New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-02-12

These communications were ordered &c " ep ~
The ouynaI and the hin laid upon the tase' sulge
10 call But no "ca" was afterward made. Inc Dlli
therefore did not become aT but y ie and s
the proposed Convention would be lllega anu ~ @
bers subject 10 police arrests OF Judge hutll ~
but because the agitation OF the qesto I;c Int M
popular excitement feared because 9I tna1 pIVpo
md o,iS See t0 Change the existing government Ihe
objects they sought 10 be attained were al nln0ny
titents' II fhe Convention Of 1856 such an un-
lawful assembly" as IL charged 10 De- ana s nen
oeIs as Itself by its own showing unlawful
assembly also aud fairly exposed TO the action Oh MOI"
roe a tSs p which was passed by that House s found
and declared In the preamble that Tie rae ne
vsSI under which the Legislature was chosen W9s "so
erection Of fraud aud rOleoe, and not ~ any S$f ~ as
preston Of ne toiH Of HepeQPe Of ne Sie Constitpt,op
itself was not entitled to respect as law ahl 'ie IG
Representatives was usurping the pows O 6e sttied
an view of Size facts then existing IT'S h0t 70
determine what the right would be OF Ciiens to
,,nbc safety might require suspension OF ue VIII o
habeas corpus" Undoubtedly occasions 40 , sTev
he prevented controlled by military oIdeI IL SUI Sae Jus
cusson would eudal ger the pubic S9 s
zion now considered does not call IOf eA'mlnaion
a IN TTeent the citizens who claimed TO nc members
~ te convention from meeting Nor did facts exist to
warrant such interference. What was proposed 70 S
tbs S aStboes acting as in time peace The rights
OF ali parties therefore, must depend upon the
OF the first article OF the amendmens on the s
tuition which prohibits Congress from making laws aDldg
ing the right people peacefully to assemble ana 70
petition the Government for redress OF grievances
r. not material to inquire what we're the ullhate puI
poses Of the citizens who proposed to meet sue
could not affect their right peaceaby TO asselnDle
having met such purpose should result in acts and IL
those acts brought the assembly within te % i
authorities should intervene and could 40 n SO gns
1866 gives a sufficiently accurate definition OF these
Offenses. ,,,s..,,. .u,-,r. 90
be any meeting OF great numbers of people with suen CIR
Cumsanees of terror as cannot but endangsr me
fcts rOut is anv motion of such unlawful assembly to-
Ward the contamination OF the untWIul act ues "
rot cOmprehends both an unlawful assembly, ana ruu1
and must consist OF three persons the meeting
must be unlawful, or lawful and executed IN an
manner and must accompanied with acts or tuinutt
or Violence and must be under circumstances calculated
Now Tie great boy OF the testimony taken by the Com
mittee shows Beyond reasonable doubt FIRST That the
meeting Of July 80 was meeting o. qniet cluses Wiz
Fame together without and with inents peaceapy
10 discuss questions Of public concern Ihey heI
circumstances OF terror but with prayer ana soDe
mess OF heart sought to take counsel together Ihs was
no unlawful assembly" within the meaning OF the law
5eeOnd-Haying met no act was done ssyDg a nv %
persons present ThrdNo act Of umu or violence was
Committed or designed. and no circumstances whatever
existed which could terTify the people &C.,.
The rot" of the day was not the SCI OF 1hee mem
nurpoed attack bv the police force Of the city upon the
Convention, and the slaughter OF the NELL wMte ana
%ithn the exact definition Of Judge Abes charge. In
our Judgment these chZcus had right to meet as tey
a nS 70 70 EG as T deed finally to he dome was
change the Constitution, and If that act could not pc
legally done way proposed, that therefore the
meeting was or became unlawful, in the language of
criminal law because that s not such en aet af the law
lawful" must be act Of physical violence OF force
And the class Of men, among whom were inc s9t0 am
that they understood the law The action OF the House
of Representatives has been referred To- Mayor Monroe
in office yet he did not deem the Honse an nnlaW
fa assembly" nor did Judge Abel charge the jury IN
view OF their indictment But this action OF the House oil
Representatives, by the disoyd weh also 9rgi-
mated and defends the riot July "a an
sal and moral aspects OF the matter first this
legislative action proposed and begun 10 effect the same
the requirements of the Constitution Of 1854 which it is
alleged made the dispensing OF the Convention by yO-
hence usable vet the action OF the Legislature has
not only not dealt with Illegal but the authors
and defenders OF the riot class the authors OF
Impossible say that the act Of peaeeaby Assem-.
