New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-08-06
4 RADICAL VIEW.

NADlGhL View
In order to show the style in which the rad
icals abroad trent the recent difficulties in this
city, we extract the following from an article
in the Chicago Republican
President johnson has recognized the State gov
eminent in Louisiana as he has those organized
under his own orders but Congress has declined
recognizing any of them save that of Tennessee
Under these circumstances the members of the
State convention united in request to Judge
Durel to call the convention. He refused-he
now holding au office by rebel votes. A majority
of the members taereupOn met, and as they had
the right to do in case of the DEATH resignation,
or refusal to act Of their presiding officer elected
Judge r. X Howell president of the convention,
who at once issued call converting that body to
meet on the 30th of July In the meantime, Gov.
Wells issued proclamations ordering elections to
fill vacancies in the convention from several par
ishes. On Monday this convention the legality of
which cannot be questioned without denying the
validity of the entire State government of Lou1si-
ana and of all its legislation during the last two
years, was to meet in New Orleans. VIVA the
precise purpose it was called to accomplish we do
not know; but if there be any political body IN
that State possessing any vital powers it certainly
is this convention.
Of course, it is useless to tell the Republic
can that Judge Durel does not owe his cleo
ton to 'rebel votes, or any other kind of
votes but that he is the judge of the United
States District Court, appointed by President
Lincoln. 1t suits the purpose of that paper
to stigmatize him as "rebel," although he
is really one Of that class to whom the word
loyal" in its present perverted sense, is
peculiarly applicable. The next statement is
Of similar kind. A majority of the mem
bers did not meet. The convention, by its
organic law, was to be composed of one hun
bred and fifty members. Of these ninety
We're elected, and these ninety established the
rule that seyenty-six should constitute a quo
RIM. Of those seveuty-six only forty -thrae
assembled at the preliminary caucus, and only
twenty-nine voted on the resolution to depose
Judge Durel Finally, when the wretched
knot Of conspirators met to consummate their
plot, only twenty-five appeared. Even on the
theory Of the Republican, that the convention
still possessed vitality, there certainly was no
power in twenty-nine members to assume the
prerogatiyes of the whole. But the conven-
ton had no vitality. For legal purposes it
was dead and buried long ago. The attempt
to disinter and reviyify it, was not sanctioned
by thousand of the political community Of
Louisiana. Its audacious attempt to us1lrp
sovereign powers, and to subvert the existing
government Of the State, was clearly revolu-
tionary, insurrectionary and reasonable 1t
was very mild statement of the character of
the movement to describe it simplyas an 'fun-
lawful assemblage." This it certainly was !;
but it was much more 1t was, what in
Englandwould be high treason, and punisha-
BILE with death
The Republicans article likewise says
The enemies of the convention assume, and per-
haps with truth, that the convention proposed to
remodel the State Constitution remodeling of
course the State government, and particularly the
laws regulating suffrage Governor Wells frankly
admits that the State absolutely in the hands of the
rebels,Y and he favors the change. Every loyal
man in Louisiana is favor of changing the Consti
tuition, and of SO adapting ito the changed crcum-
stances of the times that the State may be so far
Unionized as to be restored like Tennessee to her
representation in Congress.
If, by the expression "loyal, the Republi-
can means to describe those who wish to de-
feat the restoration of the Union who desire
to throw Louisiana into the hands of the rad
ieals by transferring its government to the
hands of very small minority of its citizens
then it is true that such "loyal" men We're in
favor Of the convention movement. But, since
the ayowed purpose'of these persons was to
subyert the government, to disfranchise the
political majority, and to enfranchise the Blacks
it is perfectly plain that the majority to be
thus trampled on and crushed out, would be
very apt to resist this kind of contamination,
by all means in their power. Such purposes
on the part OF minority, if resolutely pressed,
present problems which can only be solved by
force. They constitute, when developed into
activity, a real rebellion, and those who par
ticipate in them are genuine rebels.