New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-01-23
alt,t, Orleans 8fpllblita1.
ffIcIAL JOURNAL OF THE UNITED STATES
fFlcIAL JOURNAL Of new ORLEANS
LOUISIANA lNSURRECTIONISTS.

OFFICIAL JOURNAL Ut NEW UKleRNS
LOUISIANA lNsURRECTIONIsTs
Opinions of the Press.
The Philadelphia Ecening Bulletin, in
common with number of other influential
Northern journals, has arrived at clear
and correct view Of the situation in this
city. The following is its summing up:
For the week past the country has been
entertained, and the peace of the city OF
New Orleans has been disturbed by quar-
rel between two rival factions OF the Repub-
lican party in LOuisiana-a quarrel winch
is utterly disgraceful in its purposes and III
the method Of it's conduct. While the peo-
ple who are far removed from the scene of
conduct have been RECALLED every morning
with full reports of the progress OF the night,
and while there has been general cOmpre-
hensiOn of the fact that the quarrel was
mere shameful squabble for spoils among a
lot OF wretched politicians, there seems to
be a yery vague uncertainty concerning the
exact points at issue. The facts are these:
Mr.. Carter, the Speaker Of the House of
Representatives, was ambitious to become
Governor of the State, and he counted upon
the support OF the officials Of the federal gov
eminent, in and out of the CustOmhouse
to secure the Office and the consequent con-
troll of the patronage. The most fOrmida-
BILE of his enemies was Mr.. WarmOth, the
present Governor. He very naturally de-
sires to retain his position and whatever
power belongs to it, and he is sustained by
all the officers OF the State government.
The two factions occupied these antagonls-
tic positions, when. few weeks ago, Lieu,
tenant Governor Dunn very worthy and
honest negro, died. The Warmoth party
Immediately secured the appointment OF
Mr.. Pinchback to fill the vacancy, because
that negro was q warm friend OF the GOV
ernor But Carter, it seems, claimed that
he could read his title clear to the position
in virtue of his Office as Speaker OF the
House. So he proposed, first, to remove
the intrusive Pinchback; second, to make
himself Lieutenant Governor, and third to
impeach and remove WarmOth, SO that
Carter could sit in the executive chair and
clutch the coveted spOils.
To accomplish the feat, this minded
and ingenious Republican patriot, with his
Customhouse friends, Joined the Democratic
minority in the Senate and conducted them.
selves in such a manner that quorum OF
that BODY could not be procured, SO that it
was HELPLESS. Attention was then turned
to the House, which was about to organize
for the session. Affidavits of frivolous
kind were placed in the hands Of United
States marshals, and, just as the members
of the House were assembling. Messrs. War
moth, Pinchback, and eighteen legislators,
were arrested. The Democrats and their
Carterite friends thus obtained temporary
supremacy, and they improved the shining
hour by expelling six Of the Governors
friends and giving their seats to half a dozen
Democrats. A more mOnstrous ana shame.
full outrage than this was never committed
by an American Legislature. Warmoth
and his friends then withdrew, and since
then Carter has had little Legislature OF
his own, and Warmoth has had one Of his,
and from this last Speaker Carter has been
ANONYMOUSLY expelled. During the time
Of the progress of these intrigues the city
has been in a ferment, bands OF armed men
have occupied the streets, and party feeling
has been 30 high that it Is wonderful there
has not been a collision and shedding OF
blood ere this.
At this distance from the scene of the
trouble, and with not very accurate In
formation concerning the minor questions
involved, it is difficult to offer perfectly
clear Judgment upon the merits OF the case
But with what light we have, it appears to
us that Governor WarmOth is pertly IN the
right. while Carter is shamefully and scan
dalously wrong. His whole course seems
TO have been a wanton violation of decency
and honesty and law. He descended to
most dshunorable conspiracy with the
Democrats in order to defeat the wishes OF
the true Republican majority: he perpe-
trated an objectionable trick when he ex-
PEELED members who had right to vote,
and elected Democrats whose only merit
was that they were ready to do his bidding.
As well as we can perceive, every act OF his
during the contest has been characterized
by a disgraceful disregard of his duty as a
man. as Republican, and as an officer OF
the State government. 1t will, perhaps, be
difficult to decide whether his Legislature
or Warmoth's is the lawful body. because
each contains number OF properly elected
representatives: but if either can fairly
claim to be legitimate, we think it is the
Governors body. which does not include
members elected in such wantOn violation
of law as were the'six Democrats chosen by
Carter.
The resolution of the President not to
interfere in behalf of either party is judi
cious and very proper. 1t is best that the
conflict should be ended by those who are
directly interested in it, and in the mean
time he can await the report of the con-
gressional committee appointed to inves-
tigate the matter. If even it shall appear
that Carter is wrong, and that he has been
supported in his misconduct by the federal
officers in New Orleans the country will
demand that every one of them shall be
removed Immediately. Their behavior upon
insured that result; and the President will
be derelct in his duty if he does not re-
move them now, if they are proved guilty
of participation in Outrages against the
State authorities.
The Erening Wisconsin, published at Mil
waukee, says:
The lower house of Congress has passed
resolution authorizing the appointment of
n committee to investigate the troubles in
New Orleans and report thereon. If this
committee shall be composed Of men who
will make thorough investigation, with
the sole idea of finding out and reporting
the truth, it will prove very wise and
timely measure. There is not only some
thing, but great deal that is rotten both
in State and national affairs in New Or
leans; and, although Congress has no con-
troll over these troubles, SO far as they are
confined to the State. yet it is desirable to
have some authoritative report of the facts
in the matter, for United States officers
have been more or less mixed up in it.
There is great reason to believe that the
Customhouse ring in New Orleans is quite
as bad as that in New York, though its OPP
erations may not be on so extensive a scale.
The great trouble with these investi-
eating committees is, that they seem to
have no proper conception OF their duties
Composed of members of both political
parties, they seem to lose sight OF the real
object of investigation, and to be anxious
only to make political capital out OF 1t. II
the matter to be investigated is likely to
show facts which would prove derogatory
to Republicans, the Republican members OF
the committee seem to think it their duty,
not to get at the exact facts and report
them, but to conceal them or break their
force by demonstration or misrepresenta-