Year: 1866

number elected was -. The quorum was
fixed at rs, this number being a majority
of the whole There were twenty-seven
parishes unrepresented in the convention
that were entitled to 81 delegates, and ad-
ding thereto ten vacancies to be filled would
make 81 delegates to be elected Besides,
there were some ten or twelve delegates
who, disappearing of the emancipation
clause, refused to sign the constitution, and
these may be ranked with the extreme con-
servatives. Counting the sixty-one dele
gates to be elected to be of the same class,
and the balance of the convnton to be
radical it will be seen that the parties
would have been really equally divided.
| have gone into these details to show the
talsity of the charges that have been made
that the convention would not have repre-
sented the whole State, and that it was in
tended to be packed. Every parish would
have been represented about one-half hav-
ing elected their delegates in 1864, and
the other half in 1866, making Just equi-
ibrium of those who opposed and those
who sustained the cause of the Confed-
eracy.


There are no disfranchising clauses in
the constitution of 1864 the much-abused
members of that convention had it in their
power to have made a constitution as strin-
gent against those engaged in the rebellion
as Tennessee and Missouri have done.
They, however, pursued an opposite course
and trusted that these men would be actu-
ated by a spirit of tolerance aud forbear-
ance in return for the liberality shown to-
ward them. How the members of that con-
vention have been treated individually by
the very men whose good faith they trust
ed in, to say nothing of the sccrn and Will
tication Illuminated against them as "a col
lective body, and against the constitution
which they made, let the record of the
bloody doings at the Mechanics Institute
on Monday answer.


In keeping with the unrelenting policy
to keep the power of the State in their own
hands exclusively, they opposed the meet
ing of the convention. They needed no
better monitor than their own consciences
to tell them that by their proscriptive con-
duct they had forfeited all claim to further
liberty from the original members of that
convention. They resolved that it must be
put down and crushed out at all risks The
scenes of the Both of July were confidently
predicted in case the convention met. They
were the result of the letter Of Mayor Mon
roe to General Baird Accompanying this
communication is proof that it was the de-
termination, if every other means failed, to
resort to force. Everything was arranged
on Sunday, preparatory to this purpose.


The police received their orders, and Oh
Monday morning they were in large num-
bor of of Cana1
streets, each having one or more revolvers
on his person. Why were they there, ex-
cept to commit violence? Among all that
is charged against the speakers at Friday
nights meeting, they can cite nothing
more than that the blacks should come
armed to defend the convention, in case
the members were attacked. Admitting
they were assembled for that purpose, what
occasion was there for alarm, unless it was
meditated to assault the convention The
inference is irresistible, for the massing Of
the police was designed to break up the
convention. For this purpose beginning
was necessary, and the opportunity sought
for soon occurred by the arrival of pro-
cession of blacks with music, on their way
to the place of meeting of the convention.
w IcH .uG pIOCCSSIOu ClltClCN SllCCI
crowded with policemen and citizens, at
the corner of Canal and Dryades streets, it
was received with insults and jeers, which
soon brought on a collision. A shot was
fired, but the affair ended in nothing SER
ious The next act of violence was the ar
est of colored man by policeman in front
of the Institute, but. for what offence | am
unable to say The crowd of colored per-
sons naturally became excited brickbats
were then thrown and shot fired, the tes-
timony going to show that it was done by
one of the colored crowd. 1t was answer
ed by several shots from the crowd of po-
licemen at the corner, and followed by rap
id firing by the crowd of blacks, who re-
turned the fire as fast as they could, but
being overpowered, were driven from the
street and took shelter in the Mechanics
Institute If the object of the police was
simply to preserve the public peace, why
did not they, after the men had taken re-
fuge, retire to their original positions at
the corner of the street, which effectually
cut off egress from the 'front.' and placing a
guard to watch the rear Of the building,
await the arrival of the military, who were
known to be on their way? The only reas-
on for their course is that it did not suit
their purpose They accordingly advanc-
ed ON the front of the building and besieged
it on all sides. Every negro who attemp-
ted to escape was murdered. Growing
the climax Of these murderous and bloody
acts, it is well known that when the white
flag was hung ont as token of surrender,
the police arrested the members of the con-
vention and other white citizens, and brought
them into the street, where the most prom
inent of those holding Union sentiments
were shot stabbed, and beaten while in Gus
tody and in the preseAce of the entire po-
lice of the city


Why did not the Mayor or his chief OF
police station a guard at the door and for
bid any person from entering, and then
await the arrival of the military? By


these means the last and most deliberate
phase of the bloody tragedy would have
been avoided 1t is also notorious that the
police failed to arrest or attempt to arrest
even one of the riotous citizens, who, ac
cording to their oft-repeated statements


were continually attacking, wounding, and
killing persons who had surrendered and


were in their custody | think have fully


shown that it was the design of Of those


opposed to the convention to break it uE


by force.


The inference to be drawn from the letteI
of Mayor is that such a course was resOlv