The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1866-08-11
The New Orleans Riot.


Orleans, with the hope, we presume, of still
further inlaming the northern people against
the South ard preparing them for the new
civil war they are anXions to marguerite. As
the facts of the late riot, however, become
silted, they afford less and less material for
abolition thunder.
The strong point in the case is, that the
re assembling Of the convention of 1861 was
wholly Illegal, and that its re~assembling
with rs declared objects, amoacted to 4 pre-
medltated, direct Indictment CT the mob vlo>
lence TO which it led.
There is evidence to show that the re-
assembling Of that convention was not =
scheme which originated with he radicals III
Louisiana, bat that the project had lis origin
in Washington. Even before the matter was
seriously discussed IN New Orleauss, Mr..
Boutwell,, in the radical congressional caucus
at WASHINGTON, alluded to the project as one
that had been agreed upoa.
The re>aSsembiing Of the convention was
Illegal. 1t had met in 1864, under the direct
management of Gen. Banks, with the APP
prevail of President Lincoln, and formed the
constitution under which the present govern
meat of Louisiana is conducted, and with
which the people Of the state are satisfied.
After forming this constitution, the convene
ton Of 1861 submitted it TO a vrto Of tie
people, and provided, in their schedule, that
in case the constitution was rejected, the
President might re-assemble the body; but
if the constitution vas adopted, the conyen>
ton was dissolved by the very terms Of the
constitution itself.
1t is true, there could be 10 legal objection
to the members of this convention again
meeting to deliberate upon. discuss. aud
give III embodied expression Of their opinion
in reference to matters Of public interest.
But such was not the declared object or puI-
pose Of the meeting. On the contrary, the
claim set up for the convention by is friends
everywhere was. thar it had the power TO
change the constitution Of the state. aud that
the object was SO to change that instrument
as to di-E-anchise all persons WAC had taken
any part in or sympathised with the rebellion.
and to confer suffrage on the negroes.
On the Friday night before tie convention
met, its friends held a mass meeting in New
Orleans, which was largely attended by coll
ored people; and the speakers at that meet
ing used the most iufammatory language.
calling upon the freedmen to arm themselves
to defend the convention, that il would give
them the right TO vote. &c.
The Mayor Of New Orleans gave notice to
the members Of the convention that If they
met with the objects thus avoweI, lie should
be obliged 10 suppress their meeting and
arrest them as disturbers Of the peace. Some
. out of the 81 members of the convention.
however, I'D meet on the day appointed,
(July 39,) and the Mayor had his police in
readiness to suppress any attempt a mob
violence. As the convention met, however,
immense professions Of negroes from various
quarters of the city, and generally armed,
approached and surrounded the building. \
boy IS years old, in passing one Of these pro-
cessi0ns, nade an expression which offended
the negroes, and they made an a5stu'. on
him. The police rushed in 10 rescue the lad,
when q general attack was made On the
police. o. course hey fired in return ;
citizens Joined in the melee, and . grand
riot was the result, in which the negroes, as
usual, were the chief sufferers. Cen Baird
finally sent the military to the rescue, and
order was restored. Some forty negroes were
kii'ei and several hundred wounded; and
about a dozen white men were killed and
three times rs many wounded.
This was, in brief, the history and result, OIL
the mob. That we have not Inisreyrcsea;cd
the charsc er Of the motives aed tie men
that prompted it is proved By the dispatch q
Gen. Sheridan to Gen. Grant, in which he
Gen. s says "the conyeu;ioui.ts We're
political agi,ators and revolutionary men.
and the action Of the convention was l;a1l.
to produce breaches Of the peace Il had
made up nv mind to arrest the head men, il
the proceedings Of the convention were cal
culatei to disturb the tranquility Of the
department.
Upon the whole, We regard it doubtful
whether radicalism, which thus showed its
bloody hand in New Orleans, is likely to
reap any extensive political crop from the
seed thus s0wn.