Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1866-08-02
Fearful Massacre Of White
and BLACK aEiOnists fin New
o..
~: scG:S.

On Monday la>; the Louisiana State Con-
veniion. elected in 1861, attempted to "a
ScmbIe in New Orleans. ltwas convened
hy Proclamation OF the Governor of the.
State. and w'S in al respccis-a legal and
Authorised body. \ majority of its mem
herS were Union men and il was under
stood that it would incorporate into the
new Constitution provision to extend the
right of suffrage To- colcfcti citizens Re
turned rebels were loud and forcc m their
threats against the convention. but il was
thought that the presence of the United
States troops would bc sufficient To prevent
IN outbreak. The eX-rcbcl. Mayor Mon
roe, issued an infiamatory proclamation cal
culated to bring about the very condition
ofthings il profesScd To guard against
The rioters were organized and large
number of them were swor in as special
police. Gen Baird, in co.arnand of the
troops at New Orleans. who miraculouSly
escaped unframed from the battle of Chick
amagua, where the most of his division
were killed, wounded or taken prisoners
abScnted himself from the city. and for
many'long hours loyal blood efboth whites
and black, was made to flow freely by the
rebel advocates of my policy"
The convention met at . a. M. hut there
being no quorum present it could not pro-
coed to business. The Mechanics lnsti-
tutc where the convention assembled was
soon surrounded b. mob of exrcbclS.-
\ freedmens procession passing that way
was assaulted. and an attempt to capture
It's flags was repulSed. The members of
the convention were arrested AS fast as they
showed themselves, bu, the negroes were
killed. An ai;;,s:....nt was made to lynch W.
II. Fisk, prominent member OF the con
yention, which the police prevented. Gov.
Hahn was wounded and arrested. Dr. y.
r. Bestie. formerly Treasurer of State, was
killed by the mob. John Henderson, jr..
was also killed. Seeing themselves be-
sieged. the members ofthe convention hung
out flag of truce, but according to- a rebel
custom, ifEas NOT RESPECTED, and everyone
who showed himself mt the windows and
doors was fired upon. The most intense
excitement prevailed throughout the city.
of which the rioters had complete posses
sion. The l. ;. troops arrived and put a
stop to the work of blood and carnage at "a
late hour-toO late to prevent the conven-
ton being dispersed and an indiscriminate
slaughter of white and black Cnionists-
The victims of this hellish and successful
attempt to prevent freedom of speech num-
Der three hundred and twenty-five.
Ii remains to be seen what action the
administration viii take in this matter, hut
lift does not cause the guilty to be brought
to- punishment, it will add heavy weight
to the load of its condemnation. The 10y
al people of this country will not submit
To state Of affairs in, which freedom of
speech and of the press are denied in any
portion of this country. We have had
enough of these chivalric exhibitions of
intolerance i'm the South, and we tell the en-
rebels and their Northern hackers that 10y
az men viii proclaim their sentiments whcr-
ever the flag waves, and woe be TO those
who endeavor to intimidate them.