Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1853-07-09
The Parish Democratic Convention.

SATURDAY., III uCCOTudlaCC Wi pAS''~
in the back room of Mr.. Valega's Cotfee-house'
Why they should have held it In such a dim"
nutive Observation-Disclosures for such a pur-
pose-is a mystery to US; and the only soln-
ton that we can make for such a singular pro-
~ceeding-when we have in Plaquensne such
rooms as the Marionneaur Hall and Or,Hion's
Hall, to say nothing of the court-house-is,
that il was for the purpose of keeping out the
Wings, or Of admitting only a certain number
Of the faithful" to carry out intentions already
"c,n and dried" We leave the outsiders in the
rain (among whom We fgured) to determine
which of the two reasons was the correct one.
In the outset, delegates were appointed to
the Democratic State Convention at Baton
Rouge, instructing them to cast their first vote
for ]. NJ. RiIs, of this parish, for Treasurer
and for Judge Carrigan, as Superintendent Of
Public Education. An animated debate here
sprung up between E. w. Robertson, Esq and
J. II. Ba!ch, and occasionally dipped into by
Joseph WEIGH, with short but pertinent remarks.
It occurred through the proposition Of MIR. Ro-
bertson, that Dr.. Miller, of Point Coupte re-
ceiye the vote of this parish for this latter Of
fee, for the reason that he had, in the Legls'a-
ture, assisted Mr.. Brown materially in his bill
| defining the boundary line of l~berviIle, whereas
| Judge Carrigan, on. of the Legislature, had ex-
erted his influence to defeat it. But Mr.. Balch
favored the nomination of the latter gentleman
because he had done his duty faithfully, and
had been in Office just about long enough TO
become acquainted with his duties. This, Mr..
| R. commended, was not true Democracy, for ne
would not admit that any Democrat was not full
| " competen, TO discharge the duties forthwith
Of any office he might accept. 1t would take
MANY pages Of foolscap to give the substance
Of this debate, even if We were capable; but
the foregoing were the main grounds upon
which it proceeded. Although Mr.. Baleh be-
came victorious, in having the delegation in
structed TO vote for Judge Carrigan in prefe-
! renee 10 Or. Miller, we are Of opinion that Mr.
Robertson had the best Of the debate in the
display Of o~ratorical powers and in the advocacy
of out-and-out Locofoco principles.
Having got through with the "jnstruc;ions,'
E. D. Woods and James y. Brown were pro-
posed and nominated by reclamation As candi-
dates for the lower branch of the Legislature,
there being no opposition. We do not know
what idea crossed the minds Of others when
this announcement was made, but il seemed TO
US that it was 4 direct censure upon the course
of DR.. Garrett in the last Legislature, who
we are confident, performed his duties 10 his
constituents and to the State as ably and as
faithfully as Mr.. Brown or any other Democrat
IF the Convention was aware that DR.. Garrett
would not have accepted the nomination,
land he certainly would not it should at least
have granted him the same honor as it did 10
Mr.. Brown, that Of declining-which Mr.
Brown will doubtless do, as it is a nomination
unworthy of his services and his ambition
But the mere recommendation Of DR.. Garrett
would not eomport with the programme OF
caucus c!iques, and therefore the reason OF his
being "oYerslaughed," as they say in the navy.
The President of the Convention, Mr.. Louis
Hebert, then announced that the nominations
for Sheriff were in order, when J. NJ. Rila, A..
E. Arceneaux, Joseph II. Erwin and Oscar Du-
puy, were ~seyerally nominated by their respec-
tive friends. Upon the nomination, however,
Of Mr.. Erwin, a member of the Crosse Tete
delegation arose, and read to the Convention
the following letter, as near as We can recol-
leet:
"To the Delegates composing the Contention:
l respectfully decline having my name an
nounced before this Convention for any office
in the parish. JOSEPH II. ERWIN"
There was a deathly silence for a few Sc
conds when this brief but significant note was
read. 1t was the calm which ~silences an ami
mated party when the lightning and the thun-
der-bolt of approaching storm descends upon it.
The vote by precincts was then taken-Paul
Dupuy's precinct voting for Oscar Dupuy;
Crosse Tete and Grand River for Erwin, not
outstanding his declining 10 come before the
Convention, which act was tantamount to his
refusing any nomination that might be offered
him; and the balance Of the precincts voting
for Arceneaux, which gave him the majority,
when it was proclaimed that he was the choice
of the Convention for Sheriff. 1t was then
proposed that he be nominated by reclamation,
which was carried, with the exception of the
Crosse Tate and Grand River delegations,
which remained silent.
1t is matter of very little importance to as
or IN the Whigs who ia defeated or nominated
for Sheriff by the Convention. We have no
interest in the matter farther than in getting q
faithful and competent officer, and have no
idea Of eontending for the victory-wea are too