Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1866-08-15
THE NEW ORLEANS REBEL RIOT.
Address of the Governor of Louisiana.


ing address has been issued to the people OF /
Louisiana by Gov. Wells:
New ORLEANS, August S:-The bloody |
tragedy enacted In the city OF New orleans
on the 30th day of July, 1866, IN Wnieh
more than three hundred citizens We're XIII
ed or wounded, has to the credit OF human
ity created profound sympathy IN tue
breast of every man throughout the iels'h
and breadth of the coputry.
The remote and immediate causes OF this
outrage demand a thorough lnyeStgatlon
and explanation, and as the Chief Magls-
trate of the State feel a solemn duty rest,
ing upon me to give PLAIN, unvarnlshed
statement of its origin and progress. ln
doing this it becomes necessary lor me 10
commence in the year 1864, at the reorgan-
ization of the civil government IN that por--
tion of Louisiana which had been wrested
from rebel authority | regret that shall
in this connection be obliged to speak OF my
self. 1t is not to satisfy any feeling OF van
ity that do so, for | fully realize that am
but an Insignificant atom in the great1cause
of maintaining and perpetuatlng the Union
of these States. -
The political history of the country teach
mented President, all the loyal citizens OF
Louisiana, in the parishes then within the
Union, were invited and authorized IN the
proclamation issued by the military com
mander of this Department, to hold an cleo
ton on the 22d day of February, 1864, Tor
State officers The election was held, and
[ then being refugee from my parish, In
the rebel lines, in consequence OF my Union
sentiments, | was nominated by the Free
State party, as it is called, and also by the
extreme Radical party of which j. Durand
was the cknowledged leader, as their candl-
date for the Office of Lieut.. Governor, The
first named ticket, headed by Michael Hahn
for Governor was elected. Governor Hahn
served until the 4th of March, 1868, when,
by his resignation, | succeeded to the office
of Governor. In the meantime, and by
virtue of military authority, an election for
delegates to the State Convention to amend
and revise the Constitution OF 1852, had ta-
ken place Tile Convention had met, framed
| a Constitution declaring slavery to be abol-
| ished, which Constitution is now the funda
mental law of the State Its further known
that the Convention did not adjourn sane de,
but subject to the call of the President for
any cause a Legislature had also been
| elected, and was In session at the time OF
the assumption by me of the duties OF the
| Office of Governor.
| Shortly afterward the collapse of the So
|
| end by the surrender of the forces in the
Trans Mississippi Department the entire
| territory of the State was restored to the
| lawful authority of the United States.
| When this event took place what was my
conduct toward the population OF the elgh
teen parishes reclaimed? Although | had
| been prosecuted and driven away from my
home by the rebel authorities, [ suppressed
all feeling of rancor so natural to the many;
and expressed the belief that a majority had
| been seduced from their allegiance to the
old flag by the wiles of artful demagogues
who brought on the rebellion.
When the members of the Legislature
met in extra session in the month of No
| vember, determined to try the effect of
kindness and Cancellation in weaving them
back to their first love, | addressed them a
proclamation, congratulating them on their
restoration to the protection of a govern
ment of law and order, and assured them
| that so far as | was concerned, | was will
! ling to forget the past. | begged them to
submit cheerfully and unreservedly to the
new order of things and assured them that
although State Government has been or
ganized, yet | was anxious that a general
election for State officers should be held, in
which the whole State could participate. l
appointed men recommended to fill the of
|
applications to the President of the United
States for special pardon. | persisted in
my course Of reconciliation notwithstanding
the warnings and remonstrances of Union
men. who believed that my policy would be
unavailing in accomplishing the purpose in
tended, and who predic' ed that at the very
first election these men, in every parish
where they held the power, would prescribe
every man from Office who had not been in
the rebel army, and fought for the rebel
| cause
These predictions have been realized
to the letter at every subsequent election,
with the exception of my own case; and it
is well known, for it was publicly avowed,
that | was put at the head of their ticket
simply because it was thought that | could
be useful in securing 4 representation OF this
Estate in Congress-. 1t Is well known that
the platform reported by the committee ap-
pointed for that purpose, Is a relteration of
the doctrines of the right of secession, and
it was only through the exertlons of few
of the more cautious and polite of the par
ty that this platform was made to assume
the form in which it was adopted. At the
same convention, a well known citizen and
live democrat was publicly censured by res
olution because in speech delivered before
that body, he said that secession was worse
than crime-it was blunder. Notwith-
standing my nomination by the Democratic
party, another candidate was put in the field
in opposition to me, who had offciated as
Governor under rebel rule, and who, had he
been in the country and signifed his assent,
[ have no doubt would have been over
whelmingly elected.
The Convention of 1865 was convened for
the purpose of raising money to restore the
broken levees, and to take measures to re-
deem the credit of the State. [ found that