The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-07
The Conflict In New Orleans-"Let Us
Have Peace"

or political parties that claim the state govern
ment, is q curious and significant commentary
on the Inaugural Address of the President
which was delivered only few hours before.
The Address was most peaceful, hopeful and
assuring "The States lately at war with the
| general government the President said, ''are
now happily rehabiitated, and no Executive
control is exercised in any one of them that
would not be exercised in any other State
under like circumstances. Not a word was
said about Louisiana. The State was not
mentioned. Yet only day or two previously
the President, perceiving the danger there
and the urgent necessity of action to avert
that, had called upon Congress to provide a
remedy for the existing evil and threatening
trouble. he must have known, therefore,
when he spoke words Of peace to the nation
and the cannon were booming to celebrate his
second installation, that the fire of civil war
was ready to burst out at New Orleans. Was
Congress too cowardly to meet the issue? Or,
anticipating conflict, did the dominant party
in that body wish the President to sustain the
usurping Kellogg State government in the
name of order while it could not venture to
endorse the usurpationP It was either cow
ardice or political trickery on the part of Con-
gress. Blood has been shed, and the country
will hold the party in power responsible for it,
Our special dispatches from New Orleans
published in another part of the paper, give
in addition to the news of yesterday, detailed
statement of the conflict and the immediate
| - r L
sary to recite the history of the difficulty
which eliminated yesterday, for our readers
have been informed from day to day Of all
that was going on. We come now to the last
act of the political farce which has ended in
tragedy. 1t is evident that the McEnery party
were determined to end the uncertainty Of the
state of things existing in Louisiana as soon
as they learned that Congress had expired
without taking any action, and that the
President had announced his purpose to
sustain the opposing Kellogg party in
such an event They bad either to give up
their claim to the State government-to
voluntarily abandon their position and submit
to what they believed was monstrous usurpa-
tion-or to bring the matter to an issue with
the federal authority. They took the latter
course, and as they expected, probably, federal
bayonets have settled the question, at least for
the present, and the usurpers are in full
power.
Our correspondent at New Orleans says,
''the riot last night was the last desperate
effort Of the McEnery government to maintain
its existence; that it was deliberately planned,
and, it is said, with the consent of the Citizens
was deliberately planned to use the State
militia, which the McEnery government be-
lieved was properly and legally under its
authority, to make the effort, at least, to get
possession of the public offices; for, as was
said, it had no other way of testing the ques-
ton. A partisan and an unjust judiciary,
aided by the federal soldiery, had left it no
| other choice How loud have been the lauda-
tons of the American people over the Boston
colonists who destroyed the tea in their har-
Dor and defed the British government rather
than submit to unjust exactions Is it sur
prising, then, that the American citizens of
Louisiana who were legally returned by the
proper election officers TO administer the gov
eminent of the State should make q vigorous
effort to secure their rights against bogus
and usurping government?
| About five hundred of the citizen militia,
under the direction of the McEnery govern
ment and the Citizens Committee of Two
Hundred, proceeded to seize the buildings
where the Courts are held, and, if successful,
to depose the Kellogg judicature and to rein
state the men elected on the McEnery ticket in
the place of the deposed. That was the initia-
tory mode Of operation. A police station near
the spot, which was strongly garrisoned, like
all others in the city, was called upon to sur
render by the citizens. This began the
trouble. Soon q large body of police, armed
with rifles and having twelve-pounder can
non, arrived Fire was opened with small
arms, grape and canister upon the citizens,
who were driven back after two rounds. At
this juncture one of the aids of Gen.
eral Emory, commanding the federal
troops at New Orleans, rode up and ordered
the crowd to dispense in the name of the
United States government AS there was an
understanding among the McEnery men that
there should be no conflict with the United
States troops the order was Immediately
obeyed. The streets were cleared and the
usual quiet reigned. The result of the police
firing was not very serious, considering the
number of shots fred. One young man was
killed and several were wounded The armed
citizens retired in good order, and, our cor
respondent says, in good humor. There had
been another ARRAY, however, the night before,
in the upper limits of the city, where police
station was captured by small body of citi-
zens, and at which one citizen was MORALLY
wounded and several others hurt. Artillery
| was yoovad mn to roca y,fura fha station md a