The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1867-02-21
THE NEW ORLEANS RIOT.
THE CONGRESSIONAL. INvEsTIGA-
TON.
Report OF the Minority OF the
Com nli1fee.

Representative b. NJ. Boyer, of Penn-
sylvanic, who dissents from the conclusions
of his colleagues or the New Orleans riot
investigation committee, says the avowed
object Of the Convention was an amend
mcnt of the existing Constitution of Lou>
isiana in such 4 manner as to secure to
their party the absolute control Of the Off
ccs in the State, negro suffrage, and the
disfranchlsement of sufficient number Of
those who had been connected with the
rebellion. These were the leading meas
ures by which the desired ascendency was
to be attained.
Mr. Boyer proceeds to show the illegality
of the Convention, sayirg tie government
which was iR force in Louisiana under the
Constitution Of 1864 VS.. on the 30th Of
July, 1866, eton from the radical stand
point, by that acquicscence and the consent
Of Congress, State dc jere as we'll as a
government dc jacto. an1 binding as such
upon all persons within its Jurisdiction.
The conventionists counted upon con-
grcssional cooperation. Under ordinary
circumstances, a small body of men as
scmbiing for the purpos, Of changing the
government Of State with so little color
of law, might be treated as harmless body,
and be regarded as entitled to but little
public notice Blu. in tLs the times and
circumstances were extraordinary, aud
well calculated to excite serious apprcten>
sion. \ Judge of the supreme court was
at the head, and the governor OF the State
encouraged it. 1t was given out that
Congress had been consulted and would
lend its assistance. Preceding the ac>
ton Of the Convention Judge Howell pro.
ceeded to Washington to consult in per-
son with the leading members Of Congress
He informed the committee that he con-
suited with members of Congress, and
named Hon. Messrs. Boutwell,, Stevers,
Kelley, Banks, Grinnell, Morris, Paine
and others The resrlt''was that he return
cd to New Orleans and went on with the
movement The encouragement which
Howell tcstifes he received at Washing
ton was made known to the friends Of the
Convention, perhaps wiz, exageratlon !;
and on the 9th Of ,Julx, six days before
the meeting. a tclegraiit was sent from
New Orleans to TIE Washington CORES
ponGent Of the New York Times. stating
among other things. that Howell had re
turned with assurances tha,Nongress would
support the Conventoc The Endorsement
and support Off Congress seems TO have been
the common topic OF conversation among
the conventionists before the Both of July
Mr.. Boyer in reviewing the origin Of
the riot said the convcntion!sts appealed
u the negroes to arouse them. and their
sctive cooperation was invited 1t will
be remembered. he says, that these dem>
onstrations were made in the heart Of the
city; yet the speakers were not interrupts
ed nor the meeting disturbed After the
harangues were over, procession Of be-
tween two and three thousand colored per-
sons, between 10 and ii o'clock at night
appeared with torch-lights, hurrahing and
shouting through several Of the principal
streets to the city hall There the crowd
was addressed by DR.. Dorstic, and cxhor-
ted to 90 home peaceably, but to kill any
who might assail them. After this, no
disturbance took place, and the crowd
pcaceably dispersed. Yet no soldiers
were engaged, and 70 policemen cared to
interfere. May not, he asks, these acts be
cited as striking evidence of the tolera-
ton Of free speech in the city of New Or
leans at that date? The cause Of the riot
may be sought elsewhere. Il was the acts
and the declared intention of the conven>
tions.s, and the Illegal and violent char>
acter Of their proceedings, which produced
the excitement and brought about the col
lison. The character and antecedcnts OF
the conventionistS we're net such as to
make them the accepted standards OF 10y
atty ard uuionism in that locality. The
prescription threatened by such men,
through the action Of the Convention,
must have been peculiarly CALLING to those
to be affected by their proceedings.
1t had already been shown that no in
reference was made with free speech but
incendiary appeals AID acts Of revolution
could not be pursued with impunity, and
arrests might properly and lawfully be
made to arrest the progress Of such af-
fairs.
Mr. Bower does not agree with the ma
orty that the riot was delibertcly planned
by Mayor Monroe, and refers to the cyi-
dcrce to show that the FIRST shots were fred
by negro at policemen. To Lieut..
Gov. Voorhees,. ex-rcbel, belongs the crcd>
it of having supplied the place of his Of
fetal superior in originating timely pre-
cauiionary measures which, if carried out,
would have prevented the riot, and which
failed from no fault of his. In reviewing
the comments of the majority Of the COM
mittee on the course Of the President, Mr..
Boyer says the President needed no win,
dication if it were not on account OF The
partison ISLANDERS with which l,c has been
so uns scrupuously assailed during the late
election, it might be Justly deemed an Of
fence against good taste to name him in
this connection. His acts, 50 FAR as they
had any bearing upon the circumstances
investigated by the committee, exhibited
him in no other light than chiefmag
istrate actuated by sincere desire to pre-
serve the public peace and to uphold the
law. Mr. Boyer controyerts the views OF
the majority that the riot is TO be attribu>
ted to those who are charged with hosti.i-
ty to the Union, and az prescribing those
from business who are loyal to the coun-
Ltry
Mr.. Boyer submits the following con-
clusions
/ That the riot Of the 18th of July vas
a local disturbance, originating in local
o;ro,mefancee of great prOyOcatiOn. and in