Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-09-07
The New Orleans Massacre.

The New Orleans Massacre.
The efforts Of the coppcFhcad presses to
deceive the loyal people Of the North a. to
1 he true character of tie New Orleans mas
sacre oil July Gothic make them believe
that the affair was only not for which a
upionist convention and some freedmen IN
the streets were solely respJnsiilc-that
though tie police were perhaps unneeossari-
" rough. and mayhap killed . few more than .
there Ms any absolute need Of. yet under .
the circumstance. they we're NOT much i' he .
blamed that the P.ofijcnt's pregiou- orders .
were all right and proper, ami that even .
General Sheridan did nor imputr any great .
blame to tie murderrrs who shot iown ma .
resisting and ycsceahle men, women and .
childrc,. even when begging foT thc'r lives I
will Prov, an u,t,r failure. Gradually tue .
truth comes oGt-yiz. thai ;Le convention .
was a iaImlcss and TclccaElc assrmb'aee,
convened ior loyal ru495o--and that the
attack On ~ members, was Predetermined
affair. rl.nucd -nd provided fr ~ -Gmc Of
the most atroci3us rehel- ai thc place, q
whom Mayor Monroe was cuc-ttet ,he
bloody deeds 81 that day, only plr.l,,iel by
the massacre a. Font Pillow, w"r, hata pas
of general plan to oyeIp5wer, drFeo"t
from New Orleans OF crush out al sentiment
which was not IN perfect accord with ,hat of
the pl,;tcrs and executors of tic atr.cilu-
deeds Of that day The President message
and orders were not such as 60 iue's5ie
these murlcraus plans, hut -u.h as srfe
taken 90 encourage them.
1t is noticeable, moreover. tLat she pope
traitors Of tliese murders are yet 90 lrrEr and
unnloiestcd. and the mower Of what civil "p
thority thcre /. there, is seen only pc keeping
in confinement what few member. 20. tie
conyc,Ion were lef, alive, to Dee ricI 'ar
pretended plot to iDaugurate a revolution in
tsc State Of Louisiana 10y means al vote,
General Sh,rilan's dispatches, Gr-' pui-
Iirhed in garbloi form, 20 as 10 convey q
fal.e impression Of his OPINIONS, have a.
length appeared, containing his bold dDnuu-
Citations of the incxcusabl" murders which
were committed. and his belief that icy
were planned beforehand, and that fit i'-tru-
ments for their cummissin were selected,
and provided with arms accordingly In an
swcr TO particular iuquiri,s adlr..s.i to-
him by President johnson, under date Of
August 18th, he replied, under date of Au-
gust 9th, as follows
GENERAL SHERIDAN TO IHE PRESIDENT
His Excellency Andrew johnson, Prlsilcu; Il
the United States
hsve the honor to make the following reply
10 your despatch of August ]th. very large
number Of the colorcd people marched in pro
cession on Friday night, July 9th, and were
addressed from the sters Of the City Hall by DR..
Dostie, ex- Governor Hahn and other. The
speech Of Dostie was incorporate in language
aud sentiment. The speeches Cf the others, 50
far as | can learn, we're characterized BY moder
alton. | have not given you the words II Dos
ties speech as the version Published was denied,
but from what have learned Of the man, be
lieye they were Incorporate
The convention assembled az twelve II. On the
Goth the tml members o. s-ltiug themselves
because The tone Of the general pg"lil was omiu-
Gus Of trouble. ! think thCr Fcrc but about
twenty-six members present ia i'nt Of the
Mechanics Institute, where OBJ, meeting was
held, there was assembled s.rr e. l..ei men, wo-
men and children, perhaps -a.een or twenty. |
and in tie Institute nuuhr % -i.iel men, |
probabl, one hundred and lay Among those |
outside and inside, there mght have been pis- |
tol in the possession Of every ierfh man. About |
one z. N. a procession u Say from sixty 10 one |
hundred and thirty colgr,I men, marched up
Burgundy street and across anal street towards |
the convention, carrying the American flag
These men had about one pistol TO every ten |
men and canes AMI cluts IN addition. While |
crossing Canal street q ross occurred. There /
we've many spectators on iLe streets. and their
manner and tone towards tie procession Tas un-
friendly \ sho; was fired, ly whom l am not
able TO state, but believe !; Go have been by
policeman or some colorcl mta 10 the procession.
This led TO other shots AMI q rush after the pro
cession. On arrival at the front Of the Institute
there was some throwing Of l-icl bats by both
sides The police, who hsd ben held well IN
hand, were vigorously marched to the scene OF
disorder. The procession entered the Institute
with the flag, about six or eight remaining out
side. \ row occurred between policeman and
one of those oolored men, shot was again fired
by one of the parties, which led to an inliscrim-
mate fire on the building, through the windows.
by the policemen. This had been going on Tor
short time when a white flag was displayed irola
the window Of the Institute, wherCupon the fit
ing ceased and the police rushed into the b1ili
ing
From the testimony Of wounded men and 9th.
Frs who were inside the building, the policemen
opened an indiscriminaie fire upon tie auiieue-
until they had emptied their reyolyeIs, when
they retired, aui those inside hlricadei The
doors The door was broken open and the ii-
ing again commcnce d. when many Of the col0rei
and white people either escaped through the door
Jr were passed out by the policemen inside; hut
rs they came out the policemen who formed the
,ircle rearest the building, fired upon them, and
hey were again fired upon ny the citizens that
ormed the outer circle.
Many of these wounded AMI taken prisoners,
nd others who were prisoners aud not wounded
we're fred upon by their captcrs and by citizens
he wounded men were stabbed while lying on
he ground and their heads beaten with brickbats
n the ward Of the building whittier some Of the
olored men had escaped AMI partially socrctci
themselves, they were fired upon and killed or
rounded by policemen Some men were killed 70
nd wounded several squares from the scene =,
LENDERS Of the convention were wounded by the ~
clicemen while in their hands as prisoners, ii
1me of them MORALLY. 8
The immediate cause Of this terrible affair was =
he assembling of this convention. The remote N
lCse was the bitter and antagonistic feeling o.
hich has been growing in this community since
lie advent Of the present Mayor, who, IN the j
'ganization of his police force. selected many ! :
ssperate men, aud some them known muir j
arers. People Of clear views were 0yeraWel
? want Of confidence ia tie Mayor and fear Of
lie thugs many Of whom lie had selected for
S police force. | have frequently been applied
by prominent citizens on this subject, and
I've heard them express fear and want o. conf
nee IN Mayor Monroe ever since the iltimaiion
this last invention. | must condemn the
urse Of several Of the city papers for support
& by their articles the bitter feelings OF had
n. -
IS 10 the mrrc.iess maLncr in which the c-n- he.
niion was broken up, feel oliigel 10 confess ia,
-ong repugnance. Ii is useless 70 attempt to ie
-guise the hostility that exists on the part Of ~
l. Il