Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-09-15
The spirit OF the New Orleans Mob,

The New Orleans papers, and those at
the North which feel under the necessity
Of excusing the late riot, devote themselves
with great zeal to the discussion Of the
legality Of the Constitutional Convention.
They would like to have it understood
that if the Convention was legally extinct
and thus had no right to act for the peo-
pie Of the State. it was a very proper
thing to mob and murder the members
who undertook to reSusci,ate the Conven-
ton. They also make much OF the fact
that the negroes armed themselves to pro-
tect the Convention, acting on the advice
Of DR.. Dostie and other jealous advocates
Of negro suffrage. II may be admitted
that the assembling of the Convention
with the avowed purpose to disfran-
chise the ex.rebels and e~nfrancise the ne
groes was a provocation. and that the
marching of armed bands Of negroes
through the streets and their gathering in
and around the hall where the Convention
was called was another provocation. But
neither circumstance j~ustiies or excuses
the mob. There never is q mob unless
there is somebody TO be mobbed and some
excitement to popular passion and vio-
lence.
The accounts 90 to show that not only
the dispersion of the Convention by vio-
lence, but the murder Of the leading mem
bers. was preconcerted. The statements
of those who are most decidedly against
the Convention are quite as decisive to
this effect as those Of the other side. There
would have been no serious riot and no
loss Of life if the police themselves had not
led on and inspired the lawless work.
Indeed they themselves were the chief
murderers. They beat. shot and killed
men after they had surrendered. After
they had driven a part Of the negroes into
the building where the Convention was
assembled and dispersed the rest. they
might have arrested the delegates and as
many Of the negroes as they chose without
further contest; or. il they were not aware
of this fact. they might have awaited the
arrival of the United States troops, who
were ~momentarily expected. and who
would have ended the trouble. But this
was no, in the programme. They went
there to punish and kill the men who
dared 10 meet for the purpose Of establish
ing negro suffrage, and when admitted to
the hall they fred upon the unresisting
people there, and endeavored to kill those
who passed out as prisoners. After their
bloody work was ended, many Of them
boosted Of the numbers they had killed
and wounded. Tha, Mayor Munroe was
in the plot, and inspired and encouraged
the massacre, if he did o in so many
order it. there is every reason TO
believe. His official documents connected
with the affair are full of the spirit Of law
l~essness and murder.
The moving impulse Of the mob was
not d,sloyalty-for they approve and sus-
tain the government as now administered,
and claim the President as on their side
but opposition to negro suffrage and ne
gro equality, aud bitter hatred to the
special friends of the negro, and especial
" to the Yankees who are laboring for
his social and religious elevation. The
respectable people of New Orleans depre-
cate the idea that they are to be held re-
sponsible for the mob. The event will
show whether they are or not. II the
popular opinion is right in New Orleans
the policemen and their assistants in the
assassination will certainly be ferreted
out, arrested and punished, and all con-
in the bloody affair, from Mayor
Munroe down, will be rendered forever
infamous. The President, too, il he
would make it clear that the mob cannot
him as on their side. must cooperate
far as he has the power in the punish
ment Of the rioters. And it must be made
that in ordering United States sol.
diers to aid the local authorities, he did
not give intentional support to the mob
party. That, as it turned out, it gave
them actual moral support, cannot we'll be
denied. How Federal interference IN the
affair can be justified at all. beyond help
ing to preserve the peace, is yet to be seen.
But having manifes,ly gone further, there
is the greater necessity that the President
should deomnstrate his ~disapproval Of the
mob in the most decisive and unmistakable
way.-Spring. Repub., Aug. Is.