The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1866-08-16

i ton have been treated, individually,
by the very men in whose honor and
good faith they trusted, 10 sag nothing
of the scorn and vilification fulmina-
ted against them as collective body,
and the constitution they made, let
the record of the bloody doings at Me-
chanics' Institute. on Monday, the Both
ultimo, answer.
] In keeping with their unrclenting
policy 10 maintain the power of tho
State in their own hands exclusively,
they opposed the meeting of the con-
vention of 1864. They needed no bot
ter monitor than their own conscience
TO tell them that by their conduct they
had forfeited all claim TO further lib.
crafty from the original members of
that convention. They resolved it
must be put down, crushed out at all
risks. The terrible scenes of the Both
of July, confidently predicted in case
the convention met, was the result
The letter of Mayor Monroe to Gen.
Baird, accompanying this communica-
tion, is proof that it was the determi-
nation, if every other means failed,
to resort to force. Every thing was
arranged on Sunday preparatory to
that purpose, the police received or.
)ders, and on Monday morning they
were in large numbers at the corner
of Canal and Dryado streets, each hav-
ing one or more revolvers on his per-
son. Why were they there, except to
commit violence?
Among all that was charged against
the speakers at the Friday night meet.
ing, was they counseled nothing more
than that the blacks should come
armed to defend the Convention, in
the case the members were attacked
Admitting that they had assembled for
that purpose, what occasion was there
for alarm, unless it was meditated to
ASSAULT the Convention 'flo
The inference is irrefutable, from
the massing Of the police alone, that
it was designed to break up tho con-
vertion by free; for this purpose, a
beginning was necessary and an OPP
portunity was sought for. This soon
occurred by the arrival Of process
sion OF blacks, with music, on their
way to the place of meeting of the
convention, Which procession had to
enter the street, through tho crowd of
policemen and citizens, at the corner
Of Canal, and were met with insults
and jecrs, which brought on coils
SIGN. A shot was fired, but ended in
nothing serious. '.s 2 .'..' ''
The next act of violence was the
arrest Of colored man in the front of
the Institute, but for what offence |
am unable TO say. The crowd of col
} ored persons assembled naturally be-
; came excited at these occurrences the
} same rs body OF white men would do
under the same circumstances, Some
. took the side OF tho policemen, others
the side Of tho prisoners. Brick bats
were thrown and a shot fired, the tes.
timony going to show il was done by
one of the colorcd crowd. 1t was an
swered Immediately by several shots
from the crowd of policemen at the
corner, ard followed up by rapid firing
on the crowd of blacks, who returned
tho fire as fast as they could, but be-
ing oVcripowefed ana driVeh from the
street lhey tooh sheitef IN the Mecban'
ics institute. L.l..,Y
~ INC opJect oi the ponce was
SIMPLY 10 preserve tho puDlIc peace,
why ana they NOT, alter The men had
taken refuge 10 the Institute, return
!, " tne'r or'g'ha' pos''ion ~ inc corner
vi Tue s'ree's, Wu'ep euectua'iy CUT OH
egress from the lfoht, ana plnclng u
gn"ru 10 'wn,fh inc rear o. ihe pa!ld'
ing await the ARRIVAL OF The militia
ry' VINO were known 70 DO minor
way.
lhe'r ohly reason lor lhiS course IS
~, 1naV IL u'u noI sulI ,ther purpose
lney aceorulnE'y auVanceu IN tne
iront o' the Du'Idlns ana Qesellsed II
on az s'ues' Every negro VINO at
,r oUhpteu 10 escape was muruere9'-
lne GROWING oi'nax Ui tnese murder
eEs l o.1ooy ac's 70 wen known wheh
'ne Wn''o nag WeSnu'E OUT aS u lokeh
VI VI sur 'i onuSr' 'c' :, = no ponce arrested tue
,nI"'o'ts ''I VI ''e U1nyensloh ~ una o!her
y"'.o o'''H'n1 I anu ~ orougn' lnolll lhlo
epo wy 1,tGo'1i ,'o w"ero ."v Inose Prom'non'
s,hh"d IA io h,' a'"i,in1n's 'a wure sio''
,maaan ,"0oea ""S ~ UI"'om II, s"o custody anu
phv90"'o di,,' VI '"o o"'''e ponce oi inc
WI did n. Mo,,o. -, "a,
s,s,in9S iS Wv ' "Uv Wv u, 1"S Jr & VI n'a on'ei
%o" hid "n" s"mu n"". ~ tnO snU 'oo,, tnen lori