Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1866-09-21

| population, many OF our people are selllng
| their estates for whatever they can get to
procure money to enable them to leave and
| come North. During the continuance of
| the war rebels feared that punishment would
| he melted out to them for the wrongs done
to Union men, should they fail in their OBJ
| iects. This fear was q protection, especial
| " duiug 1868 and 1864. Now even this
| guarantee is taken away, for our prosecutors
are the yicegerents of the national power at
| the South The Union man is discarded
and abused He has TO look forward to
| life Of continual persecution for himself and
| serfdom for his children. The free North
offers the only refuge Without protection
for the present ana future there is no hope
| but in exile.
One of the strongest evidences Of the in-
| tolerance Of the disunionists IS lately given
| in the action of the civil authorities of the
| city Of New Orleans towards a convention,
| composed of gentlemen of known loyalty.
| On the both of July last, in pursuance Of a
| proclamation of Rufus K. Howell, one of
| the Judges of the Supreme Court of Louisi-
| ana, the convention which framed the organ
ic law under which the civil government of
| Louisiana assumed to act, and which ad-
| journed subject to the call Of its president
met at the capital Of the State, in the city
! Of New Orleans. From the time of the
| Governor S request for the convention to re-
! assemble, the press of the city, owned and
| controlled by ex-generdls and colOnels and
other offccrsof the rebel army, and by those
| in sympathy with them, attacked, with the
| greatest violence, the convention as body,
| and the members as indiy iduals, descending
! to the most violent and abusive language for
! the purpose of influencing the minds Of the
returned rebel soldiers and their adherents
against the convention and its members.
| Public meetings were held in the city, at
which the most violent and incendiary
| speeches were made against the assembling
Of the convention. The Mayor of the city,
! by means of his police, put in circulation the
report of his determination to suppress that
| body if it should attempt to meet in the
| city of New Orleans. The Judge of the
| Criminal Court made charge to the Grand
| Jury, in which he discussed and endorsed
| the policy of Andrew johnson, and instruc-
| ted them to find bills of indictment against
! those gentlemen who should respond to the
| call of the President of the convention and
| the Governor of the State. Having thus
inhamed the public mind against the con-
| vention by every means in his power, and
| invoked the aid Of a corrupt judge and a
disloyal Grand Jury. the foreman Of which
was an ex-colonel of the rebel army, the
Mayor of the city addressed a letter to Ma
| ior General A. Baird, commanding the de-
partment Of Loisiana, in which he used the
| following language
cit is my intention to disperse this unlaw-
| ful assembly if found within the corporate
limits of the city, provided they meet with
out the sanction of the military authorities,
thus claiming the authority as Mayor ofthe
| city to pass upon the legality Of a c0nven-
ton which made the government under
which he held his Office, and whose CUusti-
tuition he had sworn to. support, and claim
ing the right and asserting his determination
| to disperse 1t in case it should be found
within the corporate limits of the city.
1t would be supposed, after the able and
manly reply Of General Baird to this letter,
that the determination officially expressed
would not have been further contemplated.
That officer, after having informed the May
or that the convention had not asked for
any such authority or sanction, said:
when askedif intended to furnish the
| convention witha military guard | have re-
piled No; the Mayor Of the city, with his
| police, viii amply protect It's sitting. IfI
| these persons assemble, as you say Is intend
| ed, it will be, | presume, In virtue Of the
universally conceded right of all loyal citi-
zens of the United States to meet peaceably
and discuss freely questions concerning their
! civil governments a right which Is not re-
stricted by the fact that the movement pro-
| posed might terminate in a change Of exist
| ing institutions.
t'If the assemblage il question has the
! legal right to remodel the State government
it should be protected in so doing. If it has
not, then its labors must be looked upon
( simply as harmless pleastantry to which
no one ought to object As to your concep-
- ~ ~
! Office, / regret to differ with you entirely.
| cannot understand how the Mayor Of
| city can undertake to decide so important
and delicate question as the legal authority
| upon which convention claiming to rep
| resent the people Of an entire State bases its
| action.
Your committee are informed that this
reply Of Gen. Bai1d was the cause Of per-
! sonal interview between the Lieutenant Gov
| ernor and the General, at which it was
| agreed that whatever warrant of arrest might
| be issued should be submitted to him before
any attempt was made to have it executed ;
| and that, upon the endorsement of the Gen
! eral S objections, the matter should be refer
red to the President of the United States
| for his action. This fact being known, pro
| duced a feeling Of security on the part of
the members of the convention.
! On the morning of the 30th of July ap-
| peared a proclamation, requesting the peo-
| pie to remain away from the convention
| that peace and order might be preserved F.;
| it was believed at the time that this was Is
sued with the sincere desire to preserve the |
| peace but the sequel will show that it was
| only a mantle to cover the real design. At
| twelve o clock the night before the police
were Withdrawn from their beats, and assem-
! bled at their respective station houses, and
besides the weapons usually used by Police
men, each was given large sized navy re-
yolyer. Thus armed they were held at the
station houses to await orders.
In addition to these measures. others had
been taken by Harry L Hays, sheriff of the
parish Of Orleans and an ex- general of the
rebel army, pardoned by the President to
enable him to assume that office He had
reorganized portion Of his old brigade as
deputy sheriffs, and they were ordered to be
in readiness on that occasion They were
doubly armed with reyolvers, and prepared |
to act with all the efficiency of military dis |
cipline From early in the morning the
streets of New Orleans were unusually |
crowded The Union men were assembling |
in the convention hall, and many were ia |
the street in front of the building. At the |
corner of Dryades street and Canal were |
stationed a large number of young men in |
citizens dress, recognized as members of
rebel military organizations, evidently wait
ing for the signal of attack, and whose sub |
sequent conduct proves conclusively that |