Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-08-30

above inquiries, with such other iniorma-
tion as he may bel possession OFF Please
answer by telegraph at your earliest oon-
venience.
[Signed ANDREW JOHNSON.
OFFICE U. s. MILITARY TELEGRAPH,
HDoRs. WAR DEPARTMENT.
The following cypher telegram was re-
ceived at 4:30 p. NJ, August 9th, 1866, from
New ORLEANS, August 9th, I'm.
To His Eccellency ANDREW JOHNSON, Pres
ident Of The United States:
have the honor to make the following
reply to your dispatch of August 4th: A
very large number of the colored people
marched in procession on Friday night,
July 81. and were addressed from the steps
of the City Hall by DR.. Dostie, ex. Governor
Hahn, and others. The speech Of Dostie
was Incorporate in language and in senti-
ment. The speeches of the others, so far
as can learn, were characterized by moder-
alton. have not given you the words of
Dostie's speech, as the version published
was denied, but from what have learned
Of the man believe they we're Incorporate.
The Convention asse enbled at twelve o clock
on the 30th the timid members absenting
themselves because the tone Of the public
Wuo OuiuouS' vi JiOunl6. tnlUk IUbT6
we're but about twenty.six members present.
In front of the Mechanics Institute, where
the meeting was held, there was assembled
some colored men, women and children,
perhaps eighteen OF twenty, and in the In
stitute number of colored men, probably
one hundred and fifty. Among those out
side and inside there might have been a
pistol in the possession of every tenth man.
About one o'clock, P. NJ, procession of
say from sixty to one hundred and thirty
colored men marched up Burgundy street,
, and across Canal street to the convention,
carrying an American flag. These men had
about one nistol to every ten men, canes and
clubs in addition. While crossing Canal
street row occurred There were many
spectators on the street, and their manner
and tone towards the procession was un-
friendly. A shot was fired, by whom am
not able to state, but | believe it to have
been by policeman or some colored man
in the procession On their arrival at the
! front Of the Institute, there was some throw
! ing Of brick bats by both sides The police,
who had been held we'll in hand, we're vigor-
| ousy marched to the scene Of disorder
! The procession entered the Institute with
the flag. about six or eight remaining out
side. A row occurred between policeman
and one Of these celorcd men, and shot
was again fired by one of the parties, which
led to an indiscriminato fire on the building,
through the windows, by the policemen. -
This had been going on for short time, when
white flag was displayed from the win
dOws Of the Institute, whereupon the firing
ceased and the police rushed into the build
ing From tho testimony of wounded men
and Others who were inside the building,
the policemen opened an indiscriminate fire
upon the audience, until they had emptiod
their revovers, when they retired and those
inside barricaded the door. The door was
broken open and the firing again commenced,
wben many of the colored and white people
escaped through the door or were passed
out by the policemen inside, but as they
camo out the policemen who formed the
circle nearest the building fred upon them,
and they were again fired upon by the citi-
zcns that formed the onter circle. Many
Of those wounded and taken prisoners, and
others who were prisoners and not wounded,
were fired upon by their captors and by citi-
zens. The wounded were stabbed while
lying on the ground, ard their heads beaten
with brick kbats. In the yard Of the build
ing, whittier some of the colorcd men had
escaped and partly secreted themselves.
they were fred upon and killed, or wound.
! ed by policemen. Some men weH killed
and wounded several squares from the scene.
| Members Of the Convention were wounded
| by the policemen while in their hands rs
prisoners. some of them mortaly. The i'm
mediate cause Of the terrible affair was the
assembling of this Convention. Tue real
cause was the bitter antagonistc feeling
which has been growing in the community
since the advent Of the present Mayor, who
in the organ zation Of the police force select.
ed many desperate men, and some of them
known murderers People of clear views
were overawed by want of confidence in the
Mayor and fear of the Thugs" many Of
which he had selected for his police force.
have frequently been spoken to by promi-
nent citizens on this subject, and have heard
them express fear and want of confidence
in Mayor Munroe. Ever since the intima
ton of this last Convention movement,
must condemn the course of several of the
city papers for supporting, by their articles,
the bitter feeling of bad N. As to the
was broken up, | feel obliged TO confess
strong repugnance II is useless to tempt
to disguise the hostility that exists on the
part of great many here towards North
ern men, and this unfortunate affair has 80
precipitated matters that there is now test
OF what shall be the status of Northern
men, whether they can live here without
being in constant dread or not, whether they
can be protected in life and property, and
have justice ia the courts. If this matter
is permitted to pass over without thorough
and determined prosecution of those engaged
in it, we may look out for frequent scenes of
tho same kind, not only here but in other
places No steps have as yet been taken by
the civil authorities to arrest the citizens
who were engaged in this massacre, or po-
licemen who rerpetrated such cruelties.-
The members of the Convention have been
indicted by the Grand Jury and many of
them arrested and held to BAIL As to
whether the civil authorities can mcte ont
ample justice to the guilty parties on both
sides, | must say il is my opinion unequiv-
ocally they cannot. Judge Abel, whose
course have closely watched tor nearly
year, now consider one OF the most dan
gerous men that we have here to the peace
and quiet of the city, The leading men of
the Convention, r. King Cutler, Hahn and
others, have been political agitators, and are
bad men. regret to say that the course
of Governor Wells has been vacilating, and
that during the late trouble he has shown
very little Of the man.