The national Republican., 1866-08-03


had ever uttered word for suffrage The
most Of them were bitter enemies to the
project, and their animosities TO the colored
race was undisguised and unrelenting. There
were three ways Of putting the ballot in the
hands Of the blacks and ensuring their politi-
cal restoration. One was to agitate, discuss,
and organize political party in It's favor and
carry the Legislature, and make laws in its
favor. This was the constitutional method,
and the peaceful one; but it would prove
work Of time, and the coveted Offices would
not follow soon enough.
Another was to disown their own act, discard
their own constitution, throw up the abors Of 1864
BY bssseching Congress TO rsPudiats the govern,
ment Of the State Of Louisiana and insist upon the
extension Of suffrage before Its Senators and Rep
ressntatives could be admitted. The other course
WAS revoluton-the violent assertion Of the politi
cal rights Of the blacks, to be maintained with
arms In the State and TO be sustained legitimate
BY the radicals in Congress. Much material sx.
listed for the inception Of q revolution. Twenty
thousand negroes who had been In the Federal ar
mics, and between four and Eve thousand whites
who had been politically outvotsd, backed BY the
powerful radical conspiracy at the North, made q
project had brave and determined lsadsr-Dr A.
P. DosrrE. Dr. DosriE was q man Of unqusstion.
able urage.-hs was honest and fearless. He
possessed many admirable qualities, but he was
revolutionist BY nature. Disorder was his native
atmosphere, and In works and acts he was the per-
soni6eation Of fauaticism. During the military
occupancy Of Louisiana he was universally known
as the 'RoBEsPIRRRH Of liberty"-a name In which
he seemed to take delight Meetings gotten up BY
him have been suppressed BY military order to pre-
vent difficulties; and his most attached friends have
In vain attempted to cool his ardor reef his impet
uosity, and defeat his indiscretions. He sincerely
believed that no other solution Of the difficulties
was possible than by the armed uprising Of the
groes. He did not disguise his active sympathy
with them and has often told his friends that he sI
psctd TO be shot fighting for and with them.
After Gov. HAHN, who had been In Washington
during tho winter operating With the radicals found
that Congress did not intend 10 demand suffrage as
q condition Of admission for the Southern States,
he returned to the South; and 1t was soon after
his arrival there that the scheme TO reconvsne
spondsnce with the radical leaders Of the North,
and In personal consultation with the radical men,
bers Of Congress, 1t was understood that the effort
to reconvene the Convention would be sustained.
1t was well-concocted and deliberate plan to
precipitate revolution and inaugurate war Of
races. II vas reasoned that, 10 the convention was
held, It's acts would bs regarded by Congress the
only expression Of loyalty, and Its government be
sanctioned BY them As having authority. II the
Convention was suppressed BY the civil power It
would strengthen Congress In its continual resist
ance to the admission Of Louisiana. II II was in.
terfered with by mob 1t would tend to inasme the
Northern mind against the State, end would help
the radical cause in the fall elections. In any view
they saw advantages, and they determined TO rein.
woke the Convention. Tho President (Judge DU.
RELL) upon being applied to to do this refused To
issue the call, dsnounoing the attempt as wholly
without authority. Then, without any legal as.
semblsge or quorum, few members elected Judge
HowsLL as presiding officer. HOWELL had re-
sigRed his membership Of the body because Gov
HAHN had summarily removed from judicial posi-.
tion person who had decided that 81 very was
legal In the parish Of New Orleans This HOWELL
considered as interfering with tho Independence of
the judiciary, and resigned his seat in the Conven-
ton to show his condemnation Of the act.
This body of men, without the shadow OF legal
ity, in direct violation Of the Constitution which
they had themselves made, and under which for
two years they bad lived suffering no other wrong or
outrage than being outvotsd and ousted from ONCE
t., Of univsrsal peace attempted to revive the
oorran,on IN , which W.. called Into being BY mil
tary sdict and to sit in an origina. nA''s tns
people Of Louisiana, and TO act In its sovereign
name. u proposed to r.tify, in the name Of the
people, the constitutional amendments submitted
By Congress, to olothe the blacks wiih franchise,
and to stop II from the whites who have been In
the rebellion, and on receiving the recognition Of
Congress the real State, to arm the colored pop
glation and maintain this improvised government
at the point Of the bayonet Ordinarily > meeting
Of such nature wond have boon looked upon rs q
farce; but holding Its session in tho name Of tho
State Of Louisiana, with hs assnranoes that tho
Agislaf,ps branch Of Government vonid 90 regard
it, II assumed the magnitude Of . dangerous usur-
patton and an ipminent psril 1t Allied the oom-
munity with apprehension and rage as the time
approached for the assembling. Tho members were
notified that the authorities would hold them lia-
BILE to arrest. The courts pronogpced the attempt
seditious, and charged tho grand Jury to ndat the
members. The members responded by holding .
mass meeting, in which thousands Of negroes were
gathered. The most violent and inoendiary Ian
guags was used at this meeting and the negroes
were advised to arm and be in attendance to de-
fsnd tho convention. They were 10 attendance, and
were armed for the protection Of the convention
The proceedings against the body were made in
accordance with law and were sought to b. enforced
by the proper officials.
Tho appearance of the police was the signal for
commotion and their authority was resisted and the
dark story Of blood and carnage commenced. In
any civilized or Christian country the reassembling
Of the convention would be considered revolution
ary usurpation. According to all theories and pre-.
cedents Of our own law the armed defence Of such
body was high treason against the State. 1t was
conceived and executed as revolutionary proce.
dure The emeuts in New Orleans was in no sense
q lawless demonstration against the psaesabls as
semby Of citizens for the redress Of grievances for
this convention was armed for Its own maintenance
and sought to crush the Constitution to which they
owed allegiance as citizens, and deliberately pre-.
pared to resist the Law otcers who were instructed
to enforce the civil process Neither osn Il bs re.
garded, as 4 manifestation against the proper ad-
vocacy of the suffrage question. There has been
q free suffrage party, Of which Mr.. DURAEr Is
leader, Ia that State for years. Before and since
the rebellion 1t has held meetings und1r turbsd
This party were original opponents Of thBcopysn-
tion Of "64," and we are told denied the legality
and policy Of its rsconvocation. There Is also a
daily Newspaper, owned, published, and edited by
colored men, the exclusive interest Of the suffrage
movement. It never has been, and in All proba-
hility will not be- molsstsd for its agtation Of that
question. That the attempt to set up goyernmen..
anknoSn 70 ths resident people of Louisiana and
outside oflaw was rePrphsnSibrs every esaT minded
and law. abiding c...' A'N'' """'"
sustain such q government BY force aIe app''"
to the passions Of ignorant and nfuriated class,
to secretly furnish weapons to that class, and pub
licly inaame their minds to revolutionary action,
could not fail to engender kindred spirit Of rancor
and resistance among the people Of Louisiana.
The bloody termination was but the natural re-
suit Of these unwise, unconstitutional and unjusti
fable prs-arrangsmsnts Nominally made in the in
terests Of humanity and in behalf Of the negro 1t
resulted in q massacre shocking to humanity and
disastrous to the cause Of the African. For the
delay Of hours in the appearance Of the Federal
troops the presence OF which in season would have
prevented the loss of ls we can conceive no salts.
factory excuse. Much Of the excess Of the riot
10 US be ohargeabe to the fatal neglect Of
the military forces. For that wanton and hendish