Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-08-09
The New Orleans Riot.

Times in relation 10 the New Orleans !
riot, is worthy of general perusal
To he Editor Of TIE ~ y Tines
SIR:-I have been long a constant
reader of the Times, and IL yet suits me
better than any other paper; but l am
unable 10 see the justice OF your article
to-day (Aug,l on the New Orleans riots,
Even II the convention was an illegal
one, should suppose the proper course
would have been TO transfer the case to
the law.courts. Until their decision
could be had, the Governor OF the State,
ii would seem, must be considered the
proper judge Of the legality or Illegal.
ity OF the convention, and the action OF
the Lieutenant. Governor and Mayor OF
New Orleans, believe large majority
of the loyal people of the North win
agree In cOndemning as revolutionary
and subversive of all subOrdinatioD.
Should the Vice,Presldent take upon
himself to declare the course OF the
President in this matter has been wholly
Illegal and call upon the army officers
TO disregard his order upon that account,
think he would find sufficient prece-
dent for his action in the course of Mr.
Johnson. AS for the excuse given for
dissolving the convention by force that
its meeting might give an occasion for
the outbreak Of brutal mob violence, 1t
cannot be entertained by thinking men
| for a single instant 1t is quite certain
| that If no threat Of interfering iorclbly
with the convention had been made by
Mayor Monroe, there would have been
no outbreak The blacks would not
have armed, and the rebel mob had no
pretended provOcation. But even II GER
tain to make trouble, it seems to me that
the President should have intertered, II
at all, in favor of protecting the mem
bers Of the convention. They, at least,
were loyal men. Many Of them had
stood by the flag at the risk of losing
propetty and life, while the party or
posed to them is well known to he ma az
of those who were lately bitterly secesh
Mayor Monroe himself, as every soldier
knows who was IN New Orleans with
Gen. Butler, is a rebel Of the blacklist
dye, and the last person WHO should
have been placed in authority in New
Orleans.
It seems to rle 3 pertinent question
WHY the Mayor OF Phils5elphia might
not be perfectly justified in threatening
to disperse the Johnson convention t
, meet there this month, on the pies
that the presence Of many ex-rebels
and Northern copperheads would tenC
: to create riot? Certainly it would b.
very easy % stir up mob in the City o
Brotherly Love. In whatever way
leok at il, the present course OF Mr.
e | johnson seems utterly uniustifable. FL
has usurped power hitherto unknown
in this country, in interfering with
{ Governor of a state in purely state mat
e tiers. And that he has thus interfered il
the interest of his pet plan Of reconstruC
Z tion makes The matter so much tn
e worse. This act has decided me, as
q will decide, have no doubt, multitude
of Others, to throw myself heartily o.
the side OF Congress in the coming can
= vass. With, believe, majority Of th
Republican party, have agreed neithe
with the President nor Congress in al
y things. The plan Of Mr.. johnson of ad
d hitting all loyal delegates from tn
-, South was unquestionably the prope
III course. Congress, however, though
70 otherwise and have laid down plan {
! reconstruction, perfectly just in itsel
and not severe upon the South. II
adoption would bring immediate peac
and harmony. Seeing what was the de
. termination Of the great mass Of tn
IL party who placed him in power, thin
t, the President should have yielded hi
y own opinion in the case. One word fror
. him would have caused the adoption {
I, the new amendment throughout th
rs South, and all danger to the peace of th
country passed away. Fer loyal men,
- seems to me, there is but one course no.
y open-to support the action Of Congress
ID by such an overwhelming vote at tt
s. fall elections, that the President may /
J. made powerless and the Southern State
II assured that their only hope of repr
sentation in Congress is the adoption {
j. the new amendment. Between the 10y;
Re men, who were robbed and murdered i
n New Orleans, and President who use
( the United States army to support
q rebel Mayor and his blood-thirsty mol
l suppose there can be no choice.
A REPUBLICAN, BUT NO POLITICIAN.