Year: 1862

THE REPLY Or The MAYOR
MAYORS OFFICE CRY OF New ORLEANS
CITY HALL, April 20.


Flag Officer d. G. Farrsgus, United States Flag Ship
Hartford:


SIR-In pursuance of resolution which
we:thought proper TO take, out Of regard
for the lives crowd the metropolis, General
/ Lowell has evacuated it with his troops,
| and restored back to me the adminIstra-
ton of its government and the custody OF
its honor. | have, IN council with the
City Fathers, considered the demand you
made of me yesterday Of an unconditional
/ surrender of the city, coupled with re
/ QUESTION TO hoist the flag of TIE Cnited
/ States on the public editces, and haul
down the fla that still floats upon the
breeze from TIE dome Of this hall
1t becomes my duty So transmit to you
an ansew which, the universal sentiment
; OF nv constituents. no less than the pro-
/ mptins of my own heart. dictates 10 me
! Oh this sad and solemn O. cision. Ihe city
( is without the means OF defer ce and Is ut
terry destitute OF the force and material that
, might enable 1t to resist an oveipowerIng 2
armament displayed IN sight of il.


] am no military man, aud possess no
authority beyond executing the municipal
laws of the city Of New Orleans: it would


be rrcsumptuous in me TO attempt TO lead


an army to the field, if had one at com


mand; and know still less low 10 sur


render an undefeuded place, held. as this


Is, at the mercy of your guns and your
mortars.


To surrender such a place were an idle
and unmeaning ceremony. The city l.
yours hy the poweI of brutal force,-not
by my choice or the consent OF its inhabi-
tants. 1t is FOR you to determine What


will be the fate that awaits here. AS TO


hosting any flag not OF our. own adoption
and allegiance, let me say to you that the
man lives not in our midst whose hand and
/ heart would not be paralyzed at the mere
| thought OF such an act; nor could ! find


in my entire constituency SO desperate
| and wretched a renegade as would dare to


profane with his hand the sacred emblem
OF our aspirations.


Sir, you have manifested sentiments


which would become one engaged in q


better cause than that to which YOU have
devoted v our sword, and doubt not that
they sprang from noble thought deluded


nature, and ! know how to appreciate the


emotions which inspired them, You have


a gallant people TO admInistrate during


your occupancy Of this city,-a people sem
sitive to all that can, in the least affect


their dignity and self respect. Pray, sir,


do not fail to regard their susceptibllities.
The obligations which | shall asume in
their name shall be Ielisiously compelled
with. You may trust their honor, though
you might not count on their submission
unmerited wrong


In conclusion, beg you to understand
that the people of New Orleans, while


unable to resist your force, do not allow
them selves 10 he insulted by the interfer-


nee of such as have by their dastardly


desertion Of our cause in the mighty strug-
gle in which we are engaged, or such as
might remind them too forcibly that they
are the conquered and You the conquerors.


Peace and order may be preserved with
out resort to measures which l could not
at this moment prevent Your occupying


the city 1oes not transfer allegiance from


the government of their choice to one


which they have deliberately repudiated,
and that they yield the obedience which


the conqueror is entitled to extort from
the conquered. Respectfully.


JOHN F. MONROE, Mayor.