The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1872-08-10
Address to the Republicans
People of Louisiana.
HEADERS REGULAR REPUBLICAN, PARTYl
of Louisiana, No. Is Dryades street.
New Orleans. June %, 1872 }

| party has adjourned to meet ON the ninth of
August next in the Mechanics Institute in
the city of New Orleans. By aresolution 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 in 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 large majority of
| the people of this State, without distinction
of party. These are
Flrst-A desire for an honest, economical
and stable government, administered by
representative men of character and capa-
city, who shall be chosen without distinc-
ton from any official ring.
| Second-A conviction that the interests of
all the people of this State are indentieal, and
a desire for a growth of new political rela-
| tons, which shall obliterate past class and
sectional animosities, and cultivate that m,l-
! tual Cancellation and good will which is es-
sential to our common prosperity, and to the
permanent success of any political party;
and
Third-A growing recognition of the good
| policy and necessity of Il closer alliance be-
tween the voters of the Republican party
| and that portion Of the native DoDllIation of
| the Sfafa W hIph hos NJ,
political affairs on account of differences
| created by the late civil war. With such Il
| party, based upon such liberal and benef-
cent principles, we believe that the rights of
the colored people would be safer and better
| protected, the liberty of opinion and the po-
lltlcal interests OF the ex-Union soldier, the
Northern settler, and the old Union citizeT
more cordially and completely secured and
| the intelligence and property of the State,
and the rights of the native Confederate
Southerner be better represented tlian is
| possible under any other practicable political
| combination.
In these premises, we say to the Republic
cans of the State that i'll the organization and
upon the basis presented by us, is their sole
hope for elccting any Republican officers in
the State, and tor preserving their party
The success of the Custom-House State ticket
nominated at Baton Rouge is hopeless, and
II the fortunes of the Republican party are
| 10 IL, It's ueIettJ is certain.
70 demonstrate this. we call their atten-
ton to the history of the Packard Custom
/ House convention at Baton Rouge, which has
i assumed to present candidates to the people
OF this State in the name of the Republican
party.
Messrs. Packard, Casey, H,rwig, Stock
dale d Co. set out to control the Republican
convention called for August 9, 1871, in the
interest of their Custom House ring, with a
view OF getting control of the State govern
ment at this election for themselves and their
associates. To this they conspired to con-
troll that convention. With this design they
sought and obtained permission to use the
Custom-House building, the marshals of the
United States courts, and the forces of the
United States army. In defiance of all de-
cency and respect for public opinion, and to
the great scandal of the national government,
they convOked the convention to assemble in
United States courtroom III the Custom
House. They rejected all protests of their
Republican fell0w-eitizens with the imperial
msolence and haughtiness of Eastern satraps.
To make sure of controlling the primary or
Sanlzatlon OF the convention, and, in defiance
OF all known rules for the organization of such
bodies, Messrs. Packard, Casey and their co
conspirators undertook to debar all the dele
gates except such as they admitted from a
voice in the election OF the Temporary presi-
dent. Not satisfied with this they closed
and barred all the doors of the immense Gus
tom-House building against the public foi
one whole day lii order that the lobby, as
well as the floor of the convention should be
packed by their own partsans. TO further
nltllnidate and coerce the delegates they
filled the building with special deputy United
States marshals armed for the occasion. To
complete these extraordinary preparations
Tor political convention and to emphasize
the inauguration of the new style of consult
ing the wishes of the people, they obtained
the necessary order from the military auth
critics and fortified the closed Custom House
with Gatling guns and garrisoned it with
United States soldiers under arms. One hun
dreu and ten delegates to the convention, be
ing majority, disguised and indignant at
these tyranniesll and dangerous proceedings
turned away from the Custom House and as
sembled the regular convention in Turner
Hall. The State Central Committee appointed
by that convention has by its authority
convOked the present one.
On the nineteenth of June Mr.. Packard
and his partisans called Il convention ut Bat
on Rouge to nominate candidates for the
chief State Offices The Custom-House eabal
could not keep good faith even with Their
own contederates. In order to secure the
nomination of the favorites of their own ring,
and to obey instructions from a higher atl-
thorlty," they expelled from their convention
all representative and independent men, and
seated strangers, intruders, carpet-baggers
and proxies OF their own creation. until their
convention consisted of Custom-House of:
ficials, internal revenue tax collectors and
postmasters.
Custom-House employees, who were elected
as delegates to the Baton Rouge convention
were openly threatened with dismissal from
office by United States Marshal Packard il
they failed to vote as he dictated. The lists
of delegates elected as furnished to the State
Central Committee by the parish and ward
clubs were suppressed by Mr.. Packard fo1
four weeks previous to the meeting of the
convention, and the names of delegates were
not allowed to be made known to members
of the committee. Lists of delegates pledged
to the ring candidates were manufactured in
the United States marshal's office and foisted
upon the convention as the regularly elected
delegates. Lobby tickets were issued, SO
that all access even TO the lobby was denied
to any but the partisans of Mr. Packard
Mr.. Casey refused, in the presence of sew
eral well known gentlemen, to assure his
Custom-House employees that their places
should not be imperiled if they voted indie
pendently of mir. Packard's dietation. Mr..
: Packard and his Instruments, when they dis
covered that a majority of the convention
favored union with the regular Republicans.