Year: 1866

! To HIS Ercelleaey, A1adre,p johnson:


SIR:-YoUr Excellency is already in
possession Of the main facts as regards
| the conspiracy which, by reviving the
Convention Of 1864, proposed to subvert


the Constitutional Government of Lou.


isiana. An informal meeting of 29 MEM


bers-150 being the whole number, 76 a
| quorum-proceeded to depose the Presi-
dent of the Convention, who considered


the Convention itself extinct, and himself
| functus oficio, and to elect K X. Howell


as President pro TEN They adjourned
| to meet agaiu, aud a proclamation was


issued by the President pro tenn. conven-
| ing the Convention, to meet on the Both
of July last, and directing His Excellen
| CIV. the Governor of the State, to issue
| writs of election to fill vacancies. So far
the whole matter was looked upon as a
harmless experiment, although mischief


was intended, the people being confident
that the Governor would not c0ndeseend
to notice the proclamation, and that in
case the Convention would commit any
act of interference he would have it dis
persed. Unfortunately, however, after
the lapse Of nearly month the Govern.
or issued writs of election to fill up 81
vacancies in that body This document,
to which the Secretary of State refused
to give his attestation under the seal OF
State, was issued under the attestatlOn
of the private secretary of the Govern
or. The people of the State became
alarmed when no doubt could be enter
tained as to the fact that their chief
magistrate had given willing assistance
to subvert the Government, the preserva-
tion of which was especially entrusted
to his keeping. On Friday, the 9th of
July, large meeting was held
in the hall of the House OF Represen-
tatives, professedly for the advising of
universal suffrage, but III reality to or


ganize for the meeting Of the COnven-
tion on the Monday following. The OBJ
lect of the meeting was to arouse the


passions and prejudice or the colored
population, so as to make them the vic
| Tins of riot by urging them headlong
into conflict with the State and mum


cipal authorities. On the other hand,
we were determined to prevent riot and


bloodshed by pursuing such course as


would battle the nefarious calculations


of those agitators. Our remedy, and the


only remedy, must be by recourse to the


usual process Of law, and even then, to


proceed in such way as to fasten OH


them the responsibility Of all collisions


The case was submitted to the Grand
Jury by the Attorney General, and, in


the meantime, the Lieutenant Governor
and Mayor called upon General Baird to
ascertain whether, if warrants issued
upon regular indictments were placed in
the hands of a Sheriff for the arrest of
the members of the Convention, the mil
itary would interfere. The answer was
that the Sheriff himself would be arrest
ed. and that the Convention meeting
peaceably could not be interfered with
bv the officers of the law. 1t is proper
here to state that tho Mayor had previ-
ously addressed q note to General Baird,
inonirinn whether he would be inter
fered with by the military in case he


would proceed to disperse the Conyen-


ton as an unlawful assemblage. The
answer to this was that the meeting of
the Convention being peaceable, 1T
could not be suppressed by the Mayor,


and that the military would prevent the
| interference of the civil authorities


On Sunday, the Goth, the State and
| municipal authorities called upon the


press to advise the people as to the prop


er conduct to be observed the next day,


so rs to avoid all collision and riot, and


the Mator issued his proclamation to the


same effect. The press of the city, with


the exception of the Radical organs,


gave wise and salutary councils TO the


public, inviting all good citizens to avoid


congregation about the Capitol, and be-
have themselves with prudence.


On the morning of the 3Oth, the Lieu


tenant Governor called on Gen. Baird to
communicate to him the Presidents dis


patch, and also inquired of the General
| if he would have some troops in the vi


cinity of the hall to preserve peace and
| good order, Gen. Baird assured him that
applications had been made by members


of the Convention. The suggestion was
then made that to have too large a po
lice force on the spot, might be construed
as means to overawe the members, and
that inasmuch as the civil authorities
did not intend interfering with the Con-
yention until instructions were received
| from the President, as above agreed on,
it was proper to have troops to cooper


ate with small police force to preserve


the peace and prevent all possible at
tempts to bring about a collision.


1t was suggested by the Lieutenant
Governor that the city authorities, under
these circumstances, did not intend to


prevent the meeting of the Convention
| but he proposed that, in case a warrant


of arrest were placed in the hands of the
Sheriff, the latter, before attempting to


execute it, would call upon the General,
| who thereupon would indorse his objec-


tions, and the matter would at once be


submitted to the President. This ar


rangement was satisfactory to both par
| ties.


On the same day the Attorney General


and the Lieutenant Governor telegraph


ed to the President to ascertain whether


the process of court for the arrest Of the


members of the Convention could be


withdrawn Dy the military ? The an


swer was expected to sustain the Court.


This suggestion met the approval or


the General, who then stated that he


would give immediate orders to have the


troops In readiness. Before the end of


this interview it was again agreed upon


by General Baird and the Lieutenant
Governor that whatever warrant Of ar


rest might be placed in the hands of the


Sheriff would be submitted to him before


any attempt to have it executed, and


that upon Endorsement of the General OF