This Day in Republican History 07/30/05

July 30, 1866 Democrat-controlled City of New Orleans orders police to storm racially-integrated Republican meeting; raid kills 40 and wounds more than 150 On July 30, 1866, angered by the enactment of the Black Codes in Louisiana, and by the Democratic legislature's refusal to give black men the vote, the "Radical" Republicans in Louisiana reconvened the constitutional convention of 1864. While only twenty-five white delegates met in New Orleans, they were joined by 200 supporters, who were primarily African-American veterans from the Civil War. Former confederates, aided by the New Orleans police, fearful that the state would fall out of white Democrat control, attacked the gathering. Both the blacks and the white delegates were targets and were shot down even after raising white flags of surrender as they tried to flee the building where the convention was being held. Cyrus Hamlin, son of former Vice-President Hannibal Hamlin (under the Lincoln administration) wrote, "The wholesale slaughter and the little regard paid to human life I witnessed here" was worse than what he had seen in battle. Local police, rather than assisting those under attack, participated in it (Remember Selma, Alabama?). Federal troops had been called for assistance but by the time they arrived it was too late to prevent the violence. One hundred people were injured in the fighting and thirty-four blacks and three white "Radicals" were killed. History revisionists now call this slaughter "The New Orleans Race Riot," but that clearly isn't the truth. It was a massacre of anti-slavery Republicans and former slaves by Democrat former slave masters. You'll notice that the rhetoric hasn't changed. Republicans who wanted to end slavery in the 19th century were called "Radicals" just as are Republicans of the 21st century who want to end abortion. Here is an article in Harpers Weekly of March 30, 1867 that discusses the impeachment of racist Democratic President Andrew Johnson.

THE NEW ORLEANS MASSACRE The Committee of Congress appointed to investigate the riot in New Orleans on July 30, 1866, have lately presented a report, giving a full history of the tragedy. It is shown by that record that the riotous attack upon the Republican Convention, with its terrible results of massacre and murder, was planned and executed by the Mayor of New Orleans, and that it had the countenance of President Johnson, without which it would never have taken place. The report shows that the number known to have been killed was 38, of whom 37 were loyal, and one disloyal; 48, all loyal, were severely wounded; 98 slightly wounded, of whom 88 were loyal, and 10 policemen. Besides these there was evidence, though not fully certain, that 10 more were killed and 20 wounded. Of those known to be killed 34 were colored, of the severely wounded 40, of the slightly wounded 79. Preparations for the massacre were made under the shield of the municipal authorities for some time before it took place. Fire-companies prepared and armed themselves; the police were withdrawn from their posts, supplied with revolvers, and kept waiting at their station-houses until the signal for the butchery was given, and then rushed to the bloody work with a raging mob of rebel soldiers. The Mayor made no effort to stop the disorder, and the military commander was misled as to the hour of the meeting, so that he could not bring up his troops in time to repress the outrages. The spirit which dictated this terrible massacre of the Unionists of New Orleans "will not down," but continues to inspire such fury in the breast of the returned rebels as leads them to desire and plan another similar slaughter. The rebel element in the State and city has dominated ever since the riot of July last, and its influence and insolence has so rapidly increased as to threaten a second performance of the same horrible character. An election, deemed a fitting occasion for such an exhibition, was to have been held in New Orleans on March 11 last. So determined were the returned rebels to provoke a second riot that General Sheridan was compelled, in order to secure quiet and give protection to the Unionists, to forbid the opening of the polls, and to order that "the day of election be postponed until a district commander under the new military law shall have been appointed." General Sheridan has since been appointed to this command, and the elections henceforth will be conducted by and under his direction.

No Democrat leader has ever apologized for this atrocity. Shame.