Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-08-10
~ Me 80. d IL y: y. -.


SIR; ! have been long a constant reader Of
: the Times, and II yet suits me better than any
! other paper; but | an unable 10 see the Justice
of your article to-day (Aug - on the New Or
J leans riots. Even if the Convention we're an
/ Illegal one, should suppose the proper course
would have been 10 transfer the case to the law
! courts. Until their decision could he had the
( Governor Of the STATE, il would seem, must be
( considered the proper judge of the legality or
1 illegality Of the Convention, and the action Of
I the Lieutcnant-Goyernor and the Mayor Of New
, Orleans, believe a large majority Of the loyai
party Of the North will agree in condemning as
revolutionary and subyersive Of all suborlina
ton. Should the Nice-President take upon him
self 10 declare that the course Of the President
in this matter has been wholly illegal, and call
upon the army officers to disregard his order
upon that account, | think he would find a SUI
fcient precedent for his action IL the course Of
Mr.. johnson. As for the excuse given for dis
solving the Convention by force that It's meeting
might give an occasion for the outbreak Of biu-
tai mob violence, Il cannot be entertained by
thinking men Tor 4 single instant Ii is quite
certain that if no threat Of interfering forcibly
with the Convention had been made by Mayor
Monroe, there would have been no outbreak
The blacks would not have armed, and the Rebel
mob had no pretended proyocation. But even
if certain to make trouble, it seems TO NE that
the President should have Interfered. If Al all.
in favor Cf protecting the members Of the Con
yention. They, at least, were loyal men Many
Of them had stood by tie flag at the risk of
losing property and life, while the party opposed
10 them l. well known 10 be made Of those who
were lately bitterly secesh. Mayor Monroe him
s,lf, as every soldier knows who was in New
Orleans with Gea. Butler, is Rebel Of the
blackest dye. and the last person who should
have been placed in authority in New Orleans
Ii seems TO me pertinent question, why the
Mayor o! Philadelphia might not be perfectly
justified IN threatening to dsperse the johnson
Convention 10 meet there tins month, on the
plea that the presence Of many ex-Rebels and
Northern Copperheads would tend to create
riot? Certai. ly it would be very easy to stir
up mob in the City Of Brotherly Love. In
whatever way lock at it. the present course Of
Mr. johnson seems utterly unjusufable. He
has usurped power hitherto unknown in this
country, in interfering with a Governor Of a
State in purely State matters. And that he has
thus interfered insthe interest Of his ret plan of
reconstruction, makes the matter so much the
worse. This act has deciied me, as it will de-
eide | have no doubt mulitudes Of other. to
throw myself heartily on the side Of Congress
IN the coming canvass. With, / believe, a ma
jorlty OF the Republican party. have agreed
neither with the President nor Congress in all
things. The plan Of Mr. johnson Of admitting
all loyal delegates from the South was unques
tionably the proper course. Congress, however,
thought otherwise, and have laid down plan
Of reconstruction, perfectly just in itself, aud
not severe upon the South. Its adoption would
bring immediate peace and harmony. Seeing
what was the determination Of the great mass
of the party who placed him in power, l think
the President should have yielded his own
opinion in the case. One word from him would
have caused the adoption Of the new amendment
throughout the South, and all danger to the
peace Of the county passed away. For loyal