Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-08-01

ing the stage which the conflict had reacht
at New Orleans on the 29th. We are no
in receipt Of the New Orleans papers of Il
28th, and present below from the Pioayun
some important facts preceding the CORE
pondence with the President, given We
terday
PROTEST OF STATE OFFICERS.
The ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. the Attorpe,
General, the Secretary Of State, the Auditc
and State Treasurer, who were all elected q
the same time with Gov. WELLS, hav
united in protesting against the act Of tn
Governor in his attempt to overthrow tn
Governmeet Of the State by lawless an
revolutionary measure. Theirremonstranc
has gone 10 Washington, and Mr. j Al
RoZIER, who is now there in behalf Of th
people Of the State, viii see that the matte
is properly represented to the Executive.
The Secretary Of State, in the meantime
refuses 20 attach his signature and the sea
OF the State 10 the Governors proclamation
thereby rendering il null and void, and dis
pensing the various officers Of theState from
the duty Of giving any heed 10 il. Their,
are those who think il better not to resort {,
these obviously proper measures to defea
tins neiariOus scheme; but we hold it TO b,
the duty of all officers Of the State TO ODE,
the law and abstain from all participation
IN our connection with revolutionary anc
unlawful acts.
Loose and reckless as are many Of the
ideas Of the day, frequently and lagrantly
as the Constitution, the laws and all the
rights and principles Of Republicanism are
trampled upon by the mad partisans and
iactionists who keep the country and the
people IN such constant agitation and tur-
moil, merely to promote their own selfish
ends; the duty was never more imperative
than IL now is on all honest officials to
stand by the Constitution and laws, and at
every hazard TO confront with firm and UNI
shaken resistance all the schemes Of revolu-
tionary conspirators. No effort should be
left undOne 60 enforce the laws of the State
against all offenders.
UNFOLDING OF THE PLOT.
A paper was circulated in this city yester-
day evening, purporting TO be a proclama-
ton OF Gov. WELLS, ordering elections to
be held in certain parishes to fll vacancies
in the Convention Of 1864
We suppose il 10 be a genuine document,
although it purports TO be signed "under
my hand, at the city Of New Orleans. this
twenty-seventh day Of July, A. d. 1866 :"
when the Governor is known not to be
within many miles Of this place. Il also
wants the attestation Of the Secretary Of
State, who has, we learn, refused TO counter.
sign il, or attach the seal Of the State, as is
customary, if not material, to the paper.
Not one Of the State officers we believe,
elected at the same time as Gov. WELLS,
and on the same ticket, forming with him
the State Administration, agrees with him
in these extraordinary proceedings.
The paper was, however doubtless issued
by the Governor, and is in that respect a
genuine production but il is one he has not
4 shadow Of authority for issuing, and is Of
no more legal force than il would be if it
had been issued by any other person. in or
out Of the State
IL has been demonstrated, over and over
again, that the Convention Of 1864 has no
legal existence in 1866. Il expired by the
conclusion Of its labors, and the adoption Of
the constitution it made. Ii attempted to
prolong its own existence by providing that
II might be reconvoked by the presiding
officer.
This authority 10 convoke the defunct
body was in itself usurpation but it was
conditional authority vested in particu-
lar person 10 be exercised in a single event
and there was no provision made for the in
tervention of the Governor at all. That
person was the President cf the Convention,
and that event the failure of the people to
ratify the constitution. The President of
the Convention was directed TO call il to-
gether il the constitution was rejected. Il
was only in that event that the provision to
ill vacancies should come into force in that
way. Then and in that case he (the Pre-
sident Of the Convention) might call on the
proper officers 90 cause elections 10 be held
The case never occurred the constitution
was ratified; the President Of the COnven-
ton decides the body 20 be constitutionally
extinct; and the pretended authority, which
was a usurpation, lapses by its own terms,
and leaves not a vestage of title or authority
anywhere, or in anybody, 20 fiji vacancies
in the body, alive or dead.
Nevertheless Gov. WELLS has issued this
paper, ordering and commanding elections
10 be held 20 ill the vacancies which the
very authority he recites declares are only
20 be filled in the event that the constitution
should be rejected
II is the plainest possible case Of the use
Of power which those who bestowed il had
no right to give, for a purpose different
from that TO which they expressly limited It.
and in a manner entirely different from that
which they prescribed.
The Governor bases his proclamation on
the report Of Judge HOWELL, as President
pro tenn. Of the Convention, when Judge
HOWELL only represents a small minority
which irregularly excluded the true Presi-
dcnt-if there be a President az all-and is
q mere pretender 10 authority, without the
support Of more than q fourth Of quorum
of the body he affects TO speak for; but
which the Governor accepts as the sover-
eign authority Of the State in perpetual ses-
sion.
The proclamation does not call elections
10 FIJI vacancies I'm the Convention rs il ex-
listed when il adjourned in 1864: but to
bring in new members 20 the number Of 81,
from parishes which were not represented in
that Convention az all. There is no notice
taken of vacancies which have occurred
among the members actually chosen and
taking part in its proceedings.
The real fact we suppose 20 be, that q ma
iority of the surviving members of the Con-
vcntion Is not to be had in support Of the
Executive and his partisans, and that it is
designed 20 bring in by the new elections. in
which It Is thought that no citizen Of the
State. not in the Governors clique, can con-
sistanuy take part, enough 20 get a majority
who viii sanction everything done, however
irregularly, and depend on the Executive and
a partisan judiciary which is in confederacy
with him % overthrow a unanimous Legis-
lature. all the State officers elected by the
people. and impose a new government on a
disfranchised people
rur NETTING LAST NIGHT AT MECH NTCS'
INSTITUTE
We were well aware that those who were
instrumental in getting up the meeting held
last night az the Mechanics Institute were
men who,entertaincd the most radical politi-
cal views. but we did not know that they
were such extreme fanatics, so infuriaIed and
exasperated az not being able 20 hold power
and position as 10 counsel everything 20
arouse the baser passions Of the race Of
which they claim 10 be the special boneiac-
tors The Proceedings last night astonished
every good citizen and thinking man. and
the sentiments uttered BY various speakers
alarmed the whole community.
The crowd gathered IN and out side Of the
Mechanics Institate were principally COM
posed q negroes. Judge HAwKls,s. JoHS
aEEpERsoS, Jr., NJ. HAHN and DR.. DosTIE
addressed the meeting. Their languagewas
vindiciiYe and violent. The last nalhed
speaker went so far as to advise the negroes
to assemble armed at the Mechanics lnsti-