The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1866-09-14
The Late Riots In New OrIeans--
The Facts in the Case--Letter
from Judge AbeII 10 General
Sheridan.
NEw ORLEANs, AUG. 29. 1s6G.

seen you to my knowledge, was sur
prised to find the following words con-
tanned in q telegram from you to the
President of the United States:
Judge Abell, whose course / have
closely watched for nearly year,
now consider one of the most danger
Gus men that we have to the peace and
quiet of the city" tE
Not having seen you in the Court
over which j have the honor of presi-
ding, or elsewhere, can not believe
that you were incog, watching my
footsteps and habits; for if you had
been, y6n could not have made such
an assertion. In my habits, am tenn
perate and regular; in my words,
kind. In my judicial station know
naught out fidelity TO the State and
humanity to the unfortunate, of what.
ever age or color, brought before me-
am, therefore, General, forced to
the conclusion that if you have watch
cd me ut all, it is through the record
IN my decisions and charges to the
Grand Jury, all of which have been
correctly published in the journals of
the cOuntry.-I am of the mind that
you will find few people Of The State
who agree with you in the estimation
of my character. You must allow
that, if dangerous, am q most unsuc-
cessful agitator, for until the assemb-
ling of the would be Convention on the
Both Of last month, the civil courts Of
the State have faithfully administered
the law, and as efectually preserved
the peace, as in any city in the Union
the disbanding of two powerful ar
mics, and a vast influx of negroes, not
withstanding. 1t needs no argument
to prove the efficiency of the Civil
Government of. Louisiana, l used
every effort that argument, persuasion
and direct charges to the Grand Jury
could accomplish to prevent that fatal
meeting. lt
was member Of the Convention
of "a, and knew we'll that after the
adoption of the Constitution by the
people, the ConveL ton became functus
officio and so charged the Grand Jury
on two occasions ,previoust 20 themeeting.
1t is impossible, General, chat you can
pretend that i had any completely in
the assembling of the "would be Con-
vention, and Of course no peace-break-
er in that respect. 1t appears to me,
that in common justice you should
have stated the fact upon which you
based your assertion-an assertion
which appears to astonish every body,
General Sheridan's plainness of speech
invites plainness. fully agree with
you in your statement to the President
that "The immediate cause of this ter
riblc affair was the assembling of the
Convention" And l am clearly of
opinion that it never would have as
sembled without some assurance Of
military guardianship. The members
asserted atalmost every corner of the
streets up to the day of assembling,
that they had such assurance Gene
raj Baird said he would arrest the
Sheriff of the parish of Orleans if he
attempted to execute the process of the
civil courts in arresting the convention
lists / firmly believe that had the
military authorities been half as ear
nest as was, opposing this attempted
usurpation, there would have been no
meeting of the so-called Convention,
and consequently not drop of human
blood shed. Is
General Sheridan, / never participated
in the rebellion in any manner, and
the idea of magnifying these conven-
tonists into persecuted Union men,
seems to be ridiculous. Some of its
leaders raised troops for the Confed-
eraey, others held office under it,,
\ another voted for the hanging of Hon.
b. F. Flanders, an original Union man
and aided in eXpelling him from the
State.
As to the status of Northern men in
New Orleans, wether they be Union
or Conservatives, it is that of perfect
safety, for since the establishment of
civA authority in this State, in Septem-
ber, 1864, there has not been q single
case to my knowledge, in which a
Northern man has been molested
! Those of them who come to this city
with capital or skill, for tho purpose
of bettering their condition, are well
coined and favorably. received; those
who come to encourage strife, are en-
titled to no respect, and receive none,
! All good men must deplore the tragedy
Of the Both of last month, but it was
brought on by the meeting of a few
4 adventurers, who proposed to alter the
! Constitution ofthe State against the
4 will the people, and who had secur-
4 ed the attendance of large number
! Of armed negroes to defend them in
their attempted usurpation. The
meeting was not opposed dby the mill
4 taRyI non Mng01) % ollidY Nspa
\ This General aSheridan, all must
Fagree, was an act that could not be
! TOLERATED by the freemen Of any town,
'tcityuor State from Maine to California,
4 To alter the charter Of a town OF city,
of Of constitution 5 Or State, belongs TO