The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-08-01
Rio and Bloodshed in New Orleans.

city.
Rio and Bloodshed IN New Orleans.
We publish this morning the dispatches
r,l,,ivc to the riot and hlooa>lIcd III New
Orleans on Monday last. 1t is Il fearful
r,snl, oc the scditiouS proceedings Of the
rcvonutioni>,s in Louisiana. The men,
hers Of tie Convention Of May, 1854, on
thai day, according 10 appointment, met
IN New Orleans with the avoWcd purpose
or altering the Constitution OF the State
in defiance Of the plain provisions "i tia'
instrument Itself. Moreover, the Convcn-
,ipu was an extinct body, and had no more
hover to act upon the subjects they pro
messed to discuss than any OF the citizens
Of the State.
The members constituting the C"nv"n-
,ion which now attempted to take under
il authority the Constitution ana to alter
and amend il were, the large majority OF
them. very di>rrputablc characters. Judge
ArfLl, who was 4 member al tha( Con-
y~,ution, but who j. itow i Judge "i the
First District Court Of New Orleans, III y
CHARGE in which he denounced the t"nvcn-
,;,p A. a dciuuct body, and spoke oil lis
puruo>vs as revolutionary, thus describes
the body itself: "Solnc OF these men were
"dcscrtcrs from the Confederate army,
"o,hcrS held Offices under the Conicdr-
"racv, civil and miiitary-and others
.srai,cd guards Tor its dcicncc.' They
were traitor~-m"n of II" honor ami II"
integrity fit samples Of the rcv"lu'l"hlH'S
in the Southern States generally.
The impulrncc Of these traitors ami re-
volutioui>tS greatly excited the people OF
New Orleans. They Uhc t%raltor>) boldly
proclaimed that they would be sustained
bv the military authority, in usurpins the
RIGHT 10 alter or amend the Fundamental
law of tie State, in direct violation OF the
very constitution they had framed and the
laws they had adopted. Their object no
doubt Was t. establish negro suffrage and
test oath, and, ousting the present 90
vcrulncnt, 10 secure the Offices TO their
own revolutionary party. 1t was also de-
signed 10 force through the congressional
amendment 10 the Constitution.
While the bolducSs Of these lawlcsS
Radicals greatly inccn>cd the public, the
negroes, imbibing II vague idea suggested
no doubt 10y the corrupt members OF the
Convention, that that body was what they
called 4 " free Convention" which was to
do wonderful things Tor them, began to act
in n very insulting and defiant manner.
They got up military drills, and were very
noisy and ohtrusiyc with their dcmonstra-
tions. On the dav of the assembling OF
III. Convention they appeared in military
order with arms, and flags, and drums.
The dispatches tell the rest OF the tragic
story.
1t is strange that the Governor (WElIs)
Of Louisiana should have issued an order
for the holding OF this unlawful Conven-
ton. The Secretary Of State refused to
certify orders for filling the vacancies in
the Convention. The Governor belongs to
the Radicals; but the courts and the en-
lire public voice are against him.
Mayor MrxRoE, experimenting Il riot, had
exhibited a great deal of vigilance and
forccastc in preparing for the worst. He
~tclcgraphcd the President, who assured
him instructions would be given the mill
tary 10 sustain the courts. Ii had been
intended to arrest the members by AUTH
rity Of the courts, and it was rumored that
the military would prevent the execution
of civil process upon them. Indeed, the
Federal commander publicly declared that
the Convention should not be interrupted.
Whether the instructions Of the rrc,i.
dent reached New Orleans in time - no..
the general commanding, BAIRD, stood ~
with folded arms willie the horrors of Mon
day prevailed. lie did not appear with
his troops until order was restored, and
then che declared martial law"
The conduct Of the general is strange.
We are gratlticd to See by the Washington
~iettHt9encer OF yesterday that "the Presi-
"dent has seat jul Instructions TO put q
''prompt end to these dreadtul occurrences ."
The Montana Swin5le