New Orleans Republican., 1868-09-17
THE POLICE QUESTION.

THE POLICE QUESTION.
The recent police message Of Mayor Con
way to the Council, and the hasty action o
that body in the case, have provoked from
Major Williamson the following sharp reply
New ORLEANS, Septembe- l6, 1865.
Hon. j. R Conway. Mayor City of New Orleans;
SIR--In answer to certain charges con
tanned in your message to the Council, o
the fifteenth instant, respecting myself arc
the force under my command, have to say
| your statement, 10 the effect that the Chic
of Police allowed the force to leave thei
posts while the lives and property of th,
| citizens remained unprotected, is WHOLLY
| false, and is designed to bring reproact
upon the character of class of men whose
integrity and devotion to their arduous du
ties have been through the neglect of the
city officials, subjected to the severest test
who have, while guarding the interests Of
the city, been spurned with contempt from
the presence of these officials, to whom they
applied for relief for their starving ones al
home, and is calculated to inhiet lasting in,
jury upon the business prospects of this
community, which is thus falsely repre-
sented by its chief magistrate as subject to
the violation of lawless mob. H
The city was not left unprotected, as
stated by you; on the contrary, the day
force was on duty as usual, which fact. il
not known to You, might have been ascer-
tanned upon inquiry. The night force,
while off duty, assembled in an orderly
and quiet way. as a class of suffering citi-
zens, to talk over their wrongs and to en-
deavOr to devise some measure for relief.
which had been for months denied to them
Through their delegates, accompanied at
their request ty the Chief and Lieutenants
of Police, they waited upon you at your
office, aud in doing this they were exercis
ing right never before called into ques-
iion.
You charge that the Chief stood quietly
by and acquiesed by his silence in the
threat Of one of the delegates to seize the
City Hall, etc. You must have known
this statement to be untrue when written.
as the Chief, Iieutenants and delegates.
except the speakers referred to, disavowed
upon the spot any concurrence in the SEN
timent expressed, and the officer who made
the obnoxious remarks stated that thew
were his own opinions and not those of the
force.
If it was due to the dignity of the city
government that the Chief should be pub
licly censured, was it not also due to the
sense of Justice of the city government.
whose dignity had been thus outraged, that
the accused should have had a hearing be-
lore the tribunal at whose bar he
was arraigned, before Judgment was
passed and condemnation pronouuc-
ed. The Council In passing the
the censure upon an er parfe statement,
without form of trial, have not only vio-
lated the dignity fthe government, but its
integrity. The sympathy so properly ex-
pressed by you for the distress of the police
is unfortunately not unlike that which is
felt by citizens at large, who have fewer
opportunities for basing measure for the
public geod upon it, and as it fails to be
productive Of any fruit, it is of very little
concern to men who are suffering for bread.
In conclusion, permit me to Invite your
attention to the accompanying resolutions
adopted by the delegates representing the
force, wherein the facts presented in this
are eorrobOrated, and your
charges related. neou '
Very respectfully. n
(Signed) ]. J. WILLIAMSON,
Chief of Police.
The police force held a meeting yester-
day at the Central Station, and unanimous
" adopted an address to be forward by
the Chief to the Mayor, and Common
Council. ali EEq .rIifzaa
The address begins by confirming and
corroberating the statements contained in
the Chiefs letter, and proceed to state that
the Chief and Lieutenants Of police had
always advised moderation and patience
under the long continued wrongs from
which the whole force had suffered for
months. The Chief and Lieutenants were
not informed of the intended meeting, but
accompanied the force by special request.
In regard to the statement of Mayor
Conway that threats Of violence were used
by member of the force, it is said that all
The members of the committee who waited
upon the Mayor, the Chief and the Lieu
tenants. promptly disclaimed such an in
tention; that the officer making use Of the
remark was not a member Of the commit
tee, and when rebuked for ii In the pres
ence Of the Mayor promptly admitted
that he ouly spoke for himself So
the charge that the Chief permitted the
remark to pass unnoticed, without eensurs,
does not seem to be sustained beck M
Tbs charge Of the Mayor that the com
nissee demanded pay yfoF several menths'
services 3 admitted to be correct. The
police claim the right to demand their pay
when tle ssIh1,ltIes show no disposition
TO DO theA astes without such de,
mandg 4, M
In reply u ,ez4he n The Piea,aiae
that the force hese 81 ga themselves 10
be used as the puppets 81 lhS Leelaiature.
the address adduceS sun N ealialscgorv
reasons for the action con .Ise6l Al Win.
out seaking for thDminlmFiohahle eleeuua.,
stances ge 4 ~
IN this matter The police are oless1s in
t1e right and they have the sympall|ss oi
tho people.
Had fhe Mayor and Council ahown hsle
The ldeIfly q sheir sworn duties thai le
pqiicsme1 have we should have had n6
lpeh eEatt as we're enacted ia Lafaset|s
Square % TuesaaY.