Year: 1866




The official report of General Baird, on the
riot in New Orleans, fastens the blame pre-
cisely where, in the judgment of reasonable
men, it has rested since the news of this
horrible massacre first came. Gen. Baird
says. it was notorious that the Convention
was to meet on the 3Oth of July. 1t had
been in session several weeks previously,
when it excited opposition and threats of
breaking it up. He adds:


Since the riot, have been informed by
gentlemen Of the highest character-plant-
ers OF wealth and influence, belonging to the
party inimical to the Convention-tha5 the
question of its meeting had been by them
fully discussed in all its bearings; that it
had been proposed, first, to treat it with
ridicule, next to go into the movement.an
by superior numbers, to send delegates to
overwhelm and control it. But upon re-
flecting that the members already elected
would be the judges fo the qualifications OF
new ones, it was feared that this purpose
might be frustrated. and it was then deter
mined to treat the meeting as an unlawful
assemblage, and as such to break it up at all
hazards


In regard to the Convention itself and the
legality of its meeting, the General says:


From the little knowledge / had upon the
subject [ could not perceive that the gentle
men composing this Convention had any
more authority to remodel the State Gov
ernment than any other assemblage of citi-
zens. Yet [ believe they had right to
meet and TO talk and to resolve, provided
they committed no breach of the peace.
Had the result been to obstruct any Off
Ger of the State In the exercise OF his office,
or an attempt upon the part of any person
to exercise the functions of State office,
unless authorized to do so by the President
of the United States, [ should have regard
ed this as an overt act, calling for military
Interference, provided the civil powers were
unable TO defend themselves and punish the
aggressor.


The General believed it would be viola
tion of their rights to arrest these citizens
before they committed any overt act, and he
deemed it his duty to take into custody
those who should unlawfuly interfere with
them.


General Baird says the speeches made by
the Radicals at the meeting on the 9th,
were said to be temperate, and the authen



tie is denied. The charge of Judge Abel
he regards as incorporate and calculated to
breed popular tumult. Just prior to the
meeting on the 30th, General Baird seems
to have been kept in ignorance of the plans
of the opponents of the Convention, who
were anxious that he should dispose of his
troops in manner to suit them. On the
2Sth he sent a dispatch to the Secretary of
war, as follows


A Convention has been called, with the
sanction of Governor Wells to meet here
on Monday The Lieutenant Governor and
city authorities think it unlawful, and pro-
pose to break it up by arresting the dele
gates. | have given no orders on the sub
ject, but have warned the parties that [
should not countenance or permit such ac-
ton without instructions to that effect from
the President. Please instruct me by tele-
graph.


To this he has received no reply, nor has
its receipt been acknowledged


That the police were the actual rioters,
Gen. Baird furnishes ample proof. We
quote few passages from his report:


No member of the Convention, or friends
of it, if attack was feared, came to me to
represent the fact and ask provision for its
safety. Judge Howell, the President,
whom | have since asked why they did not
notify me of their danger, replied that they
had no conception of it themselves; he and
the rest went there unarmed, not sure that
they ight not be arrested or the meeting 9TH
.erwise broken up, but with no idea that
they would be subjected to violence The
large body of police belonging to the city
was amply competent at any time, by thrust
ing itself between the two antagonistic par
ties to separate them and arrest quietly the
disorderly on both Sides 1t was strong e
nough to have held a force equal to both the
parties in the streets in subjection until the
hour when the troops held in reserve could