Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1866-08-18

would have certainly drawn prompt
and severe military measures on the
editors, had their paper been the
Picayunc, Crescent, Bee or Times
Then, again, these white devils
some of them ministers Of the Cos
pcl--havc held regular weekly meet
ings Of the freedmen in this city, q
say nothing of the country in which
their superiority to the "rcbcls, "
their right to suffrage and to rebel
property, and the determination that
they should have these, were con-
stantly urged on them.
These constant teachings resulted
in wild disorder and murdcrous
threats against all whites, which
were the salient points Of the Negro
Union meeting of last Friday night,
of which / wrote you. Itshould be
stated here, that the lessons of vio-
lcnce inculcatcd for months to the
negroes of this city, were addressed
to several thousand colored men who
were born hcre-frce and most Of
them mechanics and people of in
tclligcncc and character, much supc-
rlor to the great mass ofthc colored
race. A great many of them are
educated and own property-a few
would hold their own with well ed.
ucated whites in wealth and educa
ton, and in Europe, the social con-
dition. These people, born and
brought up here, and undcr these
peculiar circumstances, naturally feel
themselves superior to the majority
of negroes. Having most of them
served in the United States army
during the late war, they have the
feeling of strong hostility to the eX-
rebels, added to their consciousness
of strength from military service
and discipline; the strength of a
continuance (after expiration ofser-
vice) of their company and regi-
mental organizations; and til c
strength, besides, Of the conviction
that large and powerful faction of
white men in the whole country,
commencing with the Chief Justice
of the United States, and ending
with the officers of the late State
Government Of Louisiana, are
pledged to aid and assist them
When the Governor of the State,
cx-Comptrollcr, ex-Auditor, with q
Judge of one of our District Courts,
arc held out to these people as their
leaders, Ito say nothing now of the
present Governor,) in q trial for
power and wealth with "rebcls," "
what wonder that they respond
readily; and especially when urged
by their leaders to come around to
their deliberations and to kill all
who interrupt them.
1t was felt that trouble was brew
ing when these public threats,wcre
made, ana - - "":as known that the
Rump Convention was to meet at
the State House, (the old Mechanic s
Institute,) on Monday. Many hot
headed men were aroused to the de
termination that this illegal Con-
vontion should not upset the State
Government by fraud or violence;
and this determination was intensi-
fed when it became known, on Mon
day morning, that the President had
tclcgraphed the Attorney General of
the State that the military must as
sist the civil authorities in stopping
this attempt at usurpation.
This dispatch could not have been
laid before General Baird, COM
manding this Department, in time.
AT all events, it is stated the Mayor
called on tho General to know if he
would interfere militarily, were he,
the Mayor, to arrest the plotters.-
The Generals reply is stated to
have been somewhat like Capt.
Dunsby's: "If this ere ship goes
down, why, SO! If this ere ship
does not go down, why, 50, also. =
"If the Convention has the right to
assemble and discuss civil affairs,
even tho their aim be to materially
alter the present political condition
of the Stcte, they cannot be inter
fcrrcd with, he would protect them
with all the force ut his command.
The Mayor, it strikes me, should
have had no communication with
Gen. Baird. The city was not un-
der martial law; he was its chief
magistrate; and even if he felt in
disposed to arrest the members oil
the Convcntion-prcfcrring to leave
that question to the State authorl:
tics or to the President, to whom 1t
had been rcferred-hc could have,
of his own accord, merely TO pre-
serve the peace, placed such a police
force on the ground as could have
kept all away from the State House,
white and black, except the mem
bers of the Convention.
When the Convention opened its
session OH Monday at noon, there
was a deficiency of one or two or
three members to make quorum,
and the Sergeant-at-arms was or
dcred to 90 or send after the absen-
tees. By this time, there was large
crowd Of negroes gathered in the
Chamber, outside the bar, and all
around, some with sticks, otheys
with bricks, others with firearms.
So they were invited to come by the
leaders of the Convention, who
thereby brought disgrace, deieatand
death on their own heads.
In this lull of business, column
of about two handred negroes with
a band, flag, and led b. men on
horseback, marched TO the State
House, near which a crowd ofwhites
had assembled. These negroes were
armed as the others had been. They