The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-08-16
From the Chicago Journal.
GOVERNOR WELLS ON THE NEW ORLEANS
RI0T

RIOT.
Surprise has been expressed at the pres
ent political position of Governor Wells. of
Louisiana. He was regarded early in his
Governorship as South side Democrat. =
He was thought to be in league with the
copperhead influence at Washington. But
ton party, and his recent address to the
loyal people of Louisiana has earned him
place in the leadership of the rising party
of liberty and Union at the South This
address was occasioned by the late riot in
New Orleans. 1t is document that must
command the attentive consideration of all
candid and impartial men.
Governor Wells statement of facts at
any rate, will not, we think, be questioned
And this is his statement:
When Louisiana was conquered into sub
mission to the Government, the Government
ordered an election for State officers on the
22d of February, 1864 policy" of Abra-
ham Lincoln. The election was held. Mr.
Hahn was elected Governor, and Mr. Wells
Lieutenant Governor Governor Hahn re-
signed on the 4th of March, 1864, and Mr..
Wells succeeded him. In the meantime, an
election was held, by order of the military
authorities, of delegates to Convention to
reconstruct the State Constitution. That
Convention met, framed Constitution and
adjourned-not sine die, but to meet at the
call of its President, for any cause.
The legality of re-assembling, however,
says the Governor, was question for the
courts to decide. He saw there was no hope
Of the adoption Of the new constitutional
amendment by the Legislature They were
rebellious and intractable. The whole reb-
ell element of the State, and city was men
dacious The Governors as a last extremity,
and the last hope of Union minority in
the State, was iii favor of the calling Of the
Convention of 1864.
Senators and Representatives in Congress
of great learning, and men of high legal attain
ments in New Orleans, have expressed the
opinion that under the resolution of adjourn
ment the Convention could lawfully assemble
A distinguished Democratic Senator in Con
| gress took the same view For myself, if ]
had any doubt on the subject l have deferred
| to the opinion of ADLER men. The total num-
| Der of delegates composing the Convention
was one hundred and fifty. The number elect
| ed was seventy-two. The quorum was fixed
at seventy-siX, this number being majority
| OF the whole. There were twenty-seven par
iSheS unrepreSented in the Convention that
were entitled to fifty one delegates and adding
| thereto ten vacancies to be filled would make
| sixty-one delegates to be elected. Beside these
were some ten or twelve delegates who, disap-
proving of the emancipation clause, refused to
| sign the Constitution, and these may be ranked
| among the extreme conservatives. Counting
| the siXty-one delegates to be elected to be Of
! the same class, and the balance of the COnven.
| ton radical, it will be seen that parties would
have been really equally divided"
| This statement the copperheads will have
to disprove before thay can prove that the
Convention did not represent the whole
State.
| every parish would have been represented
| about one half having elected their delegates
in 1861, and the other half in 1864, making
| just equilibrium of those who opposed and
| those who sustained the cause of the COnfed
| eracy. There are DISTINGUISHING clauses in Tho
Constitution of 1864, but the much abused
members Of that Convention had it in thei
power to have made Constitution as strin
gent against those engaged in the rebellion al
| Tennessee and Missouri have done. They
| however, pursued an opposite course anC
| trusted that these men would be actuated by
a spirit of tolerance and forbearance in return
for the liberality shown towards them. How
| the members of that convention have beer
| treated individually by the very men whose
the scorn and villifcations Illuminated against
! them a collective body, and against the
Constitution which they made, let the record
of the bloody doings at Mechanics Institute
on Monday answer"
i The Governors report of the riot does
not differ in any material particular from
that which we published from an eye-wit
ness. He contends and proves conclusivey
that the cause" of the whole affair must
be traced further back" 1t is, he says
''the embers of the fire of the rebellious feel
ing which plunged this country into desc
lating civil war, and the flame is not yet ex
tinguished in the breasts of the former
slav eholding democracy"
This is the indisputable truth Whatev
err may have been the causes or side issues
of the New Orleans riot, there can be NJ
doubt of there having been deep seated
and long cherished determination on thu
part of the rebels of Louisiana to break VI
the 1884 Convention, forcibly if they
could peacebly if they must And the Gov
ernor is certainly justified in saying that
''having failed i'll their first attempt to de
stroy the government, they seek to retar
political power by the same spirit of politi
cal violence by which their chiefs had sus
tanned their supremacy before the war"
And we hope bis deliberate conclusion
will be needed which is to the effect
'That if the military forces be Withdrawn, TIN
i lives of the Union men who proved themselve
conspicuous in maintaining their allegiance
will not be safe. The ultimate security boil
of the Government and Union men of the Soutl
depend, in my opinion, on the ratification o
the constitutional amendment proposed b,
Congress, and the Acknowledgement of the 10y
al black man as he becomes educated and
qualified for that important privilege. If tn,
advocacy OF these measures Identifies me will
the radical party in opposition to the President
l must accept the situation. Besides, cam
change my position in respect to my feeling
| deem it necessary to preserve and perpetuatc
the Union"