The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1866-09-12
Judge Abel to Gen. Sheridan,


Our readers will recollect that Gen. Sheridan in his
with the president called Judge Abel
a bad man The Judge takes issue with the.General,
and comes back at him with vengeance. The follow
ing IS the letter:
NEW ORLEANS, August %, SOS.
Gen. P. II. Sheridan:
Sir-Not having had any official or other intercourse
with you, and never having seen you my knowledge
was surprised to find the following words contained
in telegram from you to the president OF the United
States
Judge Abel whose course have closely watched
for nearly year, now consider one of the moss dan
gerous that have to the peace and qnet OF the
city"
Not having seen you in the court over Which have
the honor OF presiding, or elsewhere, am not pre-
pared to believe that you we're ineog watching my
footsteps and habits for if YOU had been, you could
not have made such an assertion. In my habits am
temperate and regular; in my words kind In my Ju-
dical station know naught but fidelity to the State
and humanity to the unfortunate OF Whatever age OF
color, brought before me.
] am therefore, general forced to the conclusion,
that if you have watched me at ALL it is through the
record, in my decisions and charges to the grand
jury all OF which has been correctly published in the
journals of the country. ] 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 unsuccessful agtator,
for until the assembling Of the woud-bc convention on
the goth OF last month, the civil courts of the Stlte
have faithfully administered the law and eecually
preserved the peace, in any city in the Unionthe
disbanding oftwo powerful armies and vast influx Of
negroes, Notwithstanding, 1t needs no argument to
prove the efficiency Of the civil government Of LouiS
used every effort that argument, persuasion
and direct charges to the grand jury could accomplish
to prevent that fatal meeting
| was a member of the convention of 6l, and knew
well that after the adoption of the constitution by the
/ nnoDlp tho convention and so
charged the grand jury on two occasions previous to
meeting 1t is impossible, general, that you pre-
tend that had any completely in the assembling Of
the "woud-be convention" and Of course peace
breaker in that respect 1t appears to me, that in
common justice you should have stated the facts upon
which you based your assertion-an assertion which
! appears to astonish everybody.
4 Gen. Sheridan's plauuess of speech invites plain
ness fully agree with you i'll your statement to the
president that 1.-The immediate cause Of this terrible af
! fair the assembling of the convention And l
clearly of opinion that it would have assem-
blcd without of military guardianship
The members asserted at almost every corner of the
Streets up the very day Of assembling that they
had such assurance. Gen Baird said he would arrest
the sheriff of the parish Of Orleans il he attempted
execute the process of the civil courts in arrestng the
convcntonists firmly believe that had the military
authorities been half as earnest as was in opposing
this attempted uSurpaon, there would have been no
meeting OF the ocaed convention and consequently
not "A drop ofhuman blood she'd
General Sheridan, never participated in the REBEL
ion in any manner and the idea OF magnifying these
conyentonists into prosecuted Union men, seems to
me ridiculous. Some Of its leaders raised troops for
the conederacy others held office under IT, and another
voted for the hanging of Hon B. + Flanders an ori-
ginal Union man, aud aided in cxpeling him from the
State.
As to the status OF northern men in New Orleans,
whether they be Union conservatives, 1t is that OF
perfect safety for since the establishment of civil
authority in this State, in September, 1864 there has
not been single case, to my knowledge, in which
northern man has been mOlested
Those OF them who to this city with capital or
skill, for the purpose of bcttering their condition. are
welcomed and flvorably received; those who to
encourage strife, entitled to no respect and re-
cciyc none All good men must dcplore the tragedy
Of the seth OF last month, but it brought by
the meeting of few adventures who proposed 10 al
ter the constitution of the State against the will of the
people, and who had secured the attendance of large
number Of armed negroes defend them in their
tempted usurpauon. The meeting was not opposed
by the military.
This Gen. Sheridan, all must agrcc, act that
could not be tolerated by the frecmeh Of any town,
city or State, from Maine to California. To alter the
charter ola town city constitution Of State,
belongs to the people
These men had no more right 10 alter the constitu-
ton Of this State than the negroes whom they called to
defend them.
All S1IlpdlllSc VIII tilc CblBl Il ptNIlt, WHO were
deceived and msed by the leaders of the convention.
that the coored people of this city and State
would be Poaccable, prosperous, happy and useful
members Oft the community il their pretended friends
would let them alone.
General / am nearly hfy-fge wears old and
have never seen direct thrust the character
OF man. and in my case without the least founda-
ton for respectfully defy YOU any other man to
show act Of mine, dangerous to the peace of the
city State. If you think your assertion just dig
nGed rejoice in it, | do not; nor do ! think among
good of this great country it will add your
reputation, niure mine. You, however, have done
the honor 70 connect my with that of his
celcncy, Gov. Wells and mayor Monroe, in your dis
patch of the Sd TO the president the removal Of whom
you recommend This seems, in connection with your
charge against me- to form sort OF coincident in this
that had the president of the United States adopted
your views aud removed the three Of us the peoples
treasury city and State, in the days Of Banks and
Butler would have fallen into other hands
Generally highest ambition is to the State
with fidelity while she requires my services; my
greatest desire is the restoration at Of my
try to unity, prosperity and greataHas-my strongest
antipathr against usurpation.
And, whether fall by the hands OF sneaking aSSas
sins or my reputation be struck down by the defamcr
these are my sentiments and they will not change. As
Edmund Abel | would not reply TO your unionnded
assertions. AS the judge OF the first district court of
New Orleans it is my duty to fepel them, and take
this public mode of addressing you, it is the public
which hasun interest in my services
I 4Drrr