The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1872-08-03
r
Address to the Republicans
ga55s3 ys a-AND--
People of Louisiana.

HEADQ'Rs REGULAR REPUBLICAN PARTY
of Louisiana, Ne.16 Dryades street.
zss New Orleans, June 30, 1872.
A convention of the regular Republican
party has adjourned to meet ON the ninth of
August next in the Mechanics Institute, in
the city of New Orleans. By a resolution of
this convention, the basis of representation
in the same has been doubled, and an cleo
| ton has been ordered for an additional num-
Der of delegates to the same, equal in num-
Der to the whole delegation already elected.
The object in this is to afford an opportunity
to all the people of this State who approve
Of the principles herein set forth to take part
in the deliberations of the convention and in
| the nomination of capable, honest and repre-
| sentative men, who have their homes and
| their interests III Louisiana upon ticket and
| platform of principles which shall secure the
support of all the good people of this State
/ In the present confused and transition
| state of political parties we recognize three
universal and powerful sentiments, which
run through the hearts of a large majority of
| the people of this State, without distinction
| of party. These are:
First-A desire for an honest, economical
and stable government, administered by
| representative men of character and capa-
city, who shall be chosen without distinc-
/ tion from any official ring.
/ Seeond-A conviction that the interests of
/ all the people of this State areindentical, and
a desire for a growth of new political rela-
tions, which shall obliterate past class and
sectional animOsities and cultivate that mu-
i tIal Cancellation and good will which is es-
| sentlal to our common prosperity, and to the
Tournament nf nolifipol &,
/ and Use sEf = E-I 81 Z ~ -z4
Third-A growing recognition of the good
4 policy and necessity of u closer alliance be-
tween the voters of the Republican party
and that portion of the native population of
the State which has hitherto abstained from
political affairs on account of differences
created by the late civil war With such ii
party, based upon such liberal and benefi-
cent principles, we believe that the rights of
the col0red people would be safer and better
protected, the liberty of opinion and the POI
litical interests of the ex-Union soldier, the
/ Northern settler, and the old Union eitizer.,
more cordially and completely secured and
1 the intelligence and property of the State,
! and the rights OF the native Confederate
Southerner be better represented than is
possible under any other practicable political
combination.
/. In these premises, we say to the Republi-
cans of the State that in the organization and
upon bdSiS pTcSeHleu by us, Is Ilelf sole
hope for electing any Republican officers III
4 the State, and for preserving their party
/ The success of the Custom-House State ticket
nominated at Baton Rouge is hopeless, and
if the fortunes of the Republican party are
attached TO it, its defeat is certain.
To denonistrate this, we call their atten
ton to the history of the Packard Custom
House convention at Baton Rouge, which has
assumed to present candidates to the people
of this State i'll the name of the Republican
party. ssfGl Attfss=tss& 3s
Messrs. Packard, Casey, Herwig, Stock
dale q Co set out to control the Republican
convention called for August 8, 1871, in the
interest OF their Custom-House ring, with /;
view of getting control of the State govern
ment at this election for themselves and theil
associates. To this they eonspired to con
troll that convention. With this design they
soughtand obtained permission to nse til,
Custom-House building the narshals of the
United States courts, and the forces of tht
United States army. In detiance of all de
cency and respect for public opinion, and t,
the great scandal of the national government
they convoked the convention to assemble il
United States courtroom in the Custom
House. fhey rejected all protests of theil
Republican fcllow-citizens with the ilnperia
insolence and haughtinessof Eastern satraps
10 make sure of controlling the primary or
ganlZatl0n OF the convention, and, in detianct
OF all known rules for the organization of sucl
bodies, Messrs. Packard, Casey and their co
conspirators undertook to debar all the dele
gates except such as they admitted from
voice in the election of the Temporary presi
dent. Not satisfied with this, they CLOSED
J and barred all tile doors of the immense Gus
tonrHouse building against the public TO
one whole day i'll order that the lobby, n
well as the floor of the convention, should b.
packed by their own p:lrtisans. 70 furthe
, lntrmldate and coerce the delegates, they
filled the building with specialdeputy Unitet
States marshals armed for the occasion. Il
, complete these extraordinary preparation
! for ii political convention and to emphasize
the inauguration of the new style of consult
ing the wishes of the people, they obtaine,
the necessary order from the military auth
critics and fortified the closed Custonl-H ous
with Gatling guns and garrisoned it witt
United States soldiers under arms. One hun
: dred and ten delegates to the convention be
ing !. majority, Disguised and indignant a
these tyrannical and dangerous proceedings
turned away from the Custom-House and as
sembled the regular convention i'll Tllrne
Hall. The State Central Committee appointe,
by that convention has by its authorit,
cenvoked the present one.
On the nineteenth of June Mr.. Packart
and his partisans called a convention at Bat
on Rouge to nominate candidates for tin
| chief State Offices The Cust6m-HOuse caba
!, could not keep good faith even with thei
own eonfederates. In order to secure tn
nomination of the favorites of their own ring
and to obey instructions from a higher ai
. thority," they expelled from their convention
, all representative and independent men, an,
seated strangers, intruders, carpet hagger
and proxies of their own creation, until thei
convention consisted of Custom House OF
9 ticials, internal revenue tax collectors am
: pOstnastefs. 81 6EAs,-a EEs 8t8sS
! Custom-House employees, who We're eleetc
! as delegates to the Baton Rouge convention
I were openly threatened with dismissal fro1
office by United States Marshal Packard
they failed to vote as he dictated The list
OF delegates elected as furnished to the Stat
7 Central Committee by the parish and war
a clubs were suppressed by Mr.. Packard 70
:, four weeks previous to the meeting of til
convention, and the names of delegates wer
(; not allowed to be made known to member
{ OF the committee. Lists of delegates pledge
to the ring candidates were manufactured i
the United States marshal's office and foiste
upon the convention as the regularly electe
, delegates. Lobby tickets were issued, s
. that all access even TO the lobby was denie
/, to any but the partisans of Mr. Packard
. Mr.. Casey refused, in the presence of Sc,