Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-02-12
The New Orleans Riot,

The majority and minority reports on the
New Orleans riot submitted to the House of
Representatives yesterday, are both exceed :
lngly voiuminous. That of the majority Is
signed By Messrs. Eliot and Shelabarger 1t
reviews in detail the history of the first con.
ventioR, and publishes the proc oclamation of X
h. Howell, who, as presiding officer, called
the second convention together, and say that
In calling the convention TO reassemDle he WAS
simply executing a duty imposed apon him
by the first convention. The testimony reIa- =
tive 10 the riot OF the first day is very volumi-
nous, over seventy four witnesses having beer
examined. The riot is claimed as not being
the result OF accident, but OF a deliberately
planned scheme 10 prevent the meeting of the
convention and Its consequent action. The
authorities of the State and of the city of New
Orleans are held responsible tor the riot The
mayor of New Orleans, ii is charged, deter
mined that The con yention shsuld not assemble
and Lieut.. Gov. Voorhees, and Attorney Gen
eral Heron united in tBat tdetPrminatiou and
in order that no impeachment should be thro wn
In the way, Gen. Baird was purposeIy and
deliberately deceived as 10 the time for the
conyening of the Dvention. The committee
refer to the speech made by President johnson
III 81. LOUIS in which the New Orleans riot
was charged as the result OF the action of the
radicals in Congress. But for the high OH c!al
character OF the person who made the speech
The committee say they would not ha We deem ed
the charge worthy of notice, but they insist /
that Copgress and lis action had nothing TO do
HIth the rise and progress of the riot, or with
the assembling OF the convention.
The report represents the present state of
AFFAIRS IN Louisiana 10 be deplorabIe, saying
"Pardoned rebels are IN power eyerywhere
and especially 10 this the case with regard to
New Orleans, the mayor of which CITY, the
committee say, is notoriously disloyaI. The
prescription OF Union men is carried on with
high hand, and teachers, male and female
are delibe eraiely killed and those who have
been loyal heretofore, or manifest a djsposi-
ton 10 be so now, are deferred by public sen.
timent and by the terrors that su rround them
The only remedy is In the int zen ton of Con.
publican form of government, tor under the
present condition OF things there is no secu
rity whatever, and since the surrender of the
rebel armies the rebellion has simply assumed
another form, and until a loyal State govern
ment, in accord with the Constitution of the
United States. exists, there can be no peace
and to accomplish that temporary govern
nent is required, and the passage Of the bill
reported by the committee Is therefore recon-
msnded." THE bill is given else W here in our
paper.l
Mr.. Boyer, Of Penn. the minority OF the
COMMITTEES. submits directly opposite views,
and closes his long report with conclusions
and propositions, which in brief are that the
riot OF the 3Vth Of uly was q lecal disturbance
originating IN local circumstances of great
prOyocation, and IN no wise the result of any
hostility or disaffection on the part OF the COM
munity OF New Orleans toward the Federal
Government. Ii would be a mon strous iuIus-
uce To hold the whole people OF the State OF
Louisiana accountable for the acts OF those en-
gagged in a riot confined to a small portion of
the city Of New Orleans, and for that cause to
abrogate by act OF Congress, the civil govern
msnt OF that State. In no proper sense OF the
word, and IN degree w hatever, is the riot OF
July 3Gth attributable TO the government of
Louisiana. -EE