New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-08-10
THE cUsToMIIoUsE CONVENTION.

crowd assembled around the Customhouse
building. These people appeared to be ac-
tuated by variety of reasons. Some were
mere idlers-lookers- on, strikers and bench
men. BY some mysterious hocus-pocus,
this class had no difficulty in obtaining adj
mission Another class of rough-looking
men wore badges that indicated them as
deputy marshals.
A number of better dressed gentlemen
had tickets, which they were req uired to
present at the closed door of the Custom
house before they could gain adm ittance.
Merchants and others. who had business in
the Collectors Office were sent away, for
Uncle Sans property was rented for the
day to the State Central Committee, for the
purpose OF holding pretended convention
of the Republican party.
Our reporter applied for admission
little before noon, and after reasonable
amount of insolence on the part of Mr..
Packard's doorkeepers, was permitted to
squeeze in through the rough, ragged, dirty
crowd that thronged the sidewalk, the
vestibule, the stairway and the halls up
of United States troops under arms.
There was no commissioned officer in
sight. We did not learn why these troops
were there, nor by whose authority they
had been brought from the Barracks.
Neither was it apparent why all the bust
ness of the government had been brought
to a standstill and the public shut out from
the Customhouse. If Collector Casey, find
ing that business has fallen off so that there
is no other use for the Customhouse, has
rented it out for political shows and rustic
iunketing, he should at least have adver-
tised the fact, so that gentlemen would be
spared the inconvenience of useless walk
| and disgusting contact,
Passing on to the United States Court
room, however, we found the State Central
Committee greatly enlarged and reinforced
by the officers of the customs, their clerks,
porters, ETC.. pretending to hold a conven-
ton under the call recently published in
the REPUBLICAN. At twelve o'clock, Mr..
Packard called the crowd to order, and
there being no sort Of opposition, the call
a
| He then remarked that he had been directed
| by the State Central Committee to cali this
| convention to order.
A seedy looking reverend gentleman
| then accepted an invitation TO pray, after
| which the cut and dried programme was
| developed. j. Henri Burch was elected
| temporary chairman, and was escorted to
the chair by j. II. Ingraham and Hyman
Smith. T. w. DeKlyne was appointed sec
rotary, and man whose name is of no
special consequence was dignifed with the
| appellation of sergeant-at-arms.
Then on motion of Mr.. Packard, 'AIr.
| Wright and all the men selected by the
| Central Committee for that purpose" were
| declared assistant sergeants-at-arms. The
| English of this is, that all of Mr.. Packard's
| deputy marshals were thus recognized as
| officers of the CustOmhouse conven ton.
This gave respectable show Of force, for
| including the soldiers there were at least
| three "conservators of the peace" for each
| delegate. If that is not sufficient to make
| the ''free and Independent" represen tatives
of the people tote the right way, then
Mr.. Packard has committed an error of
| judgment.
And now, according to programme, the
| roll, rs presented by the committee on Gre
| dentials 1.-THE Central Committee) was read.
Among the numerous names that were
| called, we heard occasionally one that has
| been really returned. P. B. S. Pinchback,
from the Fourth Ward, did not answer, but
j. E. Parker, of Jefferson, did. Thomas
| Ong, of st. Bernard, also responded, as did
two or three more, whose names are not So
| well known to us or the public.
| About nine-tenths of the names on the
list had been placed there by the Central
Committee, without consultation with the
| constituents claimed by the gentlemen ans
wering to them. And it was evident that
| the whole concern was packed affair,
composed of dependents of Messrs. Pack
ard, Casey, Lowell & Co., with here and
there an impecunious fellow with no pres
| ent, having but brilliant hopes.
At the proper time, John Ray stood up
| and moved that a committee ON credentials,
consisting of seven, be appointed.
I Carried, of course, as all other motions
were, mem. con.
The chair, after sufficient hesitation to
lead green spectator to suppose the thing
was not already agreed upon, appointed Mr..
Ray chairman of the pretended committee
on credentials 1.-THE real committee had al
ready sent in the report), and added Messrs.
Wands, Green, and the delegate from st.
Charles. whose name is not now remem
Der; also, Mr.. Pinchback, who was known
to be in attendance at the State Republican
Convention at Turner Hall.
We can not now recall the other names.
Mr. Packard then issued decree, by way
of motion, that the committee be requested
to retire, and take with them the report
Just read, as well as the credentials handed
in by the Central Committee. The seven
gentlemen retired without a smile to meet
in another room; wait hstlessly for half an
hour or so, and return with the unexpect-
edly gratifying intelligence that they find
the roll of delegates as reported by the real
committee ON credentials to be all right.
AS three or four of the members of the So
called committee ON credentials have their
own seats contested, it was believed they
were peculiarly well satted for the oeca-
sion.
So far everything was pleasant and agree
able enough; but Mr.. Packard, with spirit
of persecution for which we thought him