The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-08-30

far as can learn, were characterized by mod
Grafton. have not given you the words Of
Iosue speech, as the version published was
uenie9' ., put from what 1 have learned OF the
Conrd.i aam = pieheve they were intemperate. The
40 convention assembled at 12 NJ, on the 30th,
.ne tlmid members absenting themselves, be-
oause the tone of the gentleman present was
hs olnous OF trouble. / think there were but
Of the Mechyy ;o., members present In front
VI tne Mecnamcs' Institute, where the meeting
was neid, there was assembled some colored
men, women and children, perhaps eighteen or
twenty, and in the Institute number of color
ca men, PROBABLY one hundred and fifty
Among those inside and outside there MIGHT
have been pistol in the possession of every
tenth man. About z. M, q procession saw
from sixty to one hundred and thirty coiored
men, marched up Burgundy street and across
Canal street toward the Convention, CARRYING
an American flag. These men had about one
pistol to every ten men, and canes and clubs in
addition While crossing Canal street a row
occurred. There were many spectators on the
street, and their manner and tone toward the
procession unfriendly. A shot was fired, by
whom 1 am not able to state, but believe It to
have been fred by policeman or some colored
man in the procession. This led to other shots
and rush after the procession. On arrival at
the front of the Institute there was some throw
ing of brickbats by both sides. The police,
who had been held well in hand, were vigorous
ly marched to the scene of disorder. The pro-
cesslon entered the Institute with the nag,
about SIX or eight remaining outside, row oc-
CURED between policeman and one of these
c0lored men, and a shot was again fired by one
OF the parties, which led to an indiscriminate
fire on the building through the windows by
the policemen. This had been going on for a
short time when white flag was displayed
from the window of the Institute, whereupon
the firing ceased and the police rushed into
the building. From the testimony of wound
ed men and others who were inside the build
ing, the policemen opened an indiscriminate
tire upon the audience until they had emptied
their revolvers when they retired, and those
inside barricaded the doors. The door was
broken in and the firing again commenced,
when many of the colored and white people
either escaped through the door or were passed
out by the policemen inside, but as they came
out, the policemen who formed the circle near
est the building fired upon them, and they were
again fired upon by the citizens that formed the
outer circle. Many of those wounded and tax
en- prisoners and others who were prisoners and
not wounded were fired upon by their captors
and by citizens The wounded were stabbed
while lying on the ground and had their heads
beaten with brickbats. In the yard of the
building, whittier some of the colored men had
escaped and partially secreted themselves, they
were fired upon and killed or wounded by po-
icemen. Some men were killed and wounded
several squares from the scene. Members of
the Convention were wounded by the police
men while in their hands as prisoners-some of
them mortally. The immediate cause of this
vention. The remote cause, the bitter and an
tagonistic feeling which has been growing in
this community since the advent of the present
Mayor, who in the organization of his police
force selected many desperate men and some of
them known murderers. People of clear views
were overawed by want of confidence in the
Mayor and fear of the Thugs, many of whom he
had selected for his police force. have fire.
quently been applied to by prominent citizens
on this subject and have heard them express
fear and want of confidence in Mayor Munroe
ever since the intimation Of this last conven-
ton.
L must condemn the course of several of the
city papers for supporting by their articles the
bitter feeling of bad men. AS to the merciless
manner in which the Convention was broken
up, Ifeel obliged to confess strong repugnance
1t is useless to attempt to disguise the hostility
that exists on the part of a great many here to-
wards Northern men, and this unfortunate af-
fair has so precipitated matters that there is
now test of what shall be the status of North
ern men; whether they can live here without
being in constant dread or not; whether they
can be protected in life and property, and have
justice in the courts. If this matter is per-
termined prosecution of those engaged in it
we may look out for frequent scenes of the
same kind, not ofliy here, but in other places.
NO steps have as yet beei, taken by the civil au-
tnorlties TO arrest citizens VIM were engaged IN
TINS massacre, or policemen ~ns Ton-e--
such cruelties The members of the Sonssh,
ton have been indicted by grand iurv. ana
many Of them arrested and held to bail. A,
70 whether the civil authorities can mete out
ample justice to the guilty parties on botb
sides, must say that it is my opinion uneouiv-
ocally that they cannot Judge Abel, whose
course have closely watched for nearly wear.
4 inow consider one of the most dangerous men
the city. The leading men of the Convention
King, Cutler, Hahn and others, have been DO,
ntlcai agitators, and are bad men. regret to
say that the course of Gov. Wells has been
FASCINATING, and that during the late trouble
ne has shown very little of the man.
p. III. SHERIDAN
Major General COMMANDING