The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-09-12
Letter from Judge Able to General
Sheridan.

Sheridan.
New ORLEANS, August 20, 1866.
General P. II. Sheridan:
Su-Not having had any official OR other
intercourse with you, and never having
seen you to my knowledge, Twas surprised
to find the following words contained in a
telegram from you to the President of the
United States:
"Judge Abel, whose course have close
ly watched for nearly year, now consid-
er one of the most dangerous men that we
have to the peace and quiet of the city,"
/ Not having seen you in the Court over
which have the honor of presiding, or
elsewhere, lam not prepared to believe
that you were incog. watching my foot
steps and habits; for if you had been, you
could not have made such an assertion
In my habits ] am temperate and regular;
in my words kind. In my judicial station
l know naught but fidelity to the State
and humanity to the unfortunate, of what
sever age or color, brought before me:
lam, therefore, General, forced to the
conclusion, that If you have watched me
at all, it is through the record, in my de-
cisions and charges to the Grand Jury. all
of which has been correctly published in
Journals of the country. am Of the mind
that you will find few people Of the State
who agree with you in the estimation OF
my character. You must allow that, II
dangerous, / am most unsuccessful agita-
tor, for until the assembling Of the would
be Convention on the S0th of last month,
the civil courts of the State have faithfully
administered the law, and as effectually
preserved the peace, as in any city of the
Union-the disbanding of two powerful
armies and vast influx of negroes, not
withstanding. 1t needs no argument to
prove the efficiency of the civil govern
pent of Louisiana. used every effort that
argument, persuasion, and direct charges
to the Grand jury could accomplish, to
prevent that fatal meeting.
was a member of the Convention of ga,
and knew well that after the adoption of
the constitution by the people the Conyen-
ton became fnnctus otcio, and so charged
the Grand Jury, on two occasions previous
to the meeting 1t is impossible, General,
that you can pretend that / had any COM
plicity in the assembling of the "would-be
Convention" and of course no peace
] breaker in that respect. 1t appears to me,
that in common Justice you should have
stated the facts upon which you based your
assertion-an assertion which appears to
astonish everybody.
Gen. Sheridans plainness of speech in
vites plalnness. l fully agree with you in
your statement to the President That the
i immediate cause Of this terrible affair was
the assembling of the Convention" And ]
am clearly of opinion that it never would
have assembled without some assurance of
military guardianship. The members as
serted at almost every corner of the streets
up to the very day of Assembling, that
they had such assurance. Gen. Baird said
he would arrest the Sheriff Of the parish of
Orleans if he attempted to execute the
process of the civil courts in arresting the
Conventionists. firmly believe that had
the military authorities been half as earn
est as l was in opposing this attempted
usurpation, there would have been no
meeting of the so-called Convention, and
consequently not drop of human blood
she'd
Gen Sheridan, never participated in
the rebellion in any manner, and the idea
of magpifying these conyentionists into
prosecuted Union men seems to me ridicu-
lous. Some of its leaders raised troops for
| the Confederacy, others held office under
Lit, and another voted for the hanging of
Hon. B. F. Flanders, an original Union
man, and aided in expelling him from the
4 State.
As to the status of Northern men in New
Orleans, whethersthey be Union or Conser-
vatives, it is that Of perfect safety, for
since the establishment Of civil authority
in this State, in September, 1864, there has
not been single case, to my knowledge,
- ,,,b;ob I, N1rtLo,,x, 49,, -. - II
ed.
Those of them who come to this city
with capital or skill, for the purpose of
bettering their condition, are welcomed
and favorably received; those who come
to encourage strife are entitled to no re
spect, and receive none. All good men
must deplore the tragedy of the 3Oth of
last month, but it was brought ON by the
meeting Of few Adventures, who propos-
led to alter the constitution of the State,
against the will of the people, and who
had secured the attendance of alarge num-
Der of armed negroes to defend them in
their attempted usurpation. The meeting
was not opposed by the military
This, Gen. Sheridan, all must agree, was
an act that could not be tolerated by the
freemen of any town, city or State, from
Maine to California. To alter the charter
ola town or city, or constitution of q State,
belongs TO the people.
These men had no more right to alter
the constitution Of this State than the ne
groes whom they called to defend them.
All sympathize with the colored people,
who were deceived and misled by the
leaders of the Convention. assert, that
the colored people Of this city and State
would be peaceable, prosperous, happy and
useful members of the community, if their
pretended friends would let them alone.
General, am now nearly ffty-fve years