New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-08-22
THE CUsTOMHOUsE PARTY.
Opinions of the Press.

| Political affairs in Louisiana attract con
siderable attention; they have certainly as
sumed peculiar phase, and tue people OF
thls country may well ask what it means
we read in the Tribune of a "Customhouse
party in this State, which is understood to
be the party of the administration, which
attempts to control the State in its own in.
terests Unfortunately for the Republican,
OF New York, the ''Customhouse party is
not strong or popular enough to carry with
1t the party, although it may succeed in
dividing 1t, throwing victory upon the ban
ners OF the Democrats. The opinion is
| daily growing stronger and stronger among
the people, that federal ottic ehOlders should
have as little as possible to do with politics.
The people are 10 determine who shall
| be their servants, and they dislike to be die
tated to by any set of officials Men who
are elected to office, or receive federal ap-
pointments, should have something else TO
do besides exerting an influence to per-
| petuate their power. Let all ofiicebolders
attend to their legitimate business, and the
voters OF this country will take care of them
| selves. Thus far there has been no di-
rect conflict between the ''Customhouse
! party" OF this State and those who follow
| Greeley and Fenton. In Louisiana the case
is different. There the "Customhouse party
has attempted to gain control of the State
| Convention, and to that end il has employed
Il
has been sanctioned at Long Branch we do
not believe; and when the President hears
| all the facts In the case, we presume he will
| act the part of an honorable and sensible
| man, even II has TO remove all the federal
| Office holders in New Orleans.
Our New Orleans exchanges come TO US
filled with accounts Of the late difficulty in
| that city. The story is a short oHe Col
| lector James +. Casey, Of New Orleans. and
| the other officeholders in that city, deter
| mined to run the State Convention To that
end they seat circulars all over the State.
and announced that the convention would
be held in the Customhouse. No one was
to be admitted who did not first get ticket
of 5. b. Packard, United States Marshal.
The Republicans of Louisiana, under the
lead of Governor Warmoth, accepted these
conditions, and, provided with tickets, went
to the Customhouse on the day designated,
for the purpose of holding the convention.
They found the building barricaded,
guarded with armed deputy marshaIs and
filled with United States soldiers The
regularly chosen delegates TO the conven-
ton were denied admittance to the Custom
house, and after short consultation they
adjourned to Turner Hail. and held the con-
yentiun.
The Republicans of New Orleans were
much excited over this affair, and, taking
the horses from Governor Warmoth's car
riage, they drew him to the hall A dense
mass OF people filled the hall, cheering the
United States flag and singing John
Brown" Governor Warm0th made speech,
i'll which he said: "It has been our boast,
up to this time, and our pride, that the army
OF the United States has nothing to do with
the election Of candidates, or the control Of
the people when they assemble in public
convention. This is the first instance in the
record OF our great republic when it has
been otherwise" May we hope" the Gov
ernor added, that this conduct has been
without the knowledge of President Grant.
l am disposed TO say and believe there is no
doubt oft. Ii it shall 90 to the people that
he has sanctioned this, the American people
will repudiate him.
Judge II. C.. Dibble made a speech, in
which he said:
when leave this convention l shall 60
straight to Washington, and shall ask
President Grant as a soldier whether he
gave his sanction to the action that has
been taken here to-day. Ii he saws yea.
then | will denOunce him through every
city in' the land. If he says nay, then /
shall say, Prove your sincerity, sir, by
striking Oft the heads of these men, j
shall not believe heis sincere until Packard,
Casey and Lowell are removed"
This is the exact state of affairs in the
Republican party of Louisiana, and the
President must take sides with one faction
or the other. If he sustains the Custom
house party. he loses Governor Warmeth
and his supporters; if he sustains Governor |
WarInoth, he must remove the present |
federal officers in New Orleans. The only |
sure way in all such cases is to leave the |
people to themselves and give offceholders |
to understand that they have other work to |
do than meddling in politics. Until this
plan is adopted we shall never have |
From the Cincinnati Gazette1
THE MILITARY CONVENTION IN LOUISIANA.
The United States Marshal of Louisiana,
5. Is. Packard, has addressed note to the |
New York Tribune correcting the report
that he said that President Grant had au
thOrlzed the use of tue CustomhOuse for the
State Convention, and the bringing in Of
troops to guard it. The marshal assumes
the responsibility Tor the act. No friend of
the President will assume that he gave any
for this proceeding. which has
placed weapon in the hands of the opp0si-
ton to revive their warfare upon the Ku-
iGux bill, which was in decline because
Dt the evidence both of the need and bene-
icial influence of that bill.
The marshal states that he made requisi-
ion on the military commissioner for troops
o protect the public property. An officer
If the United States government, who calls
or troops to keep the doorway of politi-
,al convention, has the effronterv to write |
20 public Journal that it was merely to |
protect the public property in the Custom
louse.
By this unfortunate statement the mar
hal has made a bad impression of his own
haracter. Honorable men who resort to
he arbitrary proceeding of calling in the
lrmy to help them manage political con-
ention, do not state that it was only to |
rotect the public property. The unfortu-
ate marshal goes ON 10 expose the false |
ood OF this pretense by charging that if |
he convention had not been held in the
under guard, there would
ave been disturbance in it. But we
ave not come to the time when the army /
to be called In to prevent disturbance
4 political convention. When riot has
roken out, which the local authorities can
Ot control, then it will be time for the !
rmy to be called in.
The circumstances are that there are two .
actions in the Republican party of Louisi.
ma, one led by the State officials, the other
y the United States officials. The policy
the latter is to charge, with everything :
lse that is bad, that the Governor War |
10th party Is opposed to the reelection of /.
rant. They seem to have supposed that
lis is equivalent to charge of treason,
nd that 1T gave them the right to call in !
le army on their side. The national Office s
Olders' faction had the State Central Com
littee They called convention without
any place or any rules. 1t is !
;ated that the WarmOth party carried .
ajority of the delegates, and that upon
lis the committee gave notice, day or two '
efore the meeting, that the convention G
ould be held at the United States court Z
,om, in the CustomhOuse building, and that u
ckets would be issued to the qualified II
5legates at the postOtfice and that none "