The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1872-09-28
From the New Orleans Times. Sept. 1871

TINS country since the great contest OF
speed between Lexington and LecOmpte,
or of steam between the NatcheZ and
Lee. Last Sunday week, Governor War
moth being called to New York, on ~
gent business connected with the rail-
road interest 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 an iron safe certain unsigned bills,
to which it might be the interest of a
certain party to give the force and effect
of law before the approaching election.
Thus departed the Governor on his
| Northern flight. He had been preceded
| several days by Lieut.. Gov. Pinchback,
whose valuable services and effective
OratOry had been called into requisitiOn
| by the National Committee of the Rad
ical party, in the State contest in Maine.
The absence of these two high officials,
and the Vigilantly observed and we'll
! Speaker Brewster in the remote parish
of Ouachita, gave pretty strong assur-
| ance that the Governor functions would
not be assumed i'll his absence.
| But SO important fact and opening
| could not escape the notice OF the vigi-
| liant CustOmbouse. The adrOit, daring
and energetic Packard was not the man
to let SO tempting an opportunity slip
| by, to effect one of those revolutions pc
culiar to our politics and which have
| been so often attempted against the
present Governor. The occupation of
the Executive Office, the possession of
the great seal of the State and the hand
| ling of the numerous unsigned acts of
the Legislature, would be worth a king
| dom to this aspiring faction.
FT4hSc hY,IiISo11+
| ceived than measures were set on foot
to carry it into effect. The telegraph
was put to work to cOnyol1e the chiefs.
| There were frequent midnight cOnsulta-
| tiOns in the Old Granite ROOkery. The
plans were all laid with cOnsummate
strategy. Pinchback was suddenly in
terrupted in a magnificent tspeech-sOme-
where on the AndrOscOggin-with a
message to hurry hOme-he was wanted
everything depended on his speed
and Pinch saw into the whole affair as
quickly as the usllrping King of England,
when he heard from his castle the words
| of the minstrel, "the lion islOose," knew
that Rich8rd, the L.i0n-hearted, had es-
capped from his prison and was on his
way to claim his own.
So Pinch packed his carpet-bag, aban-
dOned his canvass, delivered over the
notes of his intended speeches to some
second-handed Yankee orator, and hur-
ried to New York, where he found i'm
perative orders awaiting him to attend
the National Committee of the Grant
party in session in that city. Here he
met Chandler and the other managers
of the Grant campaign, who informed
him that his immediate return to New
Orleans, and the assumption of the va
cant seat of Gov, WafmOth, was the
greatest service he could render the
Grant cause. It would make certain the
eight electoral votes Of the State and Sc
cure the State Government for sour
parity Pinch acquiesced i'll the scheme
and determined to obey orders. Pro
ceeding to the Fifth Avenue Hotel, to
look after his baggage, what was his
surprise to find himself confronted i'll
the hall Of that atcStablishmentb by the tall
figure of his chief and superior, Gov
WarInoth.
This occurred last Saturday afternoon
There was q cordial greeting of the
two dignitaries, and after some friendly
interchanges they parted, under an en-
gagement to meetab @ o'clock that night
The Governor was prompt at the time
and place OF the arranged interview
But Pinch was absent. The Governor
waited for some time for him. Still nc
Pinch made an appearance.
/ The Governor began to smell q rat A
| diligent inquiry, failed to discover the
WhereabOQt or WhatabOuts Of the Lieu
tenant Governor, and when his Excel
leney retired to his couch that night his
mind and slum bers were disturbed by
apprehenslOns OF some conspiracy ol
trickeIy.
Rising early the next morning, the
Governor renewed his inquiries respect.
ing the missing Pinch. H.. ....s =. .
In the hall he found Pinch's cO1ored
companion, who was III charge of his
baggage. "WheFe is Pinehback 2" he
Inquired of the sable youth. "Don't
know Governor, haven't seen him since
yesterday, but here is his baggage
am waiting for him. "
This information and the presence OF
! the baggage would have deceived less
suspicious and yigilant parsonage than
one who had so large an experience OF
the cunning and address of his subaltern
The Governor was not satisfied, and
pursued his inquiries further. f-....
| Fortunately, whom should he meet on
Broadway but Senator Harris, an init
mate and constant associate of Pinch
Have you seen, Pinch to day?n asked
the Governor. No, haven't seen him
since yesterday, at 5 p, m, when he
made an engagement to meet me at 6
o'clock, And on going to the committee
room this morning learned that he left
yesterday for PittsbIlrg.H
Them it was all laid bare, The Gov
eTnor saw in flash what it all meant.
Pinch had triGked hin, and got the
start at least tWenty-f0ur hours. He
must catch and overhaul him, or the
GRANTEES would be installed in power
in Louisiana. Proceeding to the tele.
graph Office, the Governor opened i'm
mediate communication with his friends
all along the route and in this city
His plans were all made for rapid trans
portatiOI, and Pinch was placed under
veillanees all along the route, SO that
he could come no unfair dOdges on
his competitor in the grand sweep
stakes. zFS5
H., That tevening the Governor left in the
| Pennsylvania. Central lightning train.
and reached Pittshurg in time to learn
that Pinch was twelve hours
ahead OF him Next he heard of him in
Columbus, Ohio. and finally at Louis
vile, Ky. From this city the Governor
telegraphed for special train to meet
him at Humboldt. On his arrival there
he found the best locomotive on the
Mississippi Central and a special car
awaiting him.. The Governor called up
the engineer and asked him in what
time he could put him at Canton. The
engineer could, at a push, make forty
FIVE miles an hour.
= Then do it n said the Governor.
/ viii, 2 said the engineer, tgbut you
must sign this bond to stand all the
damages which May result from any
accident The Governor and his com
panion, Mr.. Efingllam Lawrence,