New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-09-03
GENERAL SHERIDAN ON THE RIOT.

General Sheridan in reference to the New
Orleans riot until we had seen his eorrespon-
dence in full. The telegraph had furnished
copious extracts from it, but the telegraph is
not always reliable. Besides, it was known
here that the military authorities at New
Orleans had forbidden the sending by civil
officials of an important public telegraphie dis
patch to Washington and we did not know
what censorship might be exercised over the
wires at the other end Of the line. We there.
fore thought it would be more just to Gen.
Sheridan to await the official publication Of
his dispatches. These have reached us in the
National Intelhgencer, and we now propose tc
review them in q calm spirit, and without any
purpose to do any injustice to General Sheri-
dan or any Of his subordinates In any errors
they may have committed in their representa-
tons Of occurrences, we do not propose to inn
itate General Sheridan by attributing to others
q sinister motive ; nor do we propose, in the
H absence of sufficient testimony to justify q
conclusion, to reach deduction on the gene
) raj superstition that they are 'sbad men" We
think it the true province of judge to draw
his conclusions from facts 1t would not add
Il dignity to the ermine if the judge should
pronounce an accused party guilty of speci-
tic offense because he had formed precon-
ceiYed idea that the accused was stbad
man Nor does it add to the dignity of Gen
sheridan's position to make particular repre-
sensations, affecting not only individuals but
a whole community, because he entertains an
opinion which, whether correct or erroneous
should not be permitted to influence his iudg-
Ement on q question of fact. In our criticisms
we will therefore endeaYor to avoid an error
into which he has fallen and while giving
him full credit for the best possible intentions,
will be compelled to show that he has not dis
played an enlightened judgment.
General Sheridan's first dispatch is to Cen
eral Grant, and is dated August LIST, imme-
diately after his return from Texas. III that
he states
political body, styling itself the convention of
1864, met on the 50th for, as it is alleged the pur
pose Of remodeling the present Constitution of
the State. The leaders were political agitators
and evolutionary men, and the action of the con-
ventlon was liable to produce breaches of the
public peace. i had made up my mind to arrest
the head men, if the proceedings of the conyen-
ton were calculated to disturb the tranquility of
they committed the overt act
In the statements of fact contained in the
foregoing extract and in the conclusion
reached, General Sheridan is certainly correct,
We differ with him only in believing that he
had no rightfo "make up his mind to arrest
the head men, Weare justified in this CON
elusion by the proclamation of peace, By the
actual return of peace, and by the concurrent
opinions of State and federal courts that peace
prevails and that civil law is supreme. We
think, in accordance with those opinions. that
the exercise Of martial law, and of the powers
Of military arrest Of civilians are usurpation;
and that it was General. Sheridan's duty to aid
the civil authorities, already recognized as
part of the United States authority, to repress
the attempted, revolution. But the whole
action Of the military authorities in New
Orleans prior to July 30th was calculated. as
far as has been made public to encourage the
attempted revolution General Sheridan NAV
have intended, in his own mind, to arrest
the head men, but the representative he LEFT
here on his departure informed the civil an
thorlties that they should not be arrested.,I
and threatened the arrest of the sheriff if he
should attempt to obey the order of the court.
General Sheridan cannot say that he was not
aware Of the meeting Of the revolutionary
because the apoIitical aeitators ),
had already met IN conelaSe before his depar-
lure for Texas, had called upon the governor
If the State to issue writs of election, and had
appointed a meeting Of the convention for the
10th Of July. These matters were the subject,
# general comment in all the papers Of the t
ity, and filed the public mind with appre- q
ension If General Sheridan had tmatle IN il
is mind, as he intimates he had done before t
omg. to Texas, to arrest ''the head men, it is a
Unfortunate that he did not leave instructions S
that effect with his representative, Gen. I
'alrd, Or with his chief staff officer. 1t is f
til more unfortunate that he did not an
ounce to those Revolutionary men, before d
Us departure, his disapproval Of their lawless n
chemes Their plot was born Of a reyolu- [
lonary spirit, and was npened into insurrec- G
ion only by the hope and the expectation Of I
Military support The official acts of Gen. a
'aird justified that expectation and encour- v
ged the open Instruction against the govern t
nent. The failure of Gen. Sheridan, though +
19tePPIoflhS the purposes OF the revolution Z
~ men, to instruct his representative in Q
natter Of such moment, was an oversight that s
aust attach to him part of the blame atten- {
liant upon the subsequent proceedings. In b
len. sheridan's view Of bis position his fail t
re to act sooner in this case cannot be ex- '
used. He insists that, as the superior mill S
airy officer in the department he is, himself, fl
he embodiment Of the law and the Constitu- g
ion. This is his theory, and it is also his G.
'factice. We think he is wrong but he has Il
be power to enforce his Will, and he does en- a
9rce it. The civil laws are silent when he Il
hooses to speak officially. His representa- t,
i've, in his absence, speaks with an equally a
otent voice The official breath Of his repre- p
entatiye, in defying the civil authorities, t,
indled the fires of instruction into raging s
lame. The civil authorities of New Orleans o
Impressed the attempted revolution and vim ri
Heated the Constitution. The voice of mill s,
airy power then spoke, the civil laws were c,
suspended, and the Constitution d
nd revolution alike were placed under the q
sgis Of military rule. Had Gen Sheridan Il