The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1871-12-16

man, the presuming and ready prom
lslng friends OF the negroes vote for a
white man. He thus at one blow
destroys two ISLANDERS directed at his
honesty OF purpose, and assists in
convlct1ng his assailants of being
guilty of the very acts which they
had charged him with the design to
perpetrate. And, not satisfied with
defaming a Republican Governor and
spreading division and distrust in the
Republican party, they still further
demonstrate their wickedness by using
the name of the President in a way
that, we cannot suppose for an instant,
they are justified in doing. Marshal
Packard certainly never had the
authorization of General Grant to
threaten the State with martial law,
In order to carry point in the Legis-
lature of the State. And vet Mr..
Packard has abused the name of the
President in this very fashion, threat
ening Louisiana with military gov
ernmen5 in the event she does not
observe the dictates of the Custom
house ring. This is what Mr.. Packard
has deliberately suggested in the
name of President Grant. He used
this threat, too, at time when it was
calculated to serve political purpose.
1t was delivered deliberately, in order
to affect a Senator's vote. The design
was to shape the action of the State
Senate in its highest capacity. Mr..
Packard has put himself in the atti
tude of the man who attempts to in
timidate the State. He says to Sena-
tor Butler, "Do SO, or you will be
put under martial law" He saws to a
Senator that his duty is to vote as
President Grant desires, and not as he
himself would elect to vote. 1t is
the government of one man that
Mr.. Packard desires to establish. We
are to have Senators and pay for
them, but they are only to be the
mouth-pieces of the President. Mar
tial law will snperyene if they act as
Senators, and not as echoes.
The letter of Senator Butler, which
We print below, tells this story and
declares all this insignificant inforlna-
tion. We do not believe that Mr..
Packard spoke by authority of the
President; but that he spoke as he is
represented to have done we firmly
believe, because the tenor of the
CustOm-hOuse organ is to the same
effect in its article announcing the
appointment of General Emory to the
command of this district. The threat
is deliberately renewed therein that
military law is contemplated by Car
ter, Casey, Packard g. Co., since they
are too weak to win their game in
any other way.
LETTER OF SENATOR BUTLER.
New ORLEANS, December 8, 1871.
l consider it duty to make public
the following facts, in order. that
President Grant may know how he is
misrepresented, if he be so, and that
the people of the United States, if he
be not misrepresented, may learn to
what desperate extremes the Presi-
dent has determined to go to extend
and perpetuate his power.
just before the election for Lieu
tenant Governor of Louisiana, vice
Hon. o. j. Dunn, deceased, the Uni
ted States Marshal for this State,
Hon. S. B. Packard, sought me and
stated that was running my future
prospects by not joining his side.
to wit: the Republican minority and
Democratic coalition that it was of
no great consequence whether War
moth Republicans elected the Lieu
tenant Governor or not, or even if
Warmoth succeeded in obtaining
reelection in 1872, for in that event |
they had the guarantee of President
Grant that he woald at once declare
martial law, and give has political
friends all the Offices. He urged me,
for these reasons, to vote for his can
didate, and added that General Reyn-
olds would be in military command
here, and that everything would be |
all right with him.
E. BUTLER,
Senator Fifth Senatorial District. |