Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-08-09
THE LOUISIANA RIOTS.

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THE LOUISIANA RIOTS.
The State of Louisiana, and more par.
ticularly the city of New Orleans, has recent.
ly been the scene of an unusual sort Of ex.
citement, resulting in riot and bloodshedD
The causes leading to these occurrences are
too prolix to give in detail and we will
mention only the leading points in the
difficulty.
1t may be remembered By some of oul
readers, that previous to March 1864,
President LINCOLN issued proclamation
for organizing the seeded State Govern.
meuts, in cases where ome-tenh of the
voters of such States ratified new Consti.
tuition, conformable to the advanced views
of the Republican party. With the assis-
tauce of Gen. BANKS, a few Yankee
emigrants, and class of low persons in
Testing New Orleans, the requisite one.tenth
was obtaihed, Convention called, new
State Constitution adopted and ratified, and
State officers and Legislature elected to
carry on the government. The Constitu-
ton adopted was liberal in its provisions,
and such as the people of the State acqui.
ssed in after the close of the war. The
Convention adjourned after adopting req.
.olution authorizing its president to re-con-
vene it when ever he thought proper to do
so.
Over two years have elapsed since this
Convention adjourned. Some of its mem.
bers of the true radical stripe, and ipauen.
ced by the revolutionists at Washington,
recently called upon the President, Judge
DURELL, to re.convene this defunct body.
This be declined to do, and one ex member
of the body, HOWELL, issued call to that
effect, calling for the assembling on the 3Oth
of July.
Judge ABELL, an officer elected to the
bench under this Constitution, on copvening
bis court in New Orleans, instructed the
grand jury to present the members of this
body as revolutionists and enemies of the
peace. The civil authorities were directed
to prevent its assemblage, and the police
instructed to enforce order. Mayor Mon.
Roe called upon the Military authorities to
assist in preserving the peace. Gen. BAIRD,
commanding, declined to interfere except
to prevent the bogus Convention from being
interferred with. The Lieut.. Governor
aud Attorney General had telegrapbed to
the President of the u. 8. for assistance,
and response came directing the military
to sustain the State authorities and the de.
cision of Judge ABELL.
The object of the Convention openly
avowed, was to disfranchise the rebels and
eufranchise the negroes. 1t assembled un.
der negro guard, and negroes with arms
paraded the streets defying resistance. A
row with the police sooi occurred, and re.
suited in series of disturbances through.
out the city. The building in which the
Convention assembled was surrounded,
firing began, and the members, twenty six
in all, hung out white flag, indicating
their surrender. They were indicted and
imprisoned. The military came too late to
preserve order as promised, or assist in
maintaining the peace.
Gov. WELLS it seems is charged with in
citing this unfortunate faction, and bears the
responsibility of the disorder He had
secretly encouraged the illegal assemblage
of an illegal body, and had issued new
writs of election in which he undertook to
exclude the most numerous class of voters
from q voice in the matter. He is in the
nay Of the radicals, and obeys their behests
BE is justly obnoxious to the people whom
he has indeavored to insult and disgrace.
The whole affair seems to have been
planned, concocted, and directed by BOUT.