New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-01-21
LOUISIANA POLITICS.
Opinions of the Press.

Opinions of the Press.
/. the St. Louis Times was well informed
the conductors Of that journal would know
that the insurrectionary Republicans.
though small in numbers and destitute OF
influence, still hold out against the State
administration, and that it is not desirable
that they should be conciliated. The Times
saws:
There seems no reason to doubt that the
formerly antagonislic factions of Grant
and Warmotb have come to an understand
ing in Louisiana The developments in and
results of the recent fight furnish evidence
to sustain such superstition, and there are
many things to make the combination desir-
able. both to the federal and State admins
tratiOns.
The situation may be easily understood
At time when Grants strength for the re-
nomination was very doubtful, he was OPP
rosed by Governor WarmUth. and the Gov
errors position induced an opposition to
his administration, which vas led by the
late Lieutenant Governor Dunn-an aspir-
ant for Warmoth's place-and backed by
all the federal officials and political riff raj
of the State. This led to an open outbreak
and the use of the military in Grants be-
half, at a State convention, some months
ago. BY sheer force the federal power
threatened the destruction of the WarmOth
government.
In this condition of things Lieutenant
Governor Dunn died. The denomination OF
Grant by the otfceho!ders has also grown
to be a certainty. and Governor Warmoth
knows he only imperils himself by OPPOSE
ton, without the possibility of accomplish
ing Grants defeat. BY uniting with Grant
he gains strength, as all the radical Opposi-
ton to his administration vanlshes. On
the other side the union carries strength to
the Grant party-it gets the influence OF
the Warmothits. while it loses none that 1t
formerly held. The federal officials who
fought WarmOth before must now follow
Grant into the very arms of the Governor.
The refusal OF Grant to interpose the fed
eral authority in the recent quarrel the
ordering of the recalcitrant Senators OFT the
government revenue cutter, and the tender
Of troops to aid the State government, all go
TO give the greatest probability to the sug-
gestion that Grant and WarmOth have
made up. In view of his past history, it is
too much to t, Ell that IA respect for law and
right prevented Grants interference with
the affairs of Lousiana-hc has always
been moved i'll these matters by personal
considerations alone. We have no right to
think this case is different from others.
The New York San has characteristic
editorial:
The administration journals eulogize the
conduct OF General Grant in regard to the
Louisiana difficulties, and think him worthy
of the highest praise because he has thus
far refrained from prOclaiming martial law
in that State. But we think wellinfOrmed
and impartial observers of the extraOrdl-
nary and alarming occurrences in New Or
leans will bestOw a severe censure rather
than any degree of approval upon the
course of the President.
The mere fact that intelligent citizens
here in the North should for moment de-
bate the prOpriety of proclamation of
martial la by the President in the chief
Southern city of the Union on the request
of its Mayor, for no other reason than
that the Presidents office holders had
fomented a riot in that city, and were
using the federal power to subvert the
State government while 1t was successfully
dealing with the rioters proves how loosely
come of our people have learned to construe
the constitution, and how ready they are to
bestow arbitrary authority upon one who
has patronage to reward supple seryitors.
1t marks the wide departure from the
paths of the fathers, that members of Con
gress and managers OF leading Journals
talk as lightly of the subversion of State
government by the bayonets of the regular
army, as they would of the summOning OF
q squad of police to stop fist fight IL a
liquor saloon.
And worse than this in the Louisiana
case--if worse be possIbe-it was proposed
by the consprators to bring the State gov
ernment into subserviency To a military dc
tatOrship by perversiOn of the kukluX
law, an act which, to speak mildly, Is re-
plete with provisions of doubtful constitu-
tiOnality: and this, too, because these consplr-
atOrs and their master in the White House
suspected that the chief men ia the State
government were hostile, not to the ma
tional government, but to General Grants
denomination to the Presidency.
Many OF the supporters of the admins
tratiOn, either directly or implicitly, admit
that there was conspiracy to STIR up such
D condition of affairs in Louisiana as would
serve to excuse the intervention OF the
military arm, and compel the abdicatlon OF
WarmOth and his friends: but they vehe
raently insist that General Grant was not a
party to the plot and did not approve Of it.
Not so fast, gentlemen. The active agents
II this conspiracy are Casey, the collector
CO the port of New Orleans; Packard, the
marshal of the district, and Carter, the re.
cent speaker of the Louisiana House OF
Representatives. The two former are the
very men who. in August last, devised the
plan by which they drove from the Repub-
lican State Convention, with marshals'
batons, infantry bayOnets, and Gatling
guns, large body Of the regular delegates,
because they were suspected OF hostility to
Grants denomination. Then, as now, Car
ter was the convenient tool OF Casey and
Packard.
A strong remonstrance against this out
rage was then made to Grant by the most
influential members of the Republican party
OF Louisiana. They demanded the removal
of Casey and Packard, and assured Grant
that on the assembling of the Legislature
Carter would be voted out Of the Speakers
chair. Did Grant remove or even rebuke
Casey and Packard! Not at all. They
had served him too well for that He kept
them in power, and gave them renewed
assurances of his confidence, for he wanted
10 use them in concentrating the plans inl-
tiated in August.
Early in December, III n conversation
with State Senator, whose vote IN the
choice OF Lieutenant Governor he was
trying to influence, Packard distinctly fore
Swallowed the events which have since Oc-
Cured, and among other things. said that
martial law would be declared soon after
the assembling of the Legislature. Now,
Casey and Packard have conferred with
Grant this past fall about affairs in Louisi-
ana-Casey repeatedly. Is there simple
ton so big as to believe That Casey and
Packard, under the inspiration of those
conferences, have gone counter to Grants
wishes while pushing Carter forward to
break up the lower house of the Legisla-
ture by running off to tavern with fol
lowing of the members, and by sailing a
revenue cutter up and down the Missis-
sippi with sufficient number OF Senators
on board to prevent a quorum in that BODY,
and by stirring up the thugs OF New Or
leans to violence and blOodshed, thus at
fording pretext for proclaiming martial
law, breaking down the Warmoth admins