Year: 1866

HEADo RS D PIT LOUISIANA, New On
LEANS, La, july 20, 1866, Hon. j. Z,
Monroe, Mayor Of the cityof Neto Orleans :,
SIR: | have received your communication
OF the 18th inst, informing me that body
of men, claiming to be members of the con
vention Of 1864, whose avoWed object is to
subvert the present municipal and Sfaie
| governments, is about to assemble in this
city, aud regarding this assemblage as one
OF those described in the law as calculated
TO disturb the public peace and tranquility,
and, therefore, unlawful, you believe it 10
be your duty, and that it is your intention,
to disperse this unlawful assembly, if found
within the corporate limits of the city, by
arresting the members thereof, and holding
them accountable TO the existing municipal
| laws, provided they meet without the sane
| tion OF the military authorities


\ GU also inquire whether this projected
meeting has my appreciation, so that you
may act accordingly. sr,4
In reply, | have the honor to state that
| the assembiage TO which you refer has not,
| so far as L am aware, the sanction or appro-
baton Of an! military authority for its
meetings.


| presume the gentlemen composing it
have never asked for such authority to meet,
as the military commanders, since | have
been in the State, have held themselves
strictly aloof from all interference with the
political movements of the citizens Of Lou
lsiana. For my own part, | have carefully
retained from any expression OF opinion
upon either side of the many questions re-
latlDg to the reconstruction OF the State
government When asked if intended to
furnish the convention with military
guard, L have replied No; the Mayor of
the city and his police will amply protect its
sittings" If these persons assemble, as
you say is intended, 1t will be, presume.
in virtue of the universally conceded right
of all loyal citizens of the United States to
meet peaceably and discuss freely questions
concerning their civil governments-a right
which is not restricted by the fact that the
movement proposed might terminate in a
change of existing Institutions.


Ii the assembage in question has the le-
gal right to remodel the State government,
it should be protected in so doing; If 1t has
not, then its labors must be looked upon
simply as harmless pleasantly, to which no
one ought to object As to your conception
of the duty imposed by your oath of Office,
[ regret to differ with you entirely. L can
not understand how the mayor OF city can
undertake to decide SO important and deli
cate question as the legal authority upon
which convention, claiming to represent
the people OF an entire State, bases Its
action.


This doubtless will, in due time, be prop
erly decided upon by the legal branch OF the
United States Government. At all events.
the Governor of the State would seem to be
more directly called upon to take the initia-
tive in step of this kind if it was proper
and necessary What we most want at the
present time is the maintenance of perfect
good order and the suppression OF violence.
If, when you speak of the projected meet
ing as one calculated to disturb the public
peace and tranquility am to understand
that you regard the number of persons who
differ in opinion from those who will consti-
tute it as so large, and the lawlessness OF
their character as so well established. that
YOU doubt the ability of your small force OF
police to control them, you have In sueh
case only 10 call upon me, and VIII pring
to your assistance not only the troops now
present in the city, but, if necessary, the
entire force hich it may be In my power to
assemble. either upon the land or on the
wafer Jawless violence must be suppress
sej and in this connection the recent order
of the Lieutenant General, designed for the
protection of citizens of the United States,
deserves careful consideration 1t imposes
high obligations for military interference TO
protect those who, having violated no ordi-
nance of the State, are engaged in peaceful
avocations.


l am, sir very respectfully, your obedient
servant, A. BAIRD, Mai. Gen.


Commanding Department of Louisiana