Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-08-10

both as regards the future security of the
Government and the fate of Union men in
the South, if these men who once attemnted
to break up the Union succeeded in crashing
the power Of the nation again? I lad seen
that while protesting with their lips renewed
allegiance to the flag and oblivion of the
past, embroidered by the policy of the Presi-
dent they were becoming arrogant iptoI
Grant, and dictstorial They glory in the
apparent schism between the President and
Congress, in the policy of restoring the
States lately in rebellion. and rub their
hands with delight at the idea of a civil war
in the loyal States
In view Of all this array of strong, stub
born facts, / frankly own that nv views of
the conclliatory policy in winning back to
allegiance those who have been engaged in
a war to destroy the Union, have undergone
no change. The intolerant spirit engendered
by slavery still exists. The loss of property
and failure of all their hopes can never be
forgiven, and, though / regard them as i'm
potent to resist the constituted authorities
enforced by the presence of the military. vet
l am convinced they would renew the re-
belliOn tomorrow if they saw a prospect of
| success.
Impressed with the truth of these view.
forseeing the necessity for the future securi-
! ty of the Union and the safety of the lives
| of Union men in the South that the amend
ment to the Constitution adopted bv
! Congress and submitted to the several
States for ratification should prevail.
and fully realizing the fact that the
amendment would never be ratified by the
| present Legislature, | own l was in favor of
| the Resembling of the Convention of 1864
| as the only means Of securing the ratifca-
ton as required, and thereby insure the ad-
mission OF our Representatives in Congress.
| The legal right of that Convention to con-
tinue its functions is a question I suppose
properly pertaining to the courts to decide.
Senators and Representatives in Congress of
great learning, and men of high legal at
tainments in New Orleans, have expressed
the opinion that under the resolution of
| adjournment, the convention could lawfully
reassemble. A distinguished Democratic
Senator in Congress took the same view.
For myself, if l had any doubt on the sub
ject, which have not, l should have defer
red to the opinion of ADLER men.
The total number of delegates composing
the Convention was lis; the number elected, |
SO; the quorum was fixed at 70, this num-
Der being majority Of the whole. There |
were twenty-seVen parishes unrepresented in |
the Convention, entitled to fifty-one delegates.
and adding thereto ten vacancies to be filed. |
would make sixty-one delegates to be elect |
ed. Besides, there were some ten or twelve /
delegates who, disappearing the emancipa-
ton clause, refused TO sign the constitution.
and may be ranked with the extreme Con-
servatives. Counting the sixty-one dele
gates to be elected to be of the same class
and the balance of the Conservatives to be
R1dT oal I'LL l., a. I
have been nearly equally divided. | have
gone into these details to show the falsity of
the charges that have been made, that the
Convention would not have represented the
whole, and that it was intended to be packed.
Every parish would have been represented.
about one-half having elected their delegates
in 1864, and the other half in 1866, making
just equilibrium between those who op-
posed and those who sustained the cause of
the Confederacy.
There are no Acknowledgement clauses in
the Constitution of 1864. That much-abused
members of that body had it in their power
to have made constitution as stringent
against those engaged in the rebellion as
Tennessee and Missouri have done. They
pursued an opposite course, believing and
trusting, as | did, that these men would be
actuated by a spirit Of tolerance and forbear-
ance.
In return for the hberality shown towards
them, how the members of that Convention
have been treated, individually, by the very
men in whose honor and good faith thew
trusted, to say nothing of the seOrn and Wilt
tcatiOn Illuminated against them as a col
lective body, and the constitution they made,
let the record of the bloody doings of Me-
chamcs Institute on Monday, the Both ult,
answer.
In keeping with their unrelenting policy
to maintain the power of the State in their
own hands exclusively, they opposed the
meeting of the Convention of 1864. They
needed no better monitor than their own
conscience to tell them that by their pro-
scrlptive conduct they had forfeited all
claims to further liberality from the origi-
nal members of that Convention. They re-
solved 1t must be put down and crushed out !
at all risk. And the terrible scenes Of the
Both of July confidently predicted in case
the Convention met, was the result.
The letter of Mayor MONROE to General r
BAIRD, accompanying this communication, 9
IS convincing proof that it was the determi- :
nation, if every other means failed, to resort :
% force. Everything was arranged on Sun
lay preparatory to that purpose. The po- I
NV ASSSAfCO bAlCA1 OIutIE, anu on MONDAY I n
morning they were in large numbers at the +
,orner of Canal and Dryades streets, each
having one or more revolvers on his person. /
Why were they there, exceptto commit VIC
ence?
Admitting all that had been charged a
Igainst the speakers at the Friday night
meeting, they counselled nothing more than a
he blacks should come armed to defend the I
Convention in case the members wereattack-
ID. Admitting they had assembled there v
or that purpose, what occasion was there for
harm, unless it was meditated to assault the c
Convention? The inference is irresistible e
rom the massing of the police alone that it
vas designed to break up the Convention by II
Orce. q
For this purpose a beginning was neses-
airy, and the opportunity sought for this \
Don occurred by the arrival of procession i
t blacks, with music, on their way to the
lace Of meeting of the Convention, which
recession had to enter the street through |
he crowd of policemen and citizens at the "
orner of Canal, and were met with insults B
nd jeers, which brought on a collision. A | O.
hot was fired, but ended in nothing serious. d.
The next act of violence was the arrest of
colored man by policeman in the front of
he Institute, but for what offense | am un-
ssembled naturally became excited at this d;
the same as a body of white men do
ould do under the circumstances. Some n;
'ok the side of the policeman, others the
de of the prisoner. Brickb9ts were thrown
nd shot fired-the testimony going to
now that it was done by one of The colored ci
rowd it was answered Immediately by sew IA
raj shots from the crowd of policemen at pl
lie corner, and followed up by rapid firing is
Il the crowd Of blacks, who returned the fire SO
) best they could but, heing overpowered aC
nd driven from the street, they took shelter SO
! the Mechanics Institute &c
If the object of the police was simply to ST
reserve the public peace, why did they not,
iter the men had taken refuge in the Insti- be
tie, retire to their original positions at the
1rners Of the streets which ehectually cut
e egress from the front, and placing a
lard to watch the rear of the building NJ
wait the arrival of the military, who were o.
nown to be on their way? The only reason la
r this course is, that it did not suit their tn
lTpose. or
They accordingly advanced in the front of CT
lie building and besieged it on all sides. wi
very negro who attempted 70 escape was vi
~ r3arad -.