The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-12-24
termined to publish brief narrative Of

PAOOcoulDSS, aware tQRG IL the f0CtS were
properly understood, they would admit
OF no defence, now seek to belittle aud
conceal tho question at issue, and to
treat conspiracy to overthrow the Go.
vernment OF the State as mere struggle
vernon Warmoth and Mr.. Kellogg. They
aiiege that the former vas ,endeavorine.
by some triokery or legerdemain, to
cheat the latter out Of his election. and
that the object Of their proceeilings was
simply to Illustrate this attempt. They
have seduously sought to produce the
impression upon the public mind that
this committee was COMPOSED OF mere
allies and agents of Governor Warmoth.
WeIepeithis insinuation as utterly false
and uh~arranted. We are not the rep
resentatlves of any personal or party
interest whatever Governor Warmoth
was not candidate for any offioo what.
ever at the election, nor have We, direct.
" or indirectly, any connection or affilia-
tion with him. 80 faras his, past career
ID, concerned, there are few, if any,
members OF ykhis committee who have
not'been among his most pronounced
opponents; while in. those measures Of
HIS administration for Which he has
been most loudly denounced, he had for
his advisers, associates and conductors
the very men who nov assailt him, in
olpding especially Pinchbaok, Antoine
and numerous others, whose, names
figure most conspicuously in these pro-
caedings. Z ',Ii': e. D r4.I
In reply to the other insiuuations indi-
Gated above, we declare that we are no
parties to and have no knowledge OF nny
political triokery Intended to defeat the
true voice of the people; that We do not
believe any such existed; and that We
would not be here unless we could pro-
claim conscientiously our conviction that
the mon who have been foisted into the
ofiioes of the State have been not merely
irregularly and unlawfully installed, but
were not elected by the people, and we're
not and are not the choice of a majority
OF the voting population of Louisiana.
We have not asked the Government to
admit this on our simple assertion. All
we have asked is. that it should make a
candid and impartial investigation of the
facts. With this preface, we now sub bmit
the following statement:
1st. There was general election held
in Louisiana on the 4th day Of Novem-
Der last, for the election of Governor,
L!eutenant-Governor, members of the
General Assembly, and other State and
Federal officers. At this election, VIM.
Pitt Kellogg, n member of the Senate of
the United States, and O. G. Antoine, a
collector OF the port of Shreveport,
were candidates for the Offices of Govern
or and Lieutenant-Go Governor, and we're
opposed by John MoEnery and Davidson
b. Penn. The present Governor WAR
moth) was not candidate for reelection.
I'd. This election was conducted with
out riot, disturbance or violence, and
the number OF votes cast was unusually
large. The returns of the election were
made to the board appointed for the
purpose. This board was composed un-
der the law OF the Governor, (Warmoth,
the Lieutenant-G Governor, the Secretary
OF State, and two other persons named
IN the law, viz: John Lynch and Thos.
Q. Anderson. The office of Secretary of
State was filled at the time by F. J. Her
ron, who had been appointed. by Gov.
Warmoth, to fill the vacancy caused by
the removal, several months before, OF
Geo. p. Bovee; the legality OF which re-
moVal and appointment was then in con-
test before the State courts. The beard
met, and 1t was resolved that Anderson
and Pinohback were disqualified, by
reason Of their being candidates for Of
foe. Warmoth then removed Heron,
whom lie had appointed. from the Office
OF Secretary of State, as defaulter, and
appointed and commissioned Wharton
in his stead. We have no reason to be.
lieve that the action OF Gov. Warmoth
in the removal of Heron was based upon
a desire to commit fraud, for under the
returns there was no necessity for fraud.
It was prompted by his discovery of
plot between Heron and Lynch to falsi-
fy the returns, and defeat the will of the
people. This is manifest from the fact
developed in tho evidence before the
court. that Heron, anticipating the
thwarting of his scheme, had se.eral
days before ordered duplicate OF the
seal OF State TO be engraved, by which
means he hoped to preserve the insignia
OF the Office, in the event Of his removal
by the Governor.
Omitsing further details, Warmoth and
Warton on the one hand, assu ming to bo
q majority OF tho board, and in the pre.
sence OF Lynch, proceeded to eleot Hatch
and Duponte to fill the vacancies caused
by the withdrawal of Pinchbaok and
Anderson. White, Lynch and Heron
afterwards assembled, and under the
same assumption, elected Longstreet and
Hawkins. Thus there came tn ha two