New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-08-02
a MILITARY COMMISSION.

| General Baird has appointed military com
mission to investigate the late eonyention1iots
This proceeding throws some Light, perhaps
on the objects with which martial law was de-
| clared in New Orleaus. As we showed yester-
day, the exigencies which are supposed to pail
late such an assumption of power on the part
of military commander, did not exist in this
city. The appearance of the military in our
streets was not as it turned out, response to
any request for military aid, since the soldiers
came only after the riot had been suppressed.
Several hours later, when martial law was pro-
claimed that is to say at SIS P. NJ, there were
no longer any signs of disturbance; but quiet
was restored, and profound tranquility pre-
vailed. 1t was not, therefore, in aid of the
civil authorities that General Baird brought
his troops into the city. Tt was not to
restore order that he proclaimed martial
law. The city police had repressed the dis
turbance with unparalleled vigor and prompti-
tude the authorities were in the full exercise
of their functions there was no seeming dam
ger of further tumult. Under these oircum-
stances there was no more necessity for mar
tial law in New Orleans than for martial law
inside of a quiet village church We must,
then, look for other motives for this sup
preston of civil authority than those which
usually lead to such result. As we said at
the beginning of this article, the appointment
of military commission to investigate the
convention riots may furnish the desired ex-
PLANTATION. Under the operation of the law,
the labors of such commission would be en-
tirely superauous-''a harmless piece of
pleasantly which might afford pastime to d
few officers, but which could be attended by no
practical consequences. Under the reign mar
tial law, which means simply the uncontrolled
will Of the commanding officer, the commits
sion appointed by him will, no doubt, be in
vested with all the powers necessary to ena-
Die them to accomplish their purpose, what
ever that purpose may be- They can sum
mon witnesses and compel their attendance
they can exclude witnesses and prevent them
from intruding on the sacred arcana of mill
tary justice they can procure all the tesG-
mony they want, and prove anything they may
wish to establish. II is not presumable that
this is Gen. Baird's desire-that is to say, it
40 AOS AlhS41 tlttp No iibo4iuS 10 pack court
and fabrioate case but it is certain that he
has superseded the tribunals which are con
stituted expressly for the purpose of estab-
fishing the truth, and of dispensing
justice, whilst, in their place, he sets
up an anomalous and irresponsible court,
which acknowledges obedience to his will
alone. Whether it is the intention of Gen
Baird that his military commission shall ex-
tend their functions to the arrest, trial and
punishment of accused persons, or limit them
TO the simple investigation of facts connected
with the recent riots, we have no means off
determining, The nature and organization ofI
the court furnish no explanation Of this point
because, such . court has just as much right
to arrest and punish, as to investigate. But
in either event. Gen. Baird has. by his own
act deprived himself of one Of the PRINCIPAL
agencies in arriving at thefacts. BY dischorp-
ing all of the prisoners arrested by the police
on Monday, he has made it difficult to procure
much of the testimony which he might have
found desirable, even in establishing what is
supposed to be his side Of the case. This will
Likewise be found great embarrassment to