Year: 1866

anu uEniy y-anu Lne constitution must be
Vindicated.


For this charge, given under the sanctions
of an official oath, Judge ABELL was arrest
ed and held in bail to answer. At this
point the Radicals openly proclaimed their
purpose to defy the law and Its ministers,
and TO etlectuate their purposes by force,
usurpation and bloodshed, if necessary.


Sd. To make sure of their work these
reckless conspirators now commenced their
preparations. A few days after the arrest of
Judge ABELL, the Radicals held a mass
meeting, which was principally composed of
negroes, atwhich infammatory speeches were
delivered To show The true character of
these, we quote from Uerbdtim reports as fol-
lows:


SPEECH OF EX-GOVERNOR HAHN.


FELLow-CITIzENs: Although it is not
my province TO address Won on this occa-
sion, l cannot resist the temptation to express
to you my appreciation of the honor which
] feel in being called to preside over this
meeting The days of the slave-oligarchv.
of Confederate Provost Marshals, when col
ored men could not come together to delibe-
rate over public affairs, has, thank God
ceased to exist. Applause.


AsPresident LINCOLN and the Union army
were unable 10 restore the Union until the
colored men came to their aid so the Union
men Of this State feel that they cannot
maintain the principles Of Union Of the
States without the aid Of patriotic colored
men. Applause. l remember the day
when the teacher of a colored school in this
city was ruthlessly arrested, and died in
prison, on a charge Of being an Abolitionist;
and every time pass that old church where
he used TO teach, feel that there are men
still living who have the spirit that animat-
ed him. Applause The cause which
we are here tonight inaugurating in Louisi-
ana is great and holy cause, and the rebels
are trembling in their shoes in consequence.
They are realizing the fact that this is a
country TO be ruled by loyal men, both white
and black There was a time when the
term Abolitionist" was considered as a
shame; but / stand before you tonight,
raised and educated as | have been in the
South, and tell you that glory in being an
AbolitioHist and a Radical. Applause,


When / went 10 Washington last fall my
Union friends in Louisiana did not come up
TO the mark of universal suffrage, but when
] came back few months later, the outrages
which had been heaped upon them by the
rebel Government here had brought them to
cram
TO be Union man unless he favors universal
suffrage. One Of the greatest arguments
used against the right of suffrage 10 the coll
ored people by the Copperheads in the
North, is that If you are allowed to vote
YOU will be controlled by the planters ard
old shareholders. TCries of 'neverpl | did
not ask you that question, for l know you
would not be controlled by them; as they



so they will fail in supposing you will vote
for them The question is not this alone,
but whether YOU will be allowed to hold
Office as white men do. l say you are en-
titled to this right, and l would rather every
office in the State was in the hands Of colored
men than in the hands Of unrepentant rebels.
Applause. Ii is to you that the loyal
men Of the South must look, and when YOU
separate tonight, make up your minds that
from this day forward you are as good as any
white man in the State. [Great cheering.


SPEECH OF COL. A. ?. FIELD.


FELIow-CITIzENs: This meeting is called
TO indorse the right Of universal suffrage to
be extended by Congress to all who have
been made citizens and TO indorse the re-
assembling Of the Convention Of 1864.
Congress was not satisfied with the results
accomplished by the Convention when it
last assembled because it withheld from you
the right Of suffrage, and therefore it meets
again, TO conform 20 the wishes Of Congress
in that respect. Wewant todo exactly what
Tcnnessccha done, Why shouldnot Louisi-
ana. like North Carolina, and Tennessee. and
New York allow suffrage TO the colored
people on the property basis l say 1t
should be done. But you must be patient
and firm. The people will become better
informed from time 10 time and where
You have now 5000 white men in this city
TO advocate your rights for suffrage, you
will soon have 10000. You do not want TO
iipht for ID, but you will have IL sooner or la
ter. The Convention Of 1864 assemblies
next Monday in this hall, and they viii tri
umph. When they meet, that boon you
have long expected will be given TO you.
saw, in conclusion, let us join in three cheers
for Governor WELLS and the Convention Of
1864, [Great checringl


SPEECH OF RUFUS wArLES


RyFUs WArIES, ESQ, next addressed the
meeting: Il is truly rejoicing after SO long a
period of inaction on the part of the Radi.
Gals 20 meet you here so earnest and deter
mined in the cause. l think we now can
see the dawn Of better day in Louisiana.
Our purpose in meeting is 10 consider the
policy Of Congress in relation to the South
Cru States, and also the action Of the Con-
yention about TO assemble. Wherein does
the policy Of Congress differ from the Presi-
dents policy2 Il is this: Congress recog-
nzes the right for the people, in their primi
tive capacity, in those States destroyed by
the rebels. 10 make their own organic law,
and submit il TO Congress, and leave it for
Congress 90 decide whether il be consistent
with the organic law Of the Republic. The
Presidents policy seeks not 10 leave this
matter TO the people in their primitive ca
pacity, but 20 ignore the questions Of the
war, and ignore the fact that the State Or
carnations have been destroyed by eleven
ofthe States who took Up arms against the
Government.


In other words, Congress holds that the
States are now as they have been during the
last four years, and that il requires those
people 10 make their constitutions anew, be-
fore they can reioin their proper relation.
The President says all these States have a