New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-08-29
THE cUsTOMHoUsE OUTRAGE
VERSION OF CASEY AND PACKARD
SHARP REPLY OF DIR. CONWAY

| SHARP REPLY OF MIR. CONWAY
We find the following production in New
York papers, and reproduce it for the infor
nation of our readers:
A PACKARD AND CASEY DOCUMENT.
NEW ORLEANS, August IA, 1871.
To the Public:
The State Central Executive Committee
OF the Republican party of Louisiana, which
was IN existence prior to the convention Of
the ninth instant, was formed in accordance
with resolution of the Republican conven.
ton, passed August 10, 1870. This resolu.
ton, after prescribing the mode of forma.
ton of the committee, provided that said
committee shall hold Office for the term OF
one year, and it shall be their duty, on OF
before the expiration of their term of SER
vice, to call a State convention of the Re-
publican party for the purpose of choosing
their successors. -
In accordance with this resolution, on the
twenty-seventh of June, 1871, the Central
Committee issued their call for State con-
vention, to be held in New Orleans, on
Wednesday, August 9, fixing the delegation
to which each parish and ward was entitled,
and prescribing that the credentials of dele
gates must be signed by the presidents and
secretaries of their respective parish COM
mittees, and in the city of New Orleans by
the presidents and secretaries of the mother
ward clubs, which credentials were to be
forwarded as soon as possible to the presi-
dent of the State Central Committee, to be
by him presented to the convention.
Immediately the Warmoth faction COM
meneed using every means to insure their
success throughout the State. Brides of
money and office were proffered unsparingly;
all ofice-holders obnoxious to their policy
were removed; threats and entreaties were
alike used to effect their purpose. In the
city of New Orleans organized bands of
street laborers, policemen in uniform or in
plain clothes, and thugs and criminals of
the lowest standing in society were sent
from ward to ward and from clubroom to
clubroom to repress all expressions of dis
satisfaction with their master, Warmoth,
and to insure the election of his candidates.
Men were knocked down and brutally NAL
treated by these ruffians for daring to ex-
press an opinion of their own, while uni
formed policemen stood by laughing and
making no motion to interfere.
Meanwhile the elections were steadily
going against the Warmoth party. In those
few parishes where his candidates were
fairly elected no contest was made, but in
every case where the result of the election
went against them, the tax collectors and
other officials appointed by the Governor
bOlted, formed conventions OF their own,
and in many cases, without even that form
ality, claimed to be regularly elected dele
gates TO the convention. WarmothS friends
openly boasted that they would control the
convention, no matter at what cost. United
States Senator j. r. West, the creature and
tool of Warmoth, the only man claiming to
be Republican, who voted with the Demo
cratic Senators against the ratification of
the treaty with Great Britain, proclaimed
in the public streets, "We will have control
of that convention or blood"
No place of meeting having been named
in the call, on the third day of August, 1871,
the State Central Committee authorized
their president, S. B. Packard, to procure
suitable place of meeting. Upon inquiry,
it was found that every public hall in the
the purpose, had been engaged beforehand
by the Governor, with the intention of
forcing the convention to meet in some place
where by his police and thugs, he could
effectually control it. Under these cireum-
stances the president of the committee, S.
B. Packard, determined to hold the conven-
ton in the United States courtroom, situ-
ated in the Customhouse but in a part of
the building entirely distinct and isolated
A4OLI lAO CuSLOAio oCPbA VI
room he is custodian by virtue of his po
sition as United States Marshal. In this
determination the majority of the State COM
mittee and Collector Casey, custodian of
the building, heartily acquiesced.
At the meeting of August 3, and four days
before the place of meeting was determined
the Central Committee passed resolution
declaring that tickets of admission would
be issued only to persons claiming seats as
delegates, and that all others would be ex-
cluded from the hall. In accordance with
this resolution, on the morning of the ninth
instant, a ticket of admission was furnished
to every person claiming seat in the con-
vention no matter on how frivolous or evil
IDENTIFY fraudulent grounds such claim was
based.
Notwithstanding that this mode of pro-
cedure was fully advertised and universally
known, the Warmoth party persisted in de-
claring that they would go into the conyen-
ton without tickets and clean out the build
ing with the police; but, nevertheless,
recognized the authority of the committee
by making application for and receiving
tickets. Threats of assassination against
prominent members of the opposition were
freely and openly made. Fearing that a
riot would ensue within the precincts of the
building, Marshal Packard telegraphed on
the eighth instant to General Reynolds,
commanding department, for guard of
United States troops solely for the protec-
ton of United States property. This re-
quest was granted, and at 9 A. NJ, of the
ninth, forty men of the Nineteenth United
States infantry, under command of Captain
Smith, weresmarehed into the building.
Here they at once stacked arms, broke
ranks, and dispersed through the building,
nor at any time during the day did they
attamDt to Interfere with anv DersoU nor
was even a single sentry posted in the
building
The hour fixed for the assembling of the
convention was IL M. At quarter past
10 A. M. Governor Warmoth and a crowd
of about sixty persons entered the building,
proceeded upstairs and demanded admis-
sion into the court room. The deputy mar
shall in charge told him he had strict orders
to admit no one to the room until half-past
eleven; but as he, the Governor, was still
suffering from lameness, he would personally
take the responsibility of admitting him at
once, and his friends would be allowed to
enter at the proper time. The Governor at
once mounted a chair, and commenced
violent speech denunciatory of the general
government, and declaiming against the
military as there to prevent his entrance to
she convention. He was here respectfully
by the officer commanding the
troops, who assured him he was not there to
interfere with any one, but simply to pro-
,ect public property. The Governor then
proposed adjournment to Turner Hall, and
went there, followed by his gang, without |
receiving the slightest molestation, insult |
,r abuse from any one.
At IL M. the convention was called to or
Ter. Eighty-four bona fde delegates took |
part in the convention, thirty-fOur voting |
L IL -