New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-09-17

itself between the two antagonistic parties to sep
aratc them and arrest the dsOrderIy on both sides
II was strong enough to have held force equal
to both the parties in the streets in subsection
until the hour when the troops held in reserve
could come up. Indeed there was no hour during
the continuance Of the riot when perfect order
might not have been restored by command 10
the police from its chiefs to put up their pistols
and turn round requestits friends and coadutors
in the work Of riot to desistt0 clear the streets
and retnrhto their homes That the police force
| itself the chosen guardian of the law, the cor
seryator Of public peace, should become the.terrible
Iioter which it did, was not to be calculated upon
We knew that there were bad men ir that organ
lzatlon, and that its feelings were hostile 10 the
convention: but we believed them to be subject
| to the control Of their officers, and, with all om
| knowledge Of the dcprayity of the human heart
| we could not have imagined them capable Of such
atrocities as were committed by them and their
friends against helpless negroes and Union white
| people.
The commander who executed his move within
! proper. supporting distance is not to be blamed
out to meet and fight the enemy basely passed
over to him This is the sole parallel that military
| history can afford for such treachery. Had l to
| prepare again for similar events, with the same
| light upon me, I would make the same DISPOSE
ton. Those who contend that the violent deeds
Of the Both ult were planned contrived and de-
| ternned upon beforehand in the office Of tie
mayor, and the orders given out from that quar-
ter, were careful to give me no such information
I
the want of fidelity of the police. To those per
sons connected with the civil government who
assert that they called for military assistance
(Which il incorrectly aud complain that it was not
4 given them, is sufficient to answer To ask
against whom could the troops have operated !!
| Against no one but tAeif own organized forces,
/ whom by word Of command, they could have
removed from the scene, and thus restored order.
/ On Monday morning, the Both ult | read in the
city papers the warning of the mayor to those
hostile TO the convention to keep away from its
| vicinity. This was i'll accordance with our agree
Incnt on Saturday and as did not doubt that its
effects would be good in preventing disorder, l
was much gratifed; | also saw published the
following telegram purporting to come from the
| Presidents
WASHINGTON, July %, 1866.
Albert VOORHEES, Leutenaat Governor, Louisiana:
S&r-Tlle military will be expected to sustain,
and not obstruct or interfere with the proceedings
Of the courts A dispatch on the subject Of tile
| convention was sent TO Gov. Wells this morning.
| ANDREW JOHNSON.
! The authority of this dispatch | saw no reason
to doubt, but it was ambiguous as to the wishes of
| the government in relation to the convention
The difficulty lay in determining who were the
| legal authorities whom the military were expected
| to support and sustain. Judge Abel, of one of
the State courts, had but recently, in charge to
the grand jury Of his district, denounced the con-
ventiOn of 1854 as unlawful, and for this, as we'll
as for the sentiments expressed by him, he had
| been arrested by the United States commissioner
and bound over for trial at the next session Of the
! United States courts. The question then arose as
between Judge Abel and Judge Shannon, which
was the military authority to recognize as the
| court intended by the President. The journals
which published the dispatch referred to, in com
lnenting upon it, remarked that while the depart
ment commander would doubtless give any as
sistance that might be required the civil officers
4 in breaking up the convention, that none would be
asked for, as none would be required.
AtabOut IL o'clock Of that day was again
called upon by Lieut.. Gov VOORHEES,, and after a
1 short conversation informed him that | had as
vet received no instructions from the war DEPART
ment that Ihad no doubt as to my duty, and that
/ saw no reason for changing my course Of action.
said, moreover Il am quite sure it was at this i'll
terview said itl thatapart from the military con.
3deTatOns, by which acne ! was governed
thought it very grave step for the friends Of the
President to take-to hang about his neck the
responsibility OF breaking up convention sang
TONED by the governor, without knowing certainly
that he the Presidentl desired it. Without in
structiOns to that effect | could not approve it.
Finding did not propose to dcvate from the
course which we had agreed to take, upon Sat
urday it was reiterated in all its particulars Al
this iuncture, after having explained the dispose
tons which had made of the troops that they
were ready at Jackson Barracks-three mile!
from Canal street ). that had steamer ready t
bring them up, and tug by which to send wore
to them the very moment might be informed tina
a crisis demanding their presence was likely t.
; arise-I remarked that, were not afraid my mo
tives in brining soldiers into the streets might b
misunderstood, and regarded as design TO gay
military guardianship to the convpRi9n, Woul
be Glad 70 post rev men IN the sueet on elthe
slae OF MECHANICS lhstitute AZ d Instance OF Oh
or Two squares from II.
; Inc lieutenant governor seemed 10 pe please
with inns PropoSihoh, ana PROMISED that sGch a'
toh sn0uid not pc hlslhteFpFetea Dy MS Hle1u
. as violation OF the neutrality, %hlch wished
, preserve rms acceptance OF the services
u troops pronered by me, MOI demanded from me
was tAe 4tSI INNS "gPtoaoulAS 70 m ulu9i SIAM
. ing or proposition relative to the presence Of 50
d!efs, that passed between US, or between me an
any one. inns, II may ne observed, loon p!ace
after the ploPostlon 10 arrest 1he members OF I.
conyeenttOn hfst by the mayor ana then y u
sheriff naa been gwen up. anu tne
10 permit tne iTethg 70 ~ oi VIA di
L 10 lne contrary lu nttI 49,
. al y 2e pgSsiG5s lu"s 'NT potiCe 49, ~
e1eu as d slieIim Po9se' So
"iraG3 ~ ~ "p9u rLlE p''ASi ~ p t,t"5 j
8[sfiE rs ta a5 icy AZ raa 9
j. F "a ~ = @ ~ @ +la+ a,
n were feared ~ laef 9" 4ea9sIa, no" Ia1 d,
n gtlle S.ul> y "9 " ~ H. H. ~ -
a W, asletu ~ 9eltu ~ si'E @oMs ~ IVt
n p1lnEs' aHu ~ Hae I'm sV.''e ,,gLS ~ iliS
ntat!S "ite IIout oGi4 H. NE GolN nv,
+ met ltao "g'luileh ~ mp 1871 " II
I sAn!3I ny" ,sfS ~ !i'"ll4Tu ue, ~ v'iG -
" St.ton vas n.y. W ii'e' "'!'A s1> S'9s- ~ l.
n eFGl5tns. ~ ma
+ - w rH , 'iI VIZ u a. nsIih