The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-08-06
street IN the direction OF the State House.
A uentlpyoan. I'M baSdnp them. was knocked

the chief Of police, Witnessed the outrage,
and, although assaulted by several of the
negroes, arrested the person who broke
| the peace, and secured his imprisonment.
The PROCESSION marched on. In the vi.
| cin;ty octhe State House, az we have heard.
some white and colored boys got into a
quarrel. White men standing on the steps
Of the State House cxhortcd the negroes
10 kill every white pcrson-man, woman,
or child-who intsrfered with them.
About this moment the police, apprised
hv Mr.. Crevon of the dangerous state OF
. affairs. came on the spot. The doors OF
the State House were Immediately closed.
Shots we're fred on the police. Some Ave
! or six hundred persons, blacks and whites,
made = fortress of the State House. Twice
or thrice they made offers of a surrender,
! and when the police advanced to receive
the surrender, they were met with pistol
shots.
Atcrriblc excitement spread abroad. 1t
seemed as if q war of races was precipi-
tated upon the people with all It's horrors.
1t was a day Of anguish to every citizen of
New Orleans. But in the midst of all that
excitement, We witnessed some beautiful
instances of charity. A negro who had
but one afm, and who, it may be supposed,
lost his other arm in the Federal army,
was pursued by some boys, and the poor
darkey was protected by a gentleman who
had been q so-callcd "rcbcl" i'll the Fir-
ginia army.
The conflict in front of the house might
be called a battle. The people inside We're
in "A desperate situation. Occasionally a
rally was made, with desperate resolution,
but no sally could drive these men from
their place. 1t was a field of capture or
of slaughter where resistance was offered.
The contest was carried on for about two
hours. A number of policemen, whose
names we have not learned, were wounded
in the struggle. But they never gave an
inch.
We have heard several circumstances
which, in the absence Of authentic inform
alton, we do not report.
We saw a gentleman wearing the uni
form of the United States conspicuous
among the gallant men who assailed the
! State House. DR.. Dostic was severely
wounded. and his worst wound was from
this soldier, "A Massachusetts, gentleman,
who proclaimed that the white should he
the ruling race of this continent.
Some twenty or thirty negroes were
killed in this encounter.
The universal expression Of sentiment
was that Of regret that the poor negro,
! who was melted 10 demonstrations OF vio-
lcncc, was the victim of the contest, while
the white man who had inlamcd him
escaped. Nevertheless, Il few of those
who seemed to love i~nccndiarism met
their fate.
Editorially, the same paper says:
In our local columns will be found an
account of the riot which occurred in this
city yesterday. 1t is not necessary for Us
now to comment m this sad event, further
than to implorc Il citizens To restrain the
Indignation which has very naturally been
excited towards the evil-mindcd persons
who have produced so mourntul a result.
II really seems that some extraordinary
! Authorization must have overcome those
men when they supposed that their mad
attempt to subvert the government OF the
State, and TO lStlTp supreme authority Tor
themselves, could, by any possibility, be
successful. The effort, even of n
majority Of recognized citizens to
uverturn established institutions, very
frequently fails, but the endcav"r OF =
mere handful OF persons, acting on the pas
sions OF an cXcitablc and ignorant class for
, the evident purpose oiaccomplishingarcv
luton, was so audaCious that il naturally
aroused the Indignation Of the community.
1t was hoped, however, that the notorious
! illcgalitv of the proceeding, and the utter
! hopclcsSness of its Success, especially after
il was known that the President OF the
-. C..,...I.J 49, -, ,t ,Yn ,,s. - NI.,,tll
suffice TO avert any breach of the public
peace. If this hope has been disappointed,
il is due Ia the fact that the unfortunate and
dcludcd negroes allowed themselves To he
iriyeIxhI their white associates into acts
of unp~okcd aggression. 1t is susceptible
Of proof that no demonstration OF violence
was made against the Convention, or against
the large crowd Of negroes, armed and I'M
armed, who had assembled to support it, uu-
til u few white men, attracted 10 the spot ny
curiosity, were fired upon. The interview
ton of the police TO quc,l the disturbance
Which cnsucd was desperately resisted, and
this resistance led TO the loss OF life which
cn>ucd. The police, in large force, were
ordered by the Mayor to the scene ottumult,
and they succeeded, after overcoming IL
vigorous opposition, in arrcstlng 4 large
number OF the rioters and many members Of
the So-callcd Convention. Attcrthc riot was
ci!cctually Iucllcd, the military came into
the city To assist the civil authorities III
maintaining order. The Mayor likewise
ISSUED IL proclamation calling on such cltl-
zcns rs were willing to assist in preserving
order 10 come TO the City Hall and be sworn
in as extra policemen. In response to this
invitation n large number of citizens came
forward, and were enrolled for duty last
night. At the time OF writing We are un-
able to say what further has taken place,
but we presume that no further tuinult or
violence occurred during the night. We
have, we hope, seen the last OF the riot,
and likewise the end of the ill-0mcncd
Convention Of 1854. We presume that We
shall have no further trouble from that eX-
tinct body. 1t is not, however, out OF place
10 remind our citizens that, for what has
occurred, the poor, deluded negroes are not
SO much to blame as those who have thrust
them into the van of this audaclous revolt
against the constituted authorities. II the
law can reach the case of those persons,
W. presume they will be subjected to
its penalties. But, at all events, il is due
TO ourselves, to our cause, and To our
friends everywhere, that we keep the law
and the right on our side.
In its editorial comments the Times says:
The incendiary teachings of a pest;lcnt
gang of d~emagogues have produced their
natural fruits-tumult and hloodshed. The
wind has been sown and the whirlwind
rcaped. Fearful indeed is the response
hility which rests on the heads of those
who nave been concerned in the great