St. Landry democrat., 1888-08-18

RUINS OF PROVOST MARSHAL'S OFFICE
second ward, being the third subdivision Of
the Ninth congressional district of the state,
the provost marshai's districts being for the
most part identical nth the congressional
districts. Both on Saturday and Monday
the papers announced that all would be quiet.
Before many hours one Journals office was
on fire and d mob was hunting for tho editor,
and before Friday noon the city of which,
according to that paper, 1.-THE most perfect
quiet was assured" had lost s2,OO0,0UO by
fire and robbery. while some 200 Of its citi-
sens had been slaughtered 1t may be profit
able TO trace the genesis and evolution Of
such an unexpected, murderous and destruc-
tive mob.
PROFESSIONALLY the most gloomy period of
the civil war, for the Federal sde was the
last week OF June and first three days of
July, lSt:l On the Potomac every move.
ment for ten months had resulted In disaster,
In Middle Tennessee the army of Rosecrans
was hundred miles nearer the Ohio than
was the advance of Mitchell and Buell. year
before, while Of Grant the public only knew
that after some brilliant victories he had re-
manned five weeks in front Of Vicksburg and
could not know that Pembertons surrender
was near In this condition Of affairs the
w ashngton authorities ordered draft for
''3'U.UuO norer Scarcely had the people
read this order when they learned that Lee
had invaded Pennsylvania with eighty thou.
sand veterans, flushed with victory, and I'M
mediateiy after that Hooker had been IRE
lieved from command" and the Army of the
Potomac placed under a general Of whom
not one IN ten OF the people had ever heard.
The most steadfast supporters of the admin.
istration waverei in their support The
cynical sneered and the critical loudly
exclaimed against this "unstah.a and
shifting policy" while the opposition press,
especially in New York city, famed
with fiery invectives against the emanci-
patton proclamation, against the employ.
ment Of negro troops, against the arbitrary
arrests" OF opposition speakers against the
suspension of the right of habeas corpus and
especially against the draft. which they al
legged TO be unconstitutional and unfairly ex-
ecutesl In thus condition of the public mind
nearly all the militia of New York city were
sent into Pennsylvania to serve against the
invaders. and it was generally expected that
the Fourth Of July would witness a riot.
Midnight of the Sd brought the first au-
thentic news OF Gettysburg. Gen. Meade
teiegraphed that he had 'repulsed the enemy
at all points" Before noon of the 9th the
people read on all the bulletin boards OF the
principal cities that ''the Union army has
won glorious victory.p By night it was
added that ''the Confederate Gen. Longstreet
is Killed. We have l0.OOU prisoners, and moth,
ing can save Lees army from capture or de
struction." Only two days later the people
Of Richmond read in their papers: 1--WE have
captured 4o,GO0 Yankees; Baltimore and
Philadelphia are at our mercy" But the
early dispatches of July were official and
implicitly believed in New York, and the
lay was one of the most peaceful in her his
tory
Soon after came the inspiring news from
vicksburg, and Immediately after that the
report Of Gen. Rosecrans that he had driven |
Bragg from Tullahoma There was general |
Of the official assurance that no !
trouble need be unprecedented, and so the draft
was ordered to proceed Some measures were
.aken to test the constitutionality of the con
scription act-an unsettled point in United |
States law-and it was quite generally be
loved by the opponents of the act that the
course Of those New England governors who
'efused TO obey the CONSUMPTION acts OF 1912
q would he taken as precedent Still it
vas enphatically declared by Governor sey
nOur and his supporters that IL was az.