bling made tho Convention an q IN one without
TO maintain, II the purposes OF Convention peace96y
cSnveng can SOne b a' enby adsped the mrpose
whether before il convened or AFTER IL at all material II
ia purposes render it unlawful then is unlawful wher
aver mat burmese is present as az element OF the
bly, undenabe therefore, that the Legislature was
sueh after it begun TO entertain tie purposes and plans
for changing the Government. Third much more would
began TO act, and moreover declared the Government
under which il met TO be fraud and crime
CONDITION OF AFFAIRS IN LOUISIANA
What il the condition Of affairs IN louisiana ana what
legislative action should be had IL has been made The
duty of the Committee TO report TO the House upon 3ot
these
held to be ratified by the suiges Of The people on
9Th day OF SeDtcmber 1854, and has hitherto been
sSfs II WAS the result Of military action deemed at the
time essential to the proper civil OF me state
The Justice or expedency legality OF that action have
not been subjects OF inquiry by the Committee Possibly,
n the general surrender OF Rebel armies and the entire
anDilaton OF Rebel organizatiOnscvil and military, had
not occurred civil rule could have been maintained IN
loyal hands and vanquished traitors at leasnot pad9ned
and paid treason the strength Of loyalty would have
Increased and the body Of the people dsoya
by of public pressure or moral duress or military
Uolfldb
Sustained with heart the Government they fought
nssens P9 kn S1 YSd when the surrender was fresh
and the defeated leaders had yielded up the sword
hand or seeking quiet away from public life such did
pear 10 be the wefOubded hope Of loyal men Bat be
gan TO be apparent that treason defeated and DIS
armed was to have chance TO retrieve its for
tunes. Under the provisions Of an act Of Congress en-
titled to be and designed act to suppress Rebellion
but cOnferng Of It's sections power upon the Pre
dent before conviction had charge complaint made
found that pardons were granted ind properties returned
Rebels who had held high office military and civil and
that policy was being pursued which discountenaneed
punishment and looked 10 speedy restoration 10 political
Favor and offices OK trust OF the who had been active
in field and IN council, i'll support OF the Rebellion Ihere
were this time large bodies Of men returning 10 their
homes In louisiana who were, when the Constitution OF
1854 ratified In the armies Of the Rebel GoyeIpment
There Of home large numbers OF men who had IN
different ways suppOrtedSthe Rebellion. Among 10th OF
these classes were many men VINO would nave been found
and would have renamed loyal " II had not appeared 10
them that the Chief Executive Magistrate was disposed
20 pardon ana 70 honor ny office and political favor their
military and civil leaders And the effect OF this policy be
came appareHt IN the Language ana depOrenJ OF the
people At first willing 20 yield and TO return
TO true allegiance, they became assuming bold,
and defiant. Under the Constitution Of 1854 these
men claimed 70 be restored 10 political rights
and 10 vote at the polls and so 1t came 70 pass that sub
stantiay all governmental authority most Of the offices
in the state and all legislative and municipal power have
been conferred upon returned Rebels and
troed by them This is emiEently true In the City OF
New-Orleans where known and distinguished Rebels,and
only such they occupy the chief places Of trust and
power The Mayor confessedy bold and bad man. who
was also Mayor during the Rebellion, and marked for
vOent and bitter hatred Of the OF the UniOD
and OF who loved the Government, both white and
black of southern or Of Northern birth Is now Mayor OF