to the State government, besides abon,
fifty freedmen. Fortunately Gov. Wells had
just left the building, for the purpose of con-