Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1866-08-07
The New Orleans Riot.

support the State Government. The
bill being presented to the First Dis
trict Court, Judge Abel ordered
bench warrants to issue for the arrest
of persons indicted, and fixed the bail
of each at 81, 500. The writs were
issued, but action was withheld until
the removement Of the military i'm
pediment to their execution was ef-
fected by permission of Gen. Baird.
This was done on the Cd inst, where
upon, the sheriff and his deputies
commenced making arrests.
Gen. Baird has also, it is under
stood, telegraphed to the secretary of
war that by resorting to the estab-
'ment of martial law in the city he
had saved a thousand lives. BE has
SO far relaxed the rigor of his mill
tary rule as to withdraw his armed
sentinels from the City Hall, replac-
ing them with orderlies. This is
gratifying evidence of the fact, that
the late civil commotion has been SO
thoroughly quoted down, as no
longer to necessitate a continuance of
absolute military law.
Judge Abel, of the First District
Court, delivered his charge on the
subject of the riot, to the grand in.
quest of the parish, on the I'd inst.
His views and opinions, sustained by
the most convincing arguments and
deductions, clearly demonstrate the
ilIegallity and constitutionality of
the attempt made by few infatuated
men to upset the State Government.
Reasoning from the Constitution Of
1864, itself, the instrument which
those very individuals assisted in
creating, the Judge shows conclu-
sively that the Convention of ga had
not only completed its works when
the Constitution was ratified by the
people, but that it threw around that
organic structure the strongest safe
guards for its vindication.
After discussing the subject in its
relations to the Constitution, the
Judge touches upon the radical
meeting held in the city on the 9th
of July, the inAammatory appeals
made on that occasion to the freed
men, and the promises held out to
them by the Conventionists of the
right to vote, &c. Upon this latter
point of voting, the Judge, who was
member of the ga Convention, but
is now as he proclaims himself, one
of the conservators of the peace, ad-
ministers, il the course Of his charge,
the following rebuke to the Conven-
tionists
Gentlemen of the Grand Jury, by
| reference to the proceedings of the
convention of 1864, you will perceive
that these very men and cooperators
had power to grant the right Of fran
chise to the colored people by a vote
of 72 to 90 clear majority of SO
votes. They had the entire control
of the convention, and why not spare
the blood of these unfortunate men,
if guided by patriotic motives, and
their own blood, and the loss of so
many citizens and officers?
Judge Abel concludes his charge
by defining what constitutes riot in
the eyes of the law, and in enlight-
ening the Jury as to its powers and
duties in investigating the case com
mitted to it.
This whole matter is now in a
train which must doubtless lead to
the most searching and complete elu
cidation. President Johnson has
manifested an earnest solicitude to be
made acquainted with all the facts
relating to it. 1t has already been
stated that Assistant Secretary Of
War, Townsend, by order of the
President, telegraphed to Lieut. Gov
VOORHEES,, asking for full particulars
concerning the revolutionary out