Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-08-13

| CIVIL war IN Inc loyal OLdIeS-
In view of all this array of strong,stub-
born facts, l frankly own that my views
of the conciliatory policy in bringing back
to allegiance those who have been engaged
in a war to destroy the Union, have I'M
dergone a change. The intolerant spirit
e~ngendered by slavery still exists. The
loss of property and the failure of their
hopes can never be forgiven, and though
1 regard them as impotent to resist con-
stituted authority enforced by the presence
of military forces, yet l am convinced that
they would renew the rebellion tomorrow
if there were a sure prospect of success.
Impressed with the truth of these views,
forseeing the uncertainty for the future
security of Union men in the South, de-
string that the amendment TO the cOnsti-
tuition adopted by Congress and submitted
to the several States for ratification should
prevail, and fully realizing the fact that
the amendment would never be ratified
by the present Legislature, l own that l
was in favor of the reassembling of the
Convention of 1864, as the only means of
securing the ratification as required, and
thereby insure the admission Of our repre-
sentatives in Congress.
The legal right of the convention to
continue its functions is a question, 1 sup
pose, properly pertaining to the courts to
decide. Senators and representatives in
Congress of great learning, and men of
high legal attainments in New Orleans,
have expressed the opinion that under the
resolution of adjournment the Convention
could lawfully reassemble. A distin-
guished Democratic Senator in Congress
took the same view. For myself, if l had
any doubt on this subject, which 1 have
not, 1 should have deferred to the opinion
of ADLER men.
ing the Convention was $50, the number
elected 10. The quorum was liked at 76.
this number being a majority of the
whole. There were q parishes unrepre-
/ scented in the Convention, entitled to 81
delegates; and adding thereto 10 vacan-
| cies to be filled, it would make 81 dele
gates to be elected. Besides, there were
some ten or twelve delegates who, disap-
proving the emancipation clause, refused
to sign the Constitution, who may be
ranked with the extreme Conservatives.
Counting the 81 delegates TO be elected to
be Of the same class, and the balance of
tho Convention TO be Radical, it will be
seen that parties would have been nearly
| equally divided.
There re nodisfranchising clauses in the
Constitution of 1864. The much abused
members of that body had it in their
power to have made the Constitution as
stringent against those engaged in the re-
bellion as Tennessee and Missouri have
done. They pursued an opposite course,
believing and trusting, as l did, that these
men would be actuated by a spirit of toll
erance and forbearance in return for the
hberality shown toward them.
How the members of that Convention
have been treated, Individually by the
very men in whose honor and good faith
they had trusted, to say nothing of the
scorn and utilization Illuminated against
them as acollective body, and the cOnsti-
tuition they made, let the record of the
bloody doiHgs at the Mechanics Institute
on Monday, the Both ult, answe
In keeping with their unrelenting poll
cy to maintain the power of the State in
their own hands exclusively, they opposed
the meeting of the Convention of 1864.
They needed no better monitor than their
own conscience to tell them that by their
conduct they had forfeited all claim to
] 4uEAlEL 10 fOls 4EDL4 Lut DIlZlUd members
Of that Convention. They resolved that
it must be put down, crushed out at all
risks. The terrible scenes of the 3Oth Of
July, confidently predicted in case the
Convention met, were the result. The
letters of Mayor Monroe to Gen. Blair ac-
~companying this communication furnish
proof that it was the determination that,
if every other measure failed, a resort
would be made to force. Everything was
arranged on Sunday, preparatory to that
purpose. The police received orders, and
on Monday Incoming they were in large
numbers at the corner of Canal and Dry
AIDES streets, each having M OF moro re-
volvers on his person. They were not
there except to commit violence.
The speakers at the Friday night meet
ing counseled nothing more thar that the
blacks should come armed to defend the
Convention in case the members were at
tackled. Admitting that they had assem-
bled for that purpose, what occasion was
there for alarm, unless it was mediated to
to assault the convention p? The inference
is irresistible, from the manner OF the DO
lice alone, that it was designed to break
up the convention by force.
For this purpose a beginning was ne
eessary, and the opportunity sought for
soon after occurred, by the arrival of a
procession of blacks, with music, on their
way to the place of the meeting of the
convention, which procession had entered
the street through the crowd of police
men and citizens.
At the corner of Canal they were met
with insults and jeers, which brought on a
collision a shot was fired but ended in
nothing serious. The next act of violence
was the arrest of a oolored man by a po-
licenan in front of the Institute, but for
what offence 1 am unable to say. The
crowd of colOred persons assembled be-
came excited at these occurrences, the same
as body of white men would do under
the same circumstances. Some took the
side Of the policemen, others the side of
the prisoners. Brickbats were thrown
and n shot fired, tie testimony going to
show that it was done by one of the col
ored crowd.
1t was answered Immediately by sever
al shots from the crowd of policemen at
the corner, and followed up by rapid fir
ing on the crowd of blacks, who returned
the fire as fast as they could, but being
o~verpowered and driven from the street 1
they took shelter in the Mechanics In
If the object of the police was simply
to preserve the public peace, why did they
not, after the men had taken refuge in the
Institute, return to their original position
the corner of the streets, which eFec-
tually cut off egrcss from the front, and.
a guard to watch the rear Of the
building, await the arrival of the military
who were known to be on their way?
Their only reason for this course is that it
did not suit their purpose. They accord
advanced in the front of the build
ing and besieged it on all sides. Every
who attempted to escape was muir
1ered.
The browning climax of these murder
ous, bloody acts is well known. When
he white flag was hung out as a token of
surrender, the police arrested the mem
oers Of the Convention, and other white
brought them into the streets.
ghere the most prominent for their Union
sentiments were shot, stabbed and beaten, '
n the very custody and presence of the
,ntire police Of the city. Why did not /
he Mayor or his chief station a guard at .
he door, and forbid any person from en- !
ering, and await the arrival of the mill
airy? By this means the last most deli
Awa hill r Il