The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1872-06-15
NUMBER 40.
The New Orleans Investigation
From the New York Tribuuc.l

From the New York Tribunc.l
From the Congress, committee
which investigated the affairs Of the
Custom House at New Orleans we
have, at. last, two Aors three reports
Of course, people will be better able
to Judge of the value and fairness of
the conclusions to which the subdi-
visions of the committee arrive when
the evidence upon which these are
based is spread before the country.
But enough of the doings of the Gus
TOM House gang in New Orleans is
already known to show the character
of the report which is put ont in the
special interest of the administration.
The evil of appointing ones rela
tives to public place, was never more
forcibly illustrated than in the case
of the Presidents brother-in-law. Mr..
Casey. naturally expected, when
he took possession of the New Or
leans Custom-House, that his little
irregularities would be passed over
mnoted, and that any unfliendly
criticism would be set down to the
credit Of the Presidents enemies
rather than to his own shortcomings.
He grew strong in his place; he was
the mouth-piece in Louisiana for his
kinsman, the President of the United
States. Marshal Packard, an ADLER
man tlian Mr.. Casey, managed the
collector, managed tile President, SO
far as Louisiana politics We're con-
cerned, and thus controlled Federal
politics i'll that State. This was the
foundation of the Custom-House ring.
How could it be expected That IL
committee made up of Congressman
who were iikelyat any day to be asking
favors of the President, would go to
New Orleans and write report which
should reflect upon this personal adj
ministratiOn's brother-in- law, if not
upon the administration itself? They
have not done it. 1t has never been
denied that there was schism i'll the
Republican party in Louisiana; the
committee repeat this; but, instead
of saying that collector Casey and
Marshal Packard were ut the head
of one faction, and Governor War
moth and his friends at the head OF
the other, they disingenuously say
that the quarrel was among the lead
ers of the Republican party, federal
office holders being on both sides.
What federal official was against the
collector and his crew. We do not be-
lieye there was one humble tide
waiter who dared wag his beard
against the awful dispenser of federal
\ ~, rrf n,,ScfoYo
4 From this the committee naturally
\ goesaon to mild platitudes about the
! na4f-interferenee of the adlninistra-
ton. The interference of the Pfesi-
! dent did not consist in ordering up
| the troops when the Casey Packard
party took possession of the State
! Republican Convention and fortified
it with United States arms in the
United States Custom-HOuse; nor
/ did his interference consist in ordering
out the revenue cutter to carry the
runaway members of the, Legislature
out of the reach Of civil process. The
Presidents part was to keep III their
i places the men who did this wretched
work, and he has done so. There are
rumors that, after half year has
elapsed, the President has asked his
brother-in-l law to resign. He should
have been summarily turned out OF
/ Office six months ago.
The report of the committee, so far
az the chairman and Mr.. McCrary
4 speak for them, is just what might
4 have been expected-indeed, WAS ex-
| pected But there is no attempt, So
4 far as we know, to disguise the fact
that Mr.. Casey violated law and. de
cency in his administration of affairs.
This could not be covered, and we
must expect to see the collector out OF
his place in the course of time.