American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-08-08
Trc New orleans Massacre.


ing representative positions in Louisiana,
members of convention elected in 1864
by the loyal people of that State, legally
assembled in pursuance of call OF the
Governor, are beseged by mob and
some of them massacred. y riot IN new
Orleans is not an unusual occurrence
Now il is not riot, but IA uprising OF
the Rebel population against loyal citl-
qens of the United States engaged in the
performance of loyal duties.
The accounts we have are mainly from
Rebel sources--the agent of the Associ-
atod Press ia New Orleans having been,
we are informed, formerly soldier in the
Rebel army. His statements show his
full sympathy with the rioters. We are
told that the outbreak was occasioned by
an assault of negro upon white mau
"a white man having been pushed along
the sidewalk and tripped up during a
procession Considering how men are
frequently pushed and tripped up when
ever a militia regiment parades on Bread
way, we can imagine the extent of the
pr6yocation necessary to excite Rebel ma
iignity. Tho action of Mayor Monroe is
more Ineligible. We see him serious
ly proposing TO arrest the members of the
Convention for daring to come together
at the call Of the Governor. Then he
is.nes a proclamation which read to us
like an incentive to riot He begins by
speaking Of the Convention as the Elk.
tinction Convention of 1864, aud special
iy calls upon the young men to keep quiet
and not molest said Convention, for Q is
satisfied by " recent dispatches from
Washington that the deliberations of the
members thereof will receive no counte-
nance from the President, and that he
2cW sustain he agents IF The present ciel
governments and vindicatc its laws and
acts TO the satisfaction of the good people
of the the State In other words, ev-
cry Rebel in New Orleans is told by a
Rebel Mayor that the President of the
United States is in sympathy with him /;
that the members of the Convention are
outlaws and rot under Executive protec-
ton, and that whatever the Rebels might
DO to yindicate the Reconstruction Pol
icy," would meet the Presidents appro-
baton, Still, do nothing scandalous =
Gen Baird's patriotic determination was
promptly ovcrruled by a dispatch from
the President, Edwin NJ. Stanton being
Secretary of War. Every Rebel knew
that the Mayor was sustained, and that
the President was the Rebels friend
Read the dreadful story The Con
Fention meets. There are no soldiers in
the assembly. The police-Rebe sol
diers many Of thcm--are exemplary"
and try to prevent "lynching and mob
bing," Ore prominent member--a citi-
zen of many years standings dragged
to jail The President and members are
gradually arrested and imprisoned. A
procession of negroes approach. Some
whites" endeevor to "disperse" them, but
are "repulsed." Shots are fred. "Thres
negroes are killed on Dryades street, and
two on Common street." The Rebel mob
surrouhds the hall where the members
are in session. A regular siege begins.
" Every visible head in the building is
fred upon" I" DR.. A. p Dostie and j.
Henderson, jr., are brought out of the
building dead, and carried off in carts"
The first was an eminent physician, the
second well.known lawyer of New Or
leans, conspicuous for their loyalty dur
ing the dark days of rebellion, They
are carried off in carts, and it it doubt
ful if 'many have gotten out of the hall
alive" All this time Andrew johnson
President and Edwin NJ. Stanton Secre-,
tary of War!
We are telling this story as it is told
by Rebels. We can make but one COM
nent For all the blood shed in New
Orleans We hold the Executive power re.
sponsible. The President knew the tenn
per of these men. lie haG but to recall
very few years of his own history to
find himself flying before mob like that
which murdered A. T. Dostie and his
loyal associates. These rioters were pre-.
cisely the manner of men that President
johnson claimed to be. They were loyal
like him. They opposed Secession as he
opposed it, They dared social ostracism
and Rebel vengeance, not from the safe
distance of Washington-nor as the arm
ed commanders of armies-but as plain
citizens devoted to the flag. 1t was to
reward such men as the murdered Dostie
that we took tie outlawed loyalist, An
dew johnson, from the dust, and stamp
ed him with diadem And in return
We have our brothers and friends-more
than brothers, indeed, by reason of their
devotion during the war-butchered by a
Rebel mob, in broad noon, with Rebel
Mayor inspiring the massacre, Rebel sol
diers acting as police" and Union sol
diors, under Union officers, compelled to
stand SILENT by order of Andrew John
son. The hands of the Rebels are again
red with loyal blood; Rebel armies have
once more begun the work of massacre,
and the President of our choice, who has
sworn to defend the laws and protect the
people of the United States, is SILENT
1t is too much to say that this silence is
a crime IN. Y. Tribune.
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