New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-17
LOUISIANA.
Governor Wnrmoth on the Stand-What
He Asserted, and What He Denied
Conclusions Developed by the Testi-
mOny-Remedies for the Abuses.
From the Chicago Tribupe.l

From the Chicago Tribupe.l
NEW ORLEANS, February 6-You have
been advised briefly by telegraph of the
proceedings had up to this date by the in
vestigating committee OF Congress relative
to the origin and nature of the difficulties
between the State and federal officials in
Louisiana. The committee has now been in
industrious session eight days, and has ex-
amined twenty or more witnesses. Both
sides of the case have been developed, the
principal witnesses on each side having been
sworn.
The examination has taken an exceed
ingly "wide range l use the term in a
double sense-that is. all subjects having
any suspicion of relevancy have been al
lowed to come in, and statements very wide
apart concerning those circumstances have
been filed. For instance, Mr.. Carter has
been allowed to give one version of the dis
ruption OF the House of Representatives;
and Mr.. Carr, the chief lieutenant of War
moth. has been allowed to swear to the
exact opposite, all through. just so with
regard to Mr. Warmoth's and Mr. Packard's
version of the CustOmhOuse convention of
last August To hear these two gentlemen
describe that convention, one would GER
tainly be forced to conclude either that
they were describing two different conven-
tions or else that one or both of them were
consummate liars.
The most important points of each mans
testimony have already been given by the
Tribune. 1t will make, when printed in
full. a good big book and a volume replete
with evidences Of the fatal effects of the
spoils theory upon government when car
ried to it's legitimate conclusions. The
South has a luXuriant soil and a sultry sun,
and all things have here a lusty growth
theories as well as tubers. policies as well
as pumpkins. For all the trouble which
Louisiana is now reaping is the legitimate
crop which springs from the seeds of the
spoils theory, the theory which regulates
politics by the maxims of war instead of By
those of peace.
FIELD-DAYS.
Yesterday and to-day were tield-days in
the committee room. being occupied by the
testimony of Governor WarmOth himself
1t was understood that the Governor would
enter upon a full defense of himself, and
slash away among his adversaries without
mercy. The room was packed, therefore.
with people hungry for gossip upon this
still absorbing subject-the fight over the
loaves and fishes. AT eleven o'clock yester-
day, the Governor took his seat, fianked on
| one side by BraSdon, his private secretary,
with cart-load of documents, printed and
| in manuscript, ready for instant use; and, on
| the other, BY George A. Sheridan, jOcund,
rotund and ruDicand, prompting his chief
| occasionally with points ct tact, and shak-
| ing his sides al the Governor : frequent sue
| cesses at repdrtee.
Warmoth is what You would call "a splen-
| did fellow young, tall. handsome: that is,
| jet black hair, heavy brows and mustache,
! dark gray eyes. which participate with his
| full lips in smile which puts an interlOcu
! tor altogether out of conceit with himself.
| This smile is brought in when there is no
other answer to be made. and fultills its
| purpose admirably. That Warmoth is not
| the creature of an accident, and is not pow.
| erful in Louisiana simply because he filled
| IA vacancy which had been haply made for
| him i'll the political life of this country, is
| shown by such facts as these, which came
| out as his examination progressed: 1t ap-
| pears that Warmoth entered the army
| in lS62-a little before he was twenty years
| old, Vet he had already been made dis
| trict attorney IN Missouri. by appoint
ment of the Governor. That shows the pre-
| cocity which usually accompanies genius.
| He was subjected today to most rigid
! and harassing cross examination tor over
| six hours, in hot. unventilated room, aud
| without a single moments cessation tor
any purpose: and, though he had TO make
his record clear and smooth, even under the
| most microscopic scrutiny OF men anxious
| to find anything for flaw, to use for polit-
| ical purposes. he never finched for a mo
or twice, indeed, lie betrayed some anger,
| but it was never toward his inlnsi-
tors. To these he was lnperturba-
| bic as an iceberg: always ready
and full in his answers. and always
firm and positive. though luiet, in his tone.
| Though often saucy, he was never super
cilious-stiil less insolent. He is candi-
date tor two high offices yet to be bestowed:
| yet he seemed entirely ready to 20 upon
record on all questions, no matter how iI-
| tricate. ard he would sometimes make
| answer to these while searching the pages
| Of a document for Data Of other facts.
! can not say that he always made it evident
| that he is pure man, and his record with
cut reproach but he always forced the
iearer to admire his courage and chvalrv,
| whatever the transaction under discussion.
OF course he justified everything in his
! record which he could not deny altogether
| There is no doubt, however, that War
| moth has placed his record in a much bet
ter light than it has been hitherto, and ex-
| ploded entirely hundred of the ISLANDERS
which have obtained currency hitherto.
Being called to the witnesses chair, he pro
! duced a bulky manuscript, and read forth
! his history of the troubles in which he has
| been party, first filing his protest against
! the prerogatiye of the committee to inyes-
| tigate the details of legislation in Louisiana,
a sovereign State. He then gave circum-
stantial history tand, of course, detense)
of his administration. lie figured the IN
terest-paying debt Of the State down to
$l7 200. .000, which IS $6,000,000 less than
ii was in $50. when the total valuation
was much less than now: said the present
registration and election laws were
introduced BIZ Senator Ray, one Of his oppo-
nents. and We're almost perfect copies Of the
Louisiana statutes of 1851, passed by a
Democratic Legislature: told how Casey
had wanted to 90 to tie United States Senate
in 1871, but had been defeated by West;
how the outrageous Customhouse conven.
ton of August ., 1871, was carried on; how
Dunn concerning whom the Governor
could not quite fulfill the maxim Nil de
m0riuis. etc), had formed coalition with
the CustOmhOuse politicians and the Demo-
Gratis, by which they agreed to divide the
offices according TO a certain scale until
after the election of 1872, and the Dunnites
agreeing, in return, to unseat, mostly
in their behalf, fifteen of Warmoth's 5
friends in the Legislature; how the sew
enteen anti Warmoth Senators had run
away upon the revenue cItter-six of the
Republicans and nearly ali the Democrats
being Customhouse pensioners: how he and
twelve members OF the House had been
slmmariy dragged to the Customhouse on
tTumped-up charge; how he met such tao
tics: how the secret Democratic order of
80 had been summoned to rally" on the
fifth of January, to join in the raid on the
Capitol in behalf of Casey and' Carter;
how lie sent telegram after telegram to
Grant, calling upon him for help against
the mob, but was afforded no help
or encouragement how the Presi-
dent at length telegraphed him that
he tGraut) would do nothing until he had
received certain reports which had been
ordered by telegraph; how, four days after
ward, 1t was ascertained that no such re-
h,,I hno Il. H.,