The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-01-09
The New Orleans Embroglio.

A few words Of explanation may enable
the South Carolina public to understand the
merits of the political faction fghtin progress
in New Orleans.
There are, in Louisiana, only two po-
litical parties, the Conservative or Demo-
cratic, and the Radical Republican /; but
the Radical party is divided into carpet
bas-mulatto Radicals and scalawag-negro
Radicals, the carpet-bag wing being led by
Governor Warmoth, and the scalawasg-
negro wing being supported by the local
officers of the Federal Government Gov
ernor Warmotb, like Governor Scott, at
tempted to curry favor with the ConserVa-
tive citizens, and gave their repres entative
body, the Citizens Association, distinct
promises of his assistance In curtailing the
growing influence and power Of the negroes
in their demands for Office. The death OF
Dunn, the black Lieutenant Governor, now
took place, and Governor Warmoth had to
choose between sighting the negro element
and breaking faith with the white Conserva-
tives. Threats OF impeachment were rife,
and Yarmouth saw no safety except in Sc
lecting, as successor to Dunn, person
who could not, or would not, go over to the
opposition. Declining to accede to the re-
quest of the Citizens Association that he
would nominate, as promised, o person OF
good character and high standing, he con-
vened the Senate in special session last
month for the selection Of new Lieuten-
ant Governor.
| Before the Senate met, it became under
stood that the Governors candidate was P.
B. s. Pinchback, light mulatto, an old op-
ponent OF Dunn, and whois, besides, despised
by the whites, and distrusted by the blacks.
The Democracy and the Anti-Warmouth
party formed coalition to defeat Pinch
back, and their calculation was that the
first vote would be tie. A Warmoth sena-
tor was then to come over and secure the
election Of Senator Copeland, an incorrupti-
BILE and able man. But the influences in
which our own artless Governor delights
were brought into play-an opposition sena-
tor deserted to the enemy, and Pinchback
was elected on the first ballot. The opposi-
ton did not, however, give up the fight.
They denied the right OF the Governor to
call a special session Of a single branch OF
the General Assembly, and resolved to
renew the contest as soon as the regular ses-
sion OF the Legislature began. Nor was the
excitement confined to the Senate. The
speaker OF the House, Mr.. George W. Carter,
is the readiest debater and most adroit tacti-
clan in the party, and between him and the
Governor there exists deadly feud. 1t is a
meoted question whether, in case OF i'm
peachment, the Lieutenant Governor being
dead, Speaker Carter does not actually be-
come Governor Of the State. The situation,
in q word, was this p: Either Warmoth must
depose the speaker, or the Governor would
be impeached and deposed himself
The regular session of the Legislature
begins on the first Monday in January. On
Wednesday, January Sd, the Senate had nc
quorum, but the House met, and the plans
OF the Warmothites were instantly devel.
oped. A motion was made to declare the
chair vacant, which motion Speaker Carter
pronounced to be revolutionary. On test
question the Carterites were defeated by six
majority, and, as in the preceding session
the Warmothites were in the minority in
the House, it is plain that, during the inter-
val between the two sessions, number OF
members had been bought over. Toprevent
his expulsion by force, Speaker Carter placed
body-guard in the rear Of his desk, and on
Wednesday night he is said to have demand
ed the support OF the Federal troops. THIS
brings us 10 the question which lies at the
bottom OF the whole quarrel.
There are in Louisiana two separate and
distinct organizations, each claiming to
represent the Republican party. United
States Marshal Packard is at the head Of the
one, and Governor Warmoth at the head of
the other, viz: the party which bolted at the
LlU6 vi Lu6 SldLc SOufcuIlOu. AL tuo L GU
eral officials are found among the leaders OF
the opposition to Warmotb, and the struggle
is for the mastery in the State. If the Gov
ernor defeats his adversaries in the Legisla-
ture, he gives the lie to the representations
of the Customhouse clique, obtains the recog-
milton Of the National Republican Commit
tee, and, with the registration and election
laws in his own hands, can dictate terms
to the Washington officials and hold the key
to the situation. On the other side if he is
defeated, the Packard -Customhouse party
are recognized, the control of the Federal
patronage is lost and the impeachment OF
Warmoth is certain. It was also claimed
that any advantage which the Governor
might enjoy in his power over the State
courts would be neutralzed by an appeal OF
the Packard Carter party to the laws OF. the
United States.
On Thursday morning, January 4, the
Governor, the Lieutenant Governor and
their principal adherents were arrested by
Marshal Packard, under the Enforcement
Act, on the charge OF conspiring to deprive