New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-08-22

|
ica1 convention, and no delegate should
have gone there. The action of so-called
| Republican State convention, held in a
United States building and guarded gainst
Republicans by United States troops. will
not be thought valid. And this military
supervision of nominations suggests the
same supervision of elections. If the polit.
ical situation of Louisiana is such that it is
necessary to supersede the ordinary political
machinery by the power of the national
government, it should be done by due lie gis-
/ latiOn.
The New York Herald, in discussing
Louisiana affairs, says:
! Considering the high-handed doings of
the Customhouse clique of managers
against the Warmoth gang at the late New
| Orleans Republican convention, we are not
surprised that General Grant is of the
| opinion that the CustQmhouse chaps carried
| their Joke a little too far in the employment
of soldiers to keep out of the convention
the Warmoth faction, and that he has re-
solved to rectify the blunder thus COM
miJted by walking ticket to the blunder-
ers directly responsible.
From the st. James Sentinel
THE TWO CONVENTIONS.
For the past ten days we have been in
New Orleans, carefully watching political
readers Of the Sentinel faithful account of
the circumstances which led to the holding
of two cOnyentions-one IN the United State,
CustOmhouse, the other at Turner Hail.
both claiming to be the proper representa-
tive of the Republican party of the State.
At the eleventh hour, the State Central
Committee. or majority of them, desig-
mated the United States Customhouse as the
place of meeting for the Convention, and
Il otac ipo fa1 fn IL
dentials to United States Marshal s. b.
Packard, President of the committee, and
also notified that they would be required to
procure tickets Of admission, signed by that
gentleman, before being allowed admit,ance
to the hall IN which the convention was to
assemble. Mr.. Packard advertised the
money order office of the postal department
as the place from which these tickets
would be issued, but when a crowd of
delegates had gathered there, Post
master Lowell make his appearance and
ordered them ont, saying that Mr..
Packard had no authority to use that Office
but he would hand the tickets out through
the window. The disgraceful scene which
followed has been fifty described in COM
munication from Hon. Emerson Bentley to
the New Orleans REPUBLICAN. Delegates
were obliged to climb up the granite wall
and cling with one hand to the window sill
while receiving their tickets with the other.
Men who derived additional dignity and
were entitled to additional respect from the
fact of being representatives of the people,
were thus Inundated in the principal thor
oughfare OF New Orleans by being
made to appear as crowd OF school boys
climbing up the sides of the treasurer's
wagon 10 receive tickets of admission to a
circus. In the first place, the "ticket sys-
TEN" was an absurditv, and the manner in
which it was carried out IN insult to the
delegates.
1t seems that the delegates opposed to
Governor WarmOth' and his administration
had gathered in caucus at the Custom
house previous 20 the hour fixed for the
assembling of the convention, and when the
Governor and a large number of delegates
friendly to himself arrived at the place
about eleven O'Clock, they found the doors
closed and barred, and were denied admit
tance until the hour of twelve o'clock
should arrive. To say the least, this was an
act OF gross discourtesy on the part OF the
CustOmhOuse men-an act for which we
can find no precedent. But the crowning
indignity remains to be told. Drawn up in
the rotunda of the building were three
companies of United States soldiers, with
arms stacked ready for use. and inter-
hundred deputy marshals, all wearing
badges, and most of them armed with re-
volvers.
The mere presence of these soldiers was |
an insult to Governor Warmoth and his |
friends which we can not and will not coun- |
tenance. We asked only forfair play, little |
expecting that the very men whom we were |
disposed to regard as desirous of according |
it would seek to intimidate their opponents
by securing the presence of armed United /
States soldiers at a State convention. The
Governor made short but vigorous ad-
dress to his followers, proposing an adjourn
ment to Turner Hall, at the conclusion of
which he and his friends were crowded
down the steps to the street by press of
the crowd of deputy marshals from within
the building. The Governor entered his
and an enthusiastic crowd gath
cred around it, unhitching the horses, and
drawing the vehicle TO the Turner Hall,
amid continual din of deafening shouts
and cheers. Arrived at the hall in
question, a convention was organized
N the the usual manner, as we related
asst week, officers elected, State Central
md Congressional Committee chosen,
resolutions drafted and unanimously
adopted, an address to the Republicans of
convention was conducted in a secret
manner, only such persons as held tickets
rom the United States Marshal being al
owed admlttance to the hall. and the en-
RANGES being closely guarded by troops
nd deputy marshals. The usual business
# the Customhouse was hindered and oh
trueted, merchants and ship masters having
reat difficulty in entering to secure neces-
ary papers and attend to matters connected
NTH the collection of port customs.
This convention finished It's business in
ne day, and ajOulned sine de- its leaders
caring, perhaps, that if the delegates were
lowed to leave the building before the
abors were completed, many of them would
OF return, but would repudiate the affair
nd fraternize with the Governors sup
Orters.
In decided and damaging contrast to the
,ustomhouse 81 gathering, was the Turner
lall convention, the sessions of which were
eld IN a spacious hall, with all the en-
RANGES thrown open; free admission granted
everybody, and no guards of deputy mar
nals, pOHce, or United States soldiers visi- [
lie. The convention held two sessions, and {
ne attendance Of delegates was larger, and
ne proceedings more enthusiastic on the
econd day than ON the first V
very significant fact to be taken into {
Is this: That ont of twenty
We delegates elected to the State conven-
on whose seats were not contested,
Venty -four went to the Turner Hall con- /
entlOn, While but one remained at the q
ustomhouse, and that one afterward
gned protest against the doings OF the
tier assemblage. /
We have endeavored in the foregoing ar
Gle to give faithful narrative of events
they, actually occurred, and we leave
IT readers to draw their own conclusions.
70 are not of the bigoted order of men who 4
IN excuse any manner of outrage because I
by party leaders whom we have !
7reto1ore supported, and we do not deem
, an inconsistency to change our course
hen passing events prove us to have q