Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-08-09

OVUT1I(IIlg naRS D0frlOfic
transparencies had been erected. The telegraph
has already given full particulars of this gather-
lng and it only remains for me to add that al
though speakers and all loud and earnestn
their denunciation Of the Radicals and the course
of Congress, they were otherwise moderate and
conciliatory resolutions adopted were Of the same
nature and several of the speakers plainly told the
secesslonlsts If any there were present who still
clung to their great heresy that they were not
wanted The proceedings were conducted in a
G1let and orderly manner and although the num-
Der present not as large as it would have been
the meeting was success. After this meeting
Governor Weles' proclamation ordering the cleo
ton OF delegates from unrepresented the
Constitutional Convention was issued. The Gov
ernor mailed the proclamation to his Private Sec
retary, from his plantation Red River,
and the Secretary of State refused to slSs, it and
afix the official seal of the State. This refusal
resulted in hubbub in the court Of convention
ers, but they soon discovered convenient deci-
sion of the Supreme Court to the effect that the
signature was not necessary, and +. King Butler,
the great King Bee of Louisiana Radicalism,
prevailed on the Private Secretary aforesaid, to
send the proclamation to the press.
As l informed you last week, the Governor had
been on the fence for some time back, and there
fore the issue of the long-looked-for document
surprised many who were confident in the opinion
that he opposed to reconstructing what they
termed revolutionary party. When ut once it
appeared, however, the conservative Unionists
and the reconstructionists had their turn of in
tense excitement.
1t is we'll known that the object Of the Conven-
ton is to disfranchse ex-rebels and franchise the
freedmen. The Radicals have majority in the
Convention, in which they propose to follow the
lllustrious example of Congress in not admitting
members who are opposed to their political con-
nections They claim to be the only true repre-
sentatives of loyal inhabitants Of the State, and
intended to arrogate to themselves to decide who
snail come in under new election and who shall
stay out. They were elected under the authority
Of ENon Pon1x xS' Prra1 NJ
still raging, and some of them held certificates
signed on board Of gunboats and in the camps of
the Union army.
OF the meeting you have had telegraphic news,
but to have fully appreciated 1t you should have
seen it.
The hall of the House of Representatives was
densely packed with assembly composed main
ly of freedmen, while on the stand seated Ex-
Coy. Hahn as presiding officer ?: King Butler
and other prominent loyalists, besides several
leading citizens. Outside the building in the
street, stand for speaking had been erected,
around which was crowded several thousand Of the
unwashed freed, their white sympathlEers and q
few of the other white kind. [ have heard Sum-
ners Stevens, and even Wendell Phillips speak
their political sentiments but never before did
hear Radicalism until this meeting it fell from
the lips of Southern Union speakers Gov. Hahn,
for instance, proclaimed that the Government
could not put down the rebellion until it called
upon the blacks to fight against the rebels, and
the white Unionists of the South forced to
call on them for assistance in restoring the Gov
ernment after the end of the He partic
ularly violent in his denunciatlons, referring to
Duncan Kenner, for instance traitor too deeply
dyed in treason for pardon, and saying that the
poorest and mostdegraded black man on this Ken
ners plantation was better qualified to hold office
than he. Another speaker said the people of Lou
siana we're nearly all rebels and continued the war
The women are rebels. the children are rebels,
the men rebels and the only Unionists here
are the Yankees aud the niggers. The enthuiasm
of the audience almost unbounded.
torch-light procession by blacks followed the
meeting with martial music. They paraded the
principal streets, cheering and hallooing until the
wee small hours.