The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1867-02-19
The Report OF the new Orleans
Riot.

ger, OF the Select Committee 10 inveB
tigate the New Orleans riot, makes 1
pretty good sized book. 1t Il de
cidedly radical, aud will, we presume
have the political effect intended BY
those who conceived the idea Of inves
tigating the "massacre." After allud
ing to their duty, and the history
ofthe defunct Convention movement
the Committee give a narrative. of the
events of July 80, which do not differ
very materially from tho radical state
ments that our readers are alrady ia
miIlar with. In their conclusions, the
Committee aver that no riot, resulting
In massacre has occurred in the his
tory of this country, so destitute OF
justifable cause as that of the Crescent
City. Proofs of preparation were dis
closed in the examination-by WIT
nesses like Conoyer, we presume--as
to warrant these radical toolsin saying
that an intention existed to "disperse
and slaughter the members ofthe Con-
vention and all persons, white and
black, present and friendly to its OBJ
jects." They go into a lengthy discus.
sion of the legality of the Convention,
and finally make the remarkable dis
covery that there was nothing illegal
in its assembling, and that it had done
nothing illegal up to the time of the
massacre. The President, Of course,
comes in for sharp and severe crit
icism. The witnesses testified he
was appraised Of the state Of affairs in
the city that be knew the intention
to be the arrest of the members of the
Convention, and yet say the commit
tee, without "thc knU rlvLge VI tile Sec
rotary of War, or Of the General of
our armies, upon whose immediate re-
sponsibility those military orders had
been issued, he gave directions by tel
egraph, which, enforced as IL was in
tended they should be, would have
compelled our soldiers to aid the reb-
els against the men in New Orleans
who had remained loyal during the
war, and sought to aid and to support
by official sanction, the persons who
designed to suppress, by arrest on
process and under color of
aw, the meeting of the Convention;
md that, although this Convention was
,alled with the sanction of the Govern
n, and by one Of the Judges of the
supreme Court of Louisiana, claiming
o act as President of the Convention"
The condition Of things in the State
$ then sifted, and may be summed up
IA very few words: 1t is rule of
x-rebels and prescription of Union
men. The committee in adding up
he whole case come to the following
exclusions
~. That the meeting Of July 80 was |
leeting of quiet citizens, who came togeth- |
+ without arms, and with intents peaceably |
, discuss questions of public concern.
~. Having met, no act was done. saving |
n act of prayer and the responses made up
n the call Of names of persons present.
20. No act of tumult or violence was COM
lifted or designed, and no circumstances
hatever existed which could .terrify the
eople.' ais
"Tbe riot of the day was the act of the
lembers of the Convention or their friends.
was the purposed attack by the police
rec ofthe city upon the Convention, and
10 slaughter of men, white and colored,
thin the hall, that made the riot there
1thin the exact definition Of Judge Abell's
large. In our Judgment, these citizens had
right to meet as they did, and to do what
as done by them. It can not be entertained
the act desired finally to be done was to
lange the Constitution, and If that act
'uld not be legally done in the way pro-
1sed, that therefore the meeting was or
scame unlawful in the language of criminal
w, because that is not such act as the law
Getting unlawful must be an act of physi-
j violence or force. And the class of men
nong whom were the authors and defenders
the acts of the Both of July, have given
oof that they SO understood the law"
The concluding portion Of the re-
'rt urges the suspension by act of
ongress of the present civil govern
entin the State and the establish
emit of provisional government to II
maintained by military power "un- I;
the time has come when Louisiana s
controlled by loyal men, which we
inc, means until Congress franchises 6
Q negroes and DISTINGUISHES the
Iites.. The report suits the market T
the North. It covers Hahn, Du- !
At and others, the real instigators
the trouble, and fixes the RESPONSE I
ity on innocent parties. Already ii
noyement is being made in Congress :,
set the present State government v
de, result the public have been ex- a,
citing ever since the radical "plot' .,
s detected. An ayenging nemesis u
y yet step in ere the revolutionary 50
ogramme can be forced into practi- u
operation. al
' The Fenian Army. c,