The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-08-15

W0uid nave been nearly equally divided
1have gone into these Details to sl,oy
the falsity Of the charges that hare bee
made. that tho Convention would not hay
Represented the whole people and that !
was intended to be packed. Every parisl
would have been represented; about Que
halt, having elected their delegates in 1864
and the other half in 1856, making q fms
equilibrium, between those who opposci
and those who sustained the eause Of TIL
CopfedeYacy.
There are no Merchandising clauses /,
the constitution Of 1864. The much abused
members ofthat body had It in their powe
to have made q constitution. DIS stripeen
againat those engaged in the rebellion, d.
Tennessee and Missouri have done. The,
pursued ut, opposite course. believing ami
trusting, as / did; that these men would b
actusted bya spiritof tolerenceand iorbeat
ance, in return for the liberalily shown to
wards them. How the members Of thu
Convention have been treated Individually
by the very men in whose honor and goot
faith they trusted, to say nothing OF TIKI
scorn and villi6cation Illuminated agains,
'bem as a collective body, aud the cohstitu
ton they made. let the record Of the bloody
doings at the Mechanics Institute on Mon
Gay. the Both ult., answer.
~ keeping with their unrelenting policy
to maintain the power Of the State in tbeil
own lands exclusively, they opposed the
meeting Of the Convention Of 1864 The,
needed no letter monitor than their owl
conscience, to tell them. that By their pro
scriptive conduct, they had forfeited eli
claim to further libtrality from the Original
members Of that Convention. They resoI
we'd it must be put down, crushed out. Al
all risk, and the terrible scores Of the 30th
Of July, confidently predicted il case the
Convention met, was tho result.
The letter Of Mayor Monroe to Gen
Baird, accompanying this communicate
is convincing proof that it was the deternf
nation, if every other means failed, to re.
sort to force. Everything was arranged On
Sunday preparatory to that purpose. The
police received their orders, and on Mon
day morning they were in large numhe.s at
the corner Of Canal and Drayades streets,
each having one or more revolvers on his
person. Why were they there, except to
commit violence? Admitting all that has
teen charged against the speakers at the
Friday night meeting, they counseled moth
ing more tran the blacks should come ar.
MED to defend the Convention 10 case the
uembers were attacked. Admitting they
had assembled there for that purpose. what
occasion was there for alarm, unless it was
meditated to. assault the Convention? The
inference is irresistible, from the ,nassing Of
the police alone, that t was designed TO
break up the Convention by force. For
this purpose beginning was necessary and
opp rtunity, sought for. This soon occur
red by the arrival ofa procession Of blacks
with music, on their way to the place of
meeting Of the Convention, which process
sion had to enter the street through the
crowd Of policemen and citizens at the cor
ner Of Canal. and were met with insults and
jeers, which brought on collision; 4 shot
was fred, but ended in nothing serious
The next act Of violence was the arrest Of
colored man BY policemen. in the front
Of the Institute, but for what offence l am
unable to say. The crowd Of colored per.
sons assembled naturally became excited at
this occurrence, the same as a body of
white men would do under the same cir
cumstances; some took the side of the
prisoner; brick bats were thrown and q shot
fred, the testimony going to show it was
done by one OF the colored crowd. It was
answered Immediately by several shots from
the crowd Of policemen at the corner, and
followed up BY rapid firing on the crowd Of
blacks, who returned the FIRE as best thay
could, but being, overpowered ond driven
from the street, they took shelter IN the
Mechanics Institute.
1.-THE object Of the police vas simply 70
preserve the pnblic peace, why did they not
after the men had taken refuge In the Inati.
tute, retire to their original positions at the
corners OF the streets which edaetually cut
Oft egress from the front; and plating q
guard to watch the rear Of the building
awaiting the arrival Of the military, who
we're known TO be on their way. The only
reason for their course Il: II did not sui,
their purposes, 'fheyaccnrdinrly advanced
in front Of the building, and baaisged Il on
oil ssdes. Every negro who attempted to
escape was murdered, The browning oil.
max Of these bloody asts are we'll know.
Whan the white flag was hung out. % i to.
Ken OF surrender, the potioe entered, AREA.
ted the u,smt,ers ot The Convention and
other white cltilsns. brought them into the
streets, whore tho most prominent Tor their
Union sentiments we're ahot, stabbed aud
beaten In tho oastody and presence Oft
entire police force OF the city Why did
not The Mayor or bic ChsG ssation q guard
Al the door even then, iurhla any psrsol,
tfa an entering, and await the arrival Of the
military i -',':- :
~ this means, the lAst, most deliberate
and horrible phass Of this bloody tradeey
would have been avoided. II Il also ~ ID:
torious that the police failed TO arrest, OF
TO attempt Afress nyan one Of the rloteus
cltlasnli who acconhg 70 their oit.vpeatssi
statsmants, were continually attacking
woundine and killing prisoners Who had
surrendered 70 them and we're Ia thaltsnss
tody. -
Think lAAvs hlly shown Il MA tho d.
NRa OF those opposed 20 thu Convention
% htaak itup 81 toNs, The infsfsnos 10
% drawn from tho htter efsas Mayer &