Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-01-14

me such assistance a would BE- necessary % or :
fierce the clSil process: thai the military were
/ erpected 90 Cooperate with the civil author
ass 1890 ana motto hwart them. think = also
vsnticn hnu no rfrtt 90 unrs-t. and thai No c<r.
yention would b. authorized here o ceDt AZ wa.
| convention fresh from the people. The only
portion OF thai despatch that considered a.
having ything 90 do with the a scha rre of nv
duties, was that portion auihorizin nc me- an case
should think Il necessary. 20 call npon Geas-
raj sheridan Tor troops IN carrying out thr or
dsrs Of the civil authorities. That elespasrh
was Immediately after comm n Gated 20 GENE
raj Baird, no had in the meantime issued hts
orders not 10 arrest those parties General
Baird . response was, that he did not doubt IN.
ntlcity Of the despatch hut that he was not
disposed Ia alter HE order until he himself had
Iecelyed instructions from tho President or the
SECRETARY of War
Had General Bairc received am ans wrr 20 hi.
dfspatch 20 Mr.. Stanton. had General Bard
followed the spirit Of the Presidents despatch
all.
Gene raj Baird did no, doubt the president.
wishes but be waited ior answer "a his dee
patch 90 the SECRETARY Of War. which did not
come. By these con filcting or,f,.rs of a douhl.
h. AIDED Executive the civil authorities were 20
bSs pstalned- and were 10 h. Resisted "A the ssme
time by our military force. In the midst Of this
absurd weakness, uncertainty. and anita -onisn.
the not accurred IfGensral Baird ND m sen
the responsibility, aS he ought. after seeing fhe
Prssldenis despatch 10 Noorhies, OF II Mr.
the civil authority, 1.-THE country would have
ben spared from thai terribly calamity.
shalt not 90 all over the grounds stated h,
tho President. The message speaks for itseli
Ii II, IN my opinion, conclusive. To its main
positions the report Of the majority gives no
sufficient answer.
There is one thing in that report. however.
which 4 cannot allow 10 pass without con-
ment. 1t assumes that the pretended conyeu
tion which assembled nj the Mechanics Isst,-
tute AT New Orleans ln July. lsSt. was not "a
] n mi a TNrl 81
The con yention bad assembled I'm 1854 and hai
done its work. Ii formed a constitution and
suomltfed it 10 the people of Louisiana which
was adopted. and a State government Wa ar
ganized and in fun force under IL For All
substantial purposes the con vention. having
done us work. was NJ end-fancfas oH-,o
AZ mad been ADJOURNED for nearly two years.
when Al ADJOURNED, however, AZ passed a res-
oluuon 10 authorZe the president Mr. DurelL
10 call the convention together No authority
wss given TO any other person 20 call IT, He
expressly refused TO do 80. The conventtcU
consisted Of more than ninety members tn,
norlty OF forty. without authority, assumed
because the president refused TO call IL 10 de-
poe hlm and 20 elect a new president Hr
Howell. Tins whole proceeding was illegal
as appears conoiusiyely by the following tss-
tmony given by Mr.. Howell himself
o.. Did the con vention OF lsei assemble and
adopt constitution Yes. sir. s8 Was thai
constitution submitted Ia the people OF I.ouisi-
ana, and ratified by theml Yes sir. An tho-~
portions OF the State then under the control of
the Federal forces. ga. Did Il Afterwards 90
INTO effect a. the constitution OF I,oa,.iansp
Yes, sir. IL did. 625 Was IL not In full forc.
and effect at the time the invention of Is,.
was called 10 reassembls on the :s0th of July
1stSf Just In the same force thai il had hee,,
from the time Of its adoption aS Who Wa
the president of the con vention Of lses nj the
tme OF ITS adjournment Judgs DureIl ss7
When did Judge Durell cease 10 be- prrs,a.nt
OF the convention, NJ AT all He did nor caa~e
nj all that i know Of 63s. Did he order the
convention ihai attempted 20 resssemble an
he hled No
how came you 10 issue that call a. president
because was 30 requested TO do by a prelim-
mary meeting of the members of the conypn-
tion held on the 10th OF June \ attended the
meeting upon this notice:
''NEw ORLEANS, June y, lsG6.-Sir: Sryeral
memeers OF The convention as well a the IA
members of the Constitutional Convention 81
the State OF Louisiana. al the Mechanlcsi In
sirfuie. New Orleans on Tuesday. the 2cth in
stant. at 2o'elock y. NJ.
SJoHN T.. NEELIs. Secr.tary
"Hon. X. h. Howell
At that meeting i was selected hy the MEM
bers present 10 act IN the capacity of President.
upon the refusal Of Judge Durell TO act; and
his statement that he intended TO leave the ctty
e40. Did he leave the cityl He did leave tbe
city, 10 be absent during the summer
81. Nou do not mean that ne stated he was
going to leave the city permanently Thai n.
was going on for the summer
.O&2. Then by his refusal TO act Won mean
tnai ne refused TO call the convention, Yes,
sir, al that time he did once agree To A.
'S43. Did he ever take any steps TO call ,y
None that know of-thst il. public acts He
told me that he had consulted with several par
ues, ana among Others with General Sheridan.
IN regard 10 II. i answer. therefore. thai he
was taking steps privately 10 determine whether
he would call IL not.
.t+4. How many members of the convention
attended the preliminary meeting TO which you
refer' think about forty answered 20 their
nsmes-thirty mine or forty
'645 And You were selected 10y these forty ..
~
646. How many members OF the con ventiou
We're there all together 1 think there wen.
ninety live or ninety-siN elected; the body wss
10 or composed OF one hundred and ffty. bur
only some ninety five or ninety-six were elect
ed, because elections could not be held i'm th..
balance OF the State. m a ma iority OF the par
lsnes. The number was large in proportion to
the territory. on account OF the large repreSsn
tation from the city Of New Orleans 4 think
there Were some sixty or siNty-two delegates
from the city.
ca. How many actually assembled an the
session OF lsti All but three or four Of tho-r
who were elected.
Nothing is more clear than rhis call for q
convention was illegal-without any authority
whatever.
This meeting of a body OF men. assuming ~
ACT as convention, TO change the constitution
OF the State, was more than a political meet
ing; II was ssloscfm ossemIla0.. IL ~ss an
act OF assumed power OF war with the Slat.
government This assembly OF persons a.
suming TO act in the name of the STAT of Lon
lust az unlawful as the secession con yention Of
Louisiana before any act of war occurred
There ls no doubt IT was not only authorized:
II was more-unlawful; and If attempted 10 h-s
enforced by arms, IL would amount To actual
treason.
The calling and assembling of thar conven.
non was Evolutionary against the existing
state government.
In conclusion have the honor 70 submit the
accompanying resolution a. a substitute for
the resolution of the majority
January 10, 1s6s. J. r. DooLTrrlE
hesoteed, That the Senate advise and consen
10 me removal OF Edwin NJ stanton as Secre-
tary Of War.
GENEEAL BUTLER's RiCHkoND SPEsrB-
General Butler addressed a large crowd AZ th.
AFRICAN church IN Richmond last night II.
advocated equal political rights for blacks.
squai power IN the Governments and an s.oual
burden IN supporting il. The land should bar
~. ts part OF the taxatlon, and the burden not n.
thrown upon the laboring man. He said tho
tIfne Tor confiscatlon. whether right or wrong