The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-09-11

10 LDe CIVIL OmCerB, IN DTehklDR the COnVenuOn,
that none would be asked for, as none would be
required.
At about II O'Clock OF that day was again called
upon by Lieutenant q overnor Voorhees,, and after
q short conversation informed him that had as
yet received no instructions from the War Depart.
ment; that had no ooubt as to my duty and that
saw no reason for changing my course of action.
said, moreover am quite sure IL was at this inter-
view said it that apart from the military conside
IL very grave step for the friends the President
TO take-to hang about his peck the responsibility
OF breaking up q Convention sanctioned by the
Governor, without knowing that he the PresidenD
desired it. Without instructions to that effect
Finding / did not propose to devlate from the
course which we had agreed TO take, upoD Satur-
day II was reiterated in all its particulars At this
juncture, after having explained the dispositions
which had made Of the troops; that they were
ready at Jackson Barracks, three miles from
Canal street; that had steamer ready to bring
them up, and a tug by which to send word TO
them the very moment might be informed that
crisis demanding their presence was likely to arlse
! remarked that were / not afraid my motives In
bringing soldiers into the streets might be mis-
Understood and regarded as design to give mill, n
glad 10 post few men in the street on either eide of
Mechanics Institute, az distance OF one or two
The Lieutenant Governor seemed to be pleased
with this proposition and promised that such action
should not be msinterpreted by his friends, as a
violation OF the neutrality which wished TO pre-
serve. This acceptance OF the services of troops
plohered by me- NOT demanded rom me, was the
position relative TO the presence OF soldiers, that
passed between us, OF between me and any one
This 1t may be observed, took place after the propO
slton to arrest the mbers OF the Convention first
by the Mayor and then by the Sheriff. had been gwen
up, and the determination to permit the meeting to
90 until instructions to The contrary had been
celved, decided upon.
Can IL be possible that the police had the men de.
tailed as a Sherifs posse, having been instructed
already to act upon the other hypothesis-that of
preventing the assembly-were prepared, and IN
feared by their leaders, that another
was to be pursued? Ho this may be- agreed
TO send to the barracks for four companies and to
have them somewhere IN the street, nearly one hour
before the Cow entIon should meet. mad acquired
the impression although cannot now say VINO
formed me, that the Convention was not to meet
until O'Clock in the evening.
1t may be that the hour of meeting not men,
toned during the interview which now describe,
but as 1t was then fast approaching IL O'Clock, the
Lieutenant Governor must have perceived tnat my
proposition to send for the troops and have them on
the ground in vance of the actual hour which
the meeting was to take place Inf he understood 1t
te be II o'clock was impossible, yet the erroneous
impression was not cor ected. Had the object OF
this call upon me been as has been tod IN the pub
lie prints, ask from the mlltary support for the
civil force in clisls which it likely to
approach the hour when the troops would be
needed would not have been left in doubr, nor
would other details oil arrangements have been
looked.
The truth Is, the Lieutenant. Governor lett me de-
carng the belief tnat the day woud pass Off
peaceaby; and was satisfied he was sincere The
real object IN view was 10 indnce me to recnde from
the position 1 had taken Saturday, in conSe
uuence OF the telegram from the President and to
leno my sanction for d ssolving the Convention
As soon as he had departed sent an officer to
Jackson Barracks TO bring up the available men OF
the 1st Infantry Regiment and TO locate them near
the levee on Caua street. so as 20 be out OF the way
yet to be wi hin reacn il required:
1t was now about ~ O'CLOCK, and being convinced
from the many assurances had received that cIt-
zens hostile 10 the meeting would, in obedience to
the request OF the cIvl authorizes keep out of the
way aud that the 20 ice force would be the ground
to take INTO custody those guilty of the first disor
ders saw no roc chance @ Tor disturbance unless 1t
orderly white men Of some of the colored persons,
who, it said, might collect outside the building
to protect the Convention: L was satisfied, from
the natural peacetulness OF their character, that
the negroes would never be aggressive, but felt
that their appearance at such q time might
provoke attack from low and ignorant white
men, to whom they are always an object of hatred.
To remove this last chance, as supposed, OF dis
order, desired to find some persons belonging to
the Convention to request that the members of the
body themselves would eet with as little display
possible. Not knowing the residence OF any OF them
except Judge Howell, took q carriage and drove
to his house. On my arrival learned, much to my
surprise, that the Convention had actually already
met, ano that the Judge had already gone to it
then returned immediately to my office, and soon
after information was brought III with respect to the
first acts OF disorder on Canal street At once u
second messenger was despatched to hasten for ward
the troops tnat had been sent tor, and also ito bring
up the III tIllery.
I nkewie sent staff officer to the Hall OF Assem-
bv to procure information as TO the actual state OF
affairs On his return he informed me that he mad
met Judge Howell in the Governors Room, aud
learned from him that the Convention had met soon
after the hour of nOon and had adjourned for want
| O'Clock, and il no quorum was then present would
adjourn over 10 the next day He spoke OF the dis.
turbance that had taken place in the street, but did
| not seem to anticipate anything more serious.
From TINS time forward messengers continued
constantly 70 come IN bringing news of the renewal o.
the ground, and finally OF the attack on the build
| ing itself. Among the last of these was Mayor
| Monroe who came in hurriedly little after :
| O'Clock, and inquired "when the troops proposed
| to bring up would arrivep" replied, that by that
very lime they should pc on Canal street. He then
| asked, rather "QDXlOu9V,' hWlll tleY be white
| trOopsW "WIn they act along with nv pOlice2
replied that would have some white troops, and
| that would suppress the riot no matter who wore
| engaged IN it,
The interview lasted but a few moments, and these
| three interrOgatiOns, together with my replies L
HIM, constituted the substance of the entire
\ eatIOn which passed between us on the occasion
| at time when he knew his police had gone beyond
all bounds that could be justified by people OF any
party and felt the heavy weight which responsibility
for their acts Would impose upon those accounta 6
| for them. The statement he has since made, as Il
| telling me then that he held me responsible Tor tn
| bloOdshed OF that day, Is entirely erroneous
| The error may have been worked up in his mtnO
by the excitement of the occasion ia confouudin4
subsequent thoughts with the events as they tran
DIred. Ii is not PROBABLE that would have receives
| such an accusation without resenting It, nor won q
he have neglected, IN stating his remarks, IN giVn
my replies, had ! made any. I immedIate
mounted my horse and rode to Canal street, wner
the soldiers were then arriving. This was abOu
40 O'Clock. The troops were at onc9 moved u
Canal street to the City Hall. where the Assemble
| had met, but on the way encountered large crow
OF white men and bo' s, generally armed with pls
tolls, and many Of them drunk and prepared 10
| further disorder. These were dispersed by sendin
strong patrols 10 clear the various streets and
peOpe 10 retire TO their homes The Mechanic:
Institute was already in the possession OF the polct
most of those who had been within its walls haVin
been either killed, wounded, or captured and sen
II would not be proper, in report of this charac
ter 10 state positively and mnutely what did oecu
during the riot. The testimony OF sworn witnesses
! the purpose will establish these facts beyond