New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-09-15


The Philadelphia Convention Of Southern 10y
alists,n through their committee, composed Of
General a. G. Yarmouth, chairman, and others,
haye finally adopted and Published report, which
We find in the Louisville Courier of the 18th.
From an immense quantity of sophomore non.
seuce and pinchback rhetoric, we extract what
the report says about the riot in this city on the
Soth July last The facts are so distorted and the
arguments SO lame and impotent as 10 require No
comment at our hands:
One Of the strongest evidences of the iutoler
anee of the disunioniss is lately given in the &C
ton of the civil authorities of the city of New
Orleans towards convention composed of gen
hemen of known loyalty. On the 30th of July
last, in pursuance of proclamation of Rufus K
Howell one of the judges of the supreme court Of
| Louisiana, the convention which framed the or
| ganie law under which the civil government oi
1 Louisiana. assumed to, act, and which adjourned
subject to the call of Its president met at the cap
itel of the State inthe city Of New Orleans.
| From the time of the governors request for the
convention to reassemble, the press of the city,
owned and controlled by e2-generals and colonies
and other officers of the rebel army and by those
4 in sympathy with them, attacked with the great.
4 est violence, the convention as Q body and the
| members as individuals, descending to the most
4 violent and abusive language for the purpose of
| influencing the minds of the returned rebel sol
- 1900
| and its members. t4
Public meetings were held in the city, at which
/. the NEST violent and incendiary speeches were
| made against the assembling of the convention
The mayor of the city, by means of his police put
| in circulation the report of his determination to
suppress that body if it should attempt to meet in
| the city of New Orleans. The judge of the Grim
| inaE Court made a charge to the grand jury, in
which he discussed and Endorsed the policy of
Andrew Johnson and instructed them to find bills
| of Indictment against those gentlemen who should
respond to the call of the president Of the con
\ Yention, and the governor of the State
4 Having thus inflamed the public mind against
/ the convention by every means in his power, and
! invoked the aid of corrupt judge and disloya
grand jury, the foreman at which was an ex
colonel of the rebel army the mayor Of the city
addressed letter to Major General A. Baird, com
handing the department Of Louisiana, in which he
/ used the following language:
Ut is my intention TO dispense this unlawful
assemblyif found within tile corporate limits of
the city, provided they meet without the sanction
| OF the military authorities thus claiming the
authority as mayor of the city to pass on the le-
gality OF convention which had made the g6Y.
ernment under which he held his Office, and whose
Gonstituuonhe had sworn to support and claim
ing the right and asserting his determination to
dispense it in case it should be found wallin the
corporated limits Of the city.
1t would be supposed, after the able and manly
reply of Gen. Baird to this letter, that the deter
mination officially expressed would not have been
further contemplated. That officer, after having
informed the mayor that the convention had nor
asked for any such authority orsancti0n. said :
When askedif | intended to furnish tile con
venlion with "a military guard, have replied No
the nlayorsof the city, with his police, will amply
protect It's sitting. If these persons assemble as
you say is intended, it will be, presume in virtue
sof the universally conceded right of all loyal cit
liens of the United States to meet peaceabiy. and
discuss freely questions concerning their civil gov
ernment; right Wtiehls not restricted by the
fact that the movement proposed might terminate
IN q change Of existing Institutions.
II the assemblage in question has the legal
right to remodel the State government it should
be protected in SO doing. If it has not, then its
labors must be looked upon simply as harmless
pleasantly, to which no one ought to object. Az
70 your conception Of the duty imposed by your
oath of office, regret to differ with you entirely
cannot understand how the mayor Of a city can
undertake to decide SO important and delicate a
question as the legal authority upon which CON
vention claiming to represent the people Of an
entire State, bases its acton.n5 tT
y onr committee are informed that this reply IF
Gen. Baird was the cause of personal interview
between the heutenantgo and the general |
at which it was agreed that whatever warrant If |
arrest might be issued should be submitted to him
before any attempt was made to have it executed |
and that, upon the Endorsement of the generals |
objections, the matter should be referred to the |
President of the United States for his action Tbiq
1n the part of the members of the convention.
On the morning of the Both of July appeared q T.
proclamation, requesting the people to remain
way from the convention, that peace and. order
night be preserved; it was believed at the time
nat this was issued with the sincere desire to pre-.
erYe the peace; but the sequel will show that it /
yas only mantle to cover the real design. At
withdrawn from their beats, and assembled at |
heir respective station-houses, and besides the
Weapons usually used by policemen each was
lY en- a3larg sized navy revolver. Thus armed |
hey We're held at the stationhouses to await |
'rders.
SIn addition to these measures, others had been
aiken by Harry T. Hays, sheriff of the parish Of
]rleans and an eN-geneFal of the rebel army rar-
ioned BY the President to- enable him to assume
hat office He had reorganized a portion of his
I'D brigade as deputy shertfs, and they were or
Tered to be in readiness on that OCCASION They
zere donbly armed with Fevolyers, and prepared
aet5Yith all the efficiency of military discipline
rom early in the morning the streets of New Or
cans We're unusually crowded. The Union men
we're assembling4n the convention hail. and many
sereln the street IN front of the building. At
" c9fhef Oh Dryades street and Canal were sta
lohea 9 large number of young men in citizens,
fess, recognized as members Of the rebel mill ,
afy ofganlzanons evidently waiting for the signal
k attac ana whose subsequent conduct proves f.
onclusigey that they too wers armed and ia.
oned there for bloody purpose.
Al II O'Clock the convention met, and after a
mort session adjourned for one hour, to give time
~ the a hsent. members toappear.SG 1 at
Your committee are informed that it was tbe in.
sntion of the members Of the convention TO re-
ofa the names OF those who might be present
ur1ng the day, and then to adjourn until a day y
lesequent to the elections to fill the vacancies
INCH were already ordered by the governor Of {
le state: Near one o'clock the bells of the CITY
Ciied Signal, and the police, Joined by hundreds
returned rebel soldiers in citizens dress, at i :
eked. Without any proYocation, the people col Z
cted IN front Of the capitol They being mostly i
harmed, were forced to retreat. Met by another !
odg Of police and citizens they were eonpelled =
submit to nnheard of and unparalleled hnteI4Tv, i
le street. IN front Of the capitol being tins
cared, an attack was made upon the hall wbare
g convention had assembled. The members ana :,
lalehee were found seated, in accordance with r
E request Of Rey. Mr.. Horton. Dr. 4. p. D6st;a i
y f oshefs. Without any attempt at aErest-with
' ~ zig Wofd Of proVo6atioa--the assaiIanfs
enea upon them terrific volley.
Driven back Upon the wall, With ia 49, IL
'ape and with deadand wOiln;s, I'd man ali srnSnS
,m, their offers Of Surrender answered bv pistoi
9sss 1lle 5esieged, in their desperation, seized
!, OF the hall and drove their assaiants
~ t nag by this time emptied their reyolyers
80, VIZ room. These attacks We're repeated until
y man had been either killed or wounded. or
7 ettected his escape. While this was going on
streets OF the city, for several squares around
phlldlng, were q scene of carnage; and who |
er , was seen with q dnsky skin, or of we-known
atty hg any Of the city officials or their sun
fters lthe union-hating mob was either killed
wounded. Every bearer of flag of tr1lee Ircn, 'l
hill III thp ,-sr