Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-09-18
The New or cans Riot


Report 81 80 oroo0 soEys
10 The Hon. 4. Ateli. ledge Of The Frsf Dis
fy.a Court Of Ne'c Ovle ms
The Grand Jurors Of the parish Of o.
leans have had under consideration the sub
iect Of tic ,.., ble siot that oc urred in Thu
civ ON the Both Of July, last, and now
come into court and ask leave e. report,
that:
They ave caused To be summoned before
them . large number OF c. ,z~Ds. whose les.
timony they had 0scn informed IVES ,DA'er'a,
to show the cause, inccp,ist. mani -, a''u
close OF the bloody scenes Of the "otn 0!
July and IN order to secure lair, idii anu
,tnnar.,al his, Of thu 81 'ody day, rs ven
as To sustain and Justify tie c"nciush'hs !"
which they have arrived. aud have e'"or u
IN IN, rs,,ort. they ha,ecaused the ,e-tino-
nv Of the witnesses examined by them to be
carefully reduced ~ writing, which testimo
M they submit herewith, and from which IL
appears , -.
vas ! conflict at and near the Mechanics In.
s,i,o,e, in this city, which resulsed IN me
death Of about forty pereons. white and
black, and in the wounding, slightiy and
severely, Of about two hundred more.
The 6rst question oatusally pressnsing u.
. Il. ~hat caused, in . time Of psotoun
uea .. 90 ,evribl, . conflict! What aroused
.,ur usually Quit and psac.abls pcpslatioo
10 40 4 70 aud fierce slsuggles II could
10 no tr,fling or ordinary sanse thai could
bring on such deathly collision 1pon the
membsss ofa community hitherto moving SO
harmeniously together. The question, how
ever. 10 not difficult Of solution.
Some few weeks since = meeting Of about
thirty persons met in secret caucus IN this
lily, elected Rufus X Howell, President pro.
tsm,. resolved that he should c0Dvoks the
Constitution Of 1884, TO NEE, IN the Soth 81
july last, and that the Governor Of the State
should be requested TO issue his proclsma-
ion for clec.l' ms 70 fill the vacancies in the
convention. These men claimed to have the
right aud power, and very undsguisedlv ex
IRE ssed the intention u remodel thc Com
stitution oi the Stare 10 suit their purposes,
and 10 lake possession or control Of lhe Sta :
government, Il 10 unnecessary 10 enter in
10 discussion here Of the question Of the
prctcnsiona 81 this bvdy Of men Suffice il
10 say, that there never was more iinpu-
dent and audacious claim oct up u sumo
power than this pretended right TO meet III
convention. Il had not the sl,y hteat fOun-
.istion whatever. even undo. the resolutions
Of tho Convention oi 1864, under which Il
was claimed they could meet which
construed together. - we'll ~ bv the
inter- eetatiun Of their author. never con
lempated that the power Of calling the
Convention together should be conferred
on the Presiden, Of The body except O.,
case Of tho rejection Of the Coo sutusion by
he people. The second resolution, On The
contrary. Gle r'y and explicitly confess ths
power VI the Legislature at its 6rst session
10 tsconvoke the members u the Ceusen
tion-.a esas Of the sdspsiea Of The conssi
su.ien By the people. Again, even u shs
construction that The Pscssdsat Of the con
vention had the power TO call the cousen
ton together be correct, he alens possess I
.hat power. end he e. u. Durrcll) rsfuset
l., sxsrriss il. The idea VI . caucus o
twenty nine. Of . body whose quorum Il
seventy -slx. undertaking to elect = lfes,
dent 10 palpaLlc sbsurdisy. a. in feet
he whole thing For sduitlimg that ID
convention Of 1864 had undertaken 70 pet
pesuate their own c1i>tence W rcsolutIv
not part 81 the cus,.litulion, II would hsv
been ridiculous pretrnsion without bind
ing effect, and necessarily . nUliy. Thu
assumption Of p.w.r, then, on the part .
these men was 4 fragrant, open, defiant Viz
lst,on Of the ". 1t was an ins0lent 40
lawless attempt to sIbverl the Govsrnmeu
and destroy the constitution. and under u
laws Of most co lntrics, would navs am0.u
ell to high treason, and would he put.ishs
Bile with death Fortunately for them Oh
only offence for which under tho laws
Louisiana they could be Indicted and pur
,sh,d. for simply mec ing with tue OBJ {
rroics>, d Of destro, ing the government ,
the state i, t,r making and knowingly ;,
sist,ng IA an unlawful assembly, Of whic
they were guilty IS soon as thev inc,
!. convention, and for which offence thot
!. who me IN convention on the 3Uth OF Jul
have been indicted by the Grand Jury.
p" TN the 3Oth Of july, then, this body, .,
z cording to public announcement, vas
, meet. On Friday night, 9th Of July.
meeting Of the friends Of universal sutiiae
irrespective Of color, took place in this cit,
At this meeting inilamitory speeches W.
made 10 the colored people, Who attend,
in large numbers. They were advised
come TO the convention on Monday, ~
como in their might, 10 como prepared"
: They we're exhorte,l 70 extermiaats u
{ whites, who wore called hell -bvsn AID bel
, bound villains, and were told that unle
I the rights ofloyal citizsns and their co or,
brethren were conceded, The streets Of Ne
orleans would run With rebel blood.
. On Monday morning, the 3Oth ct IN .ar
hour. the colored people oomsbenced gat
: cring in and about the place designated Il
The meeting Of the Convention, many
them armed. About ~ O'clock prvcessis
!. Of negroes camc marching up towards Il
place Of sitting Of the Convention, with CT
. ors flying and drums beating and the
!, armed with heavy sticks or other weapon
AS they came up they hallocd and shout,
q aud. according tu some Witnesses, i,s,l,
and pushed the bystahders on tho stree
!, out Of their way M they passed along
y There was but a slish disturbance - Il
- crowd passed up. one arrest made, and Il
o procession passed on 10 the place vh're Il
Q conventio sat during this disturban
NEGROES in the procession.
. The condition Of things nov presented
. an unlawful assembly IN session, arroEsti,
. to themselves without even the shadow
= right, the power TO osestuSn the governnu
Of the States body Of usurpers eouspiri,
for the su6vsreion of the Consultation q
laws Of the Ssaes; and they suryeoadsd
: . crOwd 81 negroes. brought there b. d.
vious invitation, and armed for the prcss
!. ton Of the ''unlawlal asesahly" il IL
/. laulosanese.
Under tAoee elscw0oeancos, what NJ Y
. legal right - Well - ths palpeble duty II d
o'nosrvatose Of the peace, bit State O,