Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1866-09-01
THE NEW ORLEANS MAssAC
AND ITS ABETTORS.

AND HIS ABEGTORS.
The reluctance of the Johnsonites to let |
the public sec the official dispatches connec-
ted with the New Orleans massacre is fully
justified by the tenor of those documents.
They fix the stain of blood on the hands of
their chief SO indelibly that all the waters Of
the Mississippi can never wash il out.
Mr.. johnson first appears in these dis
patches as the author os this most extraor-
dinary missive, considering that it is ad-
dressed by the President to the regularly
elected Governor Of wha. he pronounces a
fully constituted State OF the Union:
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, d. c.,
July 2S, 1866.
To His Ercellency Gou. WELLS, Neo Orleans,
La.
I have been advised that you have issued
a proclamation convening the Convention
elected in 1864. Please inform me under
and by what authority this has been done,
and by what authority this Convention can
assume to represent the whole people of the
State of Louisiana. ANDREW JOHNSON.
To this inquiry, Gov. Wells promptly re-
sponded as follows:
New ORLEANS, July %, 1866.
PRESIDENT JOHNSON: Your telegram re-
ccivcd. have not issued proclamation
convening the Convention of 1864. This
was done by the President of that body, by
virtue of resolution adjourning the Con-
vention subject to his order, and in that case
also authorizing him to call on the proper
officers to issue writs of election in unrepre-
scnted parishes. My proclamation is in re-
sppnse to that call, ordering an election on
the 3D. of September. As soon as the vacan-
cies can be ascertained, an election will be
held to fill them, when the entire State will
be represented. Your obedient servant,
j. MADISON WELLS,
Governor of Louisiana.
On that same day, the ex-rebel chiefs tele-
graphed the President as follows:
New ORLEANS, July 90, 1866.
PRESIDENT JOHNSON: Radical mass
meeting composed mainly of large numbers
of negroes last night ending in riot. The
Committee of Arrangements of said meeting
assembling tonight. Violent and inccndiary
speeches made negroes called to arm them
selves. You bitterly denounced speakers
-Gield, Dostle, Hawkins, Henderson, Weir,
Ward, and Others. Gov. Wells arrived last
night, but sides with the Convention. Move
the whole matter before Grand Jury, but
impossible to execute civil process without
certainty of riot. Contemplated to have the
members of the Convention under process
from the criminal court of this district. Is
the military to interfere to prevent process
of court
ALBERT VOORHEES,, Lieut. Governor La.
ALBERT j. HEBRON, Attorney. General La.
To which the President at once replied
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, d. c.,
July %, 1866.
To ALBERT VOORHEES,, It. Cor. Of Louisiana,
Neto Orleans, La..:
The military will be expected to sustain
and not to obstruct or interfere with the
proceedings of the Court. A dispatch on
the subject of the Convention was sent to
Gov. Wells this morning.
ANDREW JOHNSON.
On that same day, the Military Comman
dant at New Orleans telegraphed as follows
New ORLEANS, La, July %, 1906.
Hon. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary Of War.
A convention has been called, with the
sanction of Gov. Wells, to meet here on
Monday. The Lieutenant Governor and cit,
authorities think it unlawful, and propose t.
break it up by arresting the delegates.
have given no orders on the subject, bu,
have warned the parties that could moi
countenance or permit such action without
instructions to that effect from the President
Please instruct me at once by telegraph.
A. BAIRD, Brevet Major. General.
With all the above dispatches before him
the President telegraphed to the most active
of the Rebel leaders as follows:
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, D. C.
July 80, 1866.
To ANDREW j. HERRoN, Atty. Gen. of Meu
Orleans, La.
You will call on Gen. Sheridan, or who
ever may be in command, for sufficient fore,
to sustain the civil authority in suppressin.
all illegal or unlawful assemblies who usurT
or assume to exercise any power or authorit,
without first having obtained the consent O
the people of the State. If there is to be
Convention. let it be composed of delegate
chosen fresh from the people of the Who'll,
State. The people must be first consulted
in reference to changing the organic law o
the State. Usurping will not he tolerated
The law and the Constitution must be sus
tanned, and thereby peace and order.
ANDREW JOHNSON.
Here was the warrant which the Rebel
had sought for buichering the detected radi
calls. Andrew johnson assumes to decide OF
the legality of State Convention whicl
was that day to assemble, and to place tn
Federal troops under the control of its dead
ly enemy, with directions to suppress it a
an illegal or unlawful assembly. He ha,
first tried to pick quarrel with Gov. Wells
assuming that he had called it, and that th
whole State was not to be represented in th
Convention. Gov. Wells replied that he ha,
not called it, and that the whole State mas t
be represented-he having issued q procla
nation ordering new election in every dis
trict not fully represented at present. Fail
ing in that tack, the President coolly ignore
the legally chosen Chief Magistrate of Lou
isiana, Cher only State officer who was not ,
Rebel,) and invests her Rebel Attorney-G Zen
eral with power to WELD the Military il
support of the Rebel programme. Gen
} Baird had telegraphed that ne would no
permit the Convention to be broken III
without express orders from Washington
Such orders were thereupon sent to Heron
and the crushing out of the Convention, tn
: butchery of one hundred Union men, tn
manning of many more. and the complet
subjugation of Louisiana to Rebel rule, wer
the natural results.
BY UNITED STATES MILITARY TELEGRAPH
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Aug. 4, 1866.
To Major General Sheridan, Commanding