The weekly Louisianian., 1872-09-21
|THE GREAT ~GUBERNATORI-
AL RACE.
UNPRECEDENTED RAILROAD SPEEDWAY
Monks CHASE OF PINCHBACK-wAR-
MOTH COMES IN AHEAD-THE
CusroMHousE JOCKEYS
DZSTANCED.

come off in this country sincethe great
contest of speed between between Lex
ington and Lecompte, or of steam be-
tween the Natchez and the Lee. Last
Sunday week, Governor Warmoth be-
ing called to New York, on urgent bu-
siness connected with the railroad in
terest Of the State, concluded to slip
away, as quietly as possible, leaving
his Secretary in charge of his office
and papers, and taking the precaution
to lock up in au iron safe certain un-
signed bills, to which it might be the
interest of a certain party to give the
force and effect of law before the up
preaching election.
Thus departed the Governor on his
Northern flight. He had been pre-
coded several days by Lieut.. Governor
Pinchback, whose valuable services and
effective oratory had been called into
requisition by the National Committee
of tho Radical party, in the State con-
test in Maine. The absence of these
two high officials, and the vigilantly
observed and well understood modesty
and reserve of Speaker Brewster in the
remote parish of Ouaehita, gave a
pretty strong assurance that the Gov
errors functions would not be assumed
in his absence.
But so important q fact and opening
could not escape the notice of the
vigilant Customhouse. The adroit,
daring and energetic Packard was not
the man to let so tempting an oppor-
tunity pass by, to effect one of those
revolutions peculiar to our politics and
which have been so often attempted
against the present Governor. The
occupation of tho Governors Office,
the possession of the great seal Of the
State and tho handling Of the numer-
GUS unsigned acts of the Legislature,
would be worth q kingdom to this as
piring faction.
This brilliant idea was no sooner
conceived than measures were set on
foot to carry it into effect. The tele-
graph was put to work to conyoke the
chiefs. There were frequentmidnight
consultations in the Old Granite Rock
cry, The plans were all laid with on
sumote strategy. Pinchback was sud-
denly interrupted in a magnificent
speech-somewhere on the Andres
coggin-with q message to hurry
,.oms-he was wanted-everything
depended on his speed-and Pinch
saw into the whole affair Us clearly
and as quickly as the usurping
King Of England, when he beard
from his castle the words of the min
strel, "the lion is loose" knew that
Richard, the Lion-hearted, had es-
capped from his prison and was on his
way to claim his own.
SO Pinch packed his carpet-bag,
abandoned his canvass, delivered over
the notes OF his intended speeches to
some seoond-handed Yankee orator,
and hurried to New York, where he
found imperative orders awaiting him
to attend the National Committee of
he Grant party in session in that city.
Here he met Chandler and the other
managers Of. the Grant campaign, who
inf ,r1ned him that his immediate return
60 New Orleans, and the assumption
of tho vacrnt scat of Gov. Warmoth,
the greatest service he could rem
der the Grant cause. 1t would make
certain the eight electoral votes of the
and secure the State Government for
.our party" Pinch ~acquiesced in the
scheme, and determined to obey orders
Proceeding to the Fifth Avenue Hotel
to look after his baggage, what was
his surprise to: find himself confronted
in the hall of that establishment by the
tall figure of his chief and superior,
Gov. Warmoth.
This occurred last Saturday after.
noon. There<was q cordial greeting
of the two dignitaries, and after some
friendly interchanges they parted, I'M
der an engagement to meet ut 9 o'clock
that night.
The Governor was prompt at the
time and place Of the arranged inter-
view. But Pinch wa absent. The