New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-17

habit of requiring all his appointees to leave
| in his possession their undated designations
on receiving their commissions He replied
that this was the fact in the case of the
Mayor and Public Administrators of New
| Orleans, and not in any others. The
| Mayor has since been elected by the people;
| yet the Governor claims that he still has
| the power to turn him out by virtue of the
unlimited power of attorney" contained in
the resignation. Referring to the specific
charges brought by Mr. Packard against
him, a day or two before. the Governor
merely recriminated that gentleman on the
subject OF mUnOpOlies, remarking that he
{Packardj was the person chiefly interested
in gigantic paving scheme in 1869, and
that it was WarmOths opposition to this
swlndle which first set Packard against him.
The cross examination Of the Governor
went on at great length, and all manner of
questions were admitted by the committee
Mr.. Speer, of the Democratic side, exempli-
fed the Scotch signiticatiOn of his name by
the industry and energy with which he
pr0bed his witness at every point where
touching spot might be found. or fact be
got at which could be used in the coming
campaign. He usually got aptly answered,
or as good as he sent, as the saying is. For
instance, every attempt to make point in
favor OF the Democratic party was met with
statement showing how the Democrats in
office had been identified with all the
abuses which had occurred. Specr demand
ed, with much show of virtuous depreca-
ton, why such unseemly scrambles for Of
fee have occurred, and such emoluments
attached to offices; and he was answered
that it was doubtless all due to the good
belong the spOils." Then WarmOth would
show him how he (the Governor) had
recommended reform in his last two
annual messages, and in a special
message of yesterdays date; and how
the Democrats had united with the
worst Republic ans to defeat such measures.
CONCLUSIONS DEVELOPED.
With tie taking Of the Governors testi-
mOny, the case may be said to have been
practically made up on both sides. In my
opinion, these conclusions have been devel-
Oped:
Concerning the State government.
That Warmoth is essentially military in
his style of government and that the mill
tary style is a very bad one;
That he is an ambitious man, active i'll
political intrigues, and that he il, unfortu-
| nately, endowed by the laws of the State
with dangerous degree of power-a fault
whose remedy lies entirely with the people
of the State of Louisiana:
That he helps his friends to office very
freely, using the patronage to further his
own political purposes. Perhaps Grant
should rebuke him for this:
That lie has required blank designations
signed by five OF his appointees, viz: the
Administrators of Assessments, Commerce.
| Improvements, and Public Accounts, of
New Orleans, and the Mayor of that city:
That his officers are many of them get
ting rich off the pay and opportunities
which their places afford; and that the
character of these fellows, while by no
| means high as a rule. is unquestionably as
high as the state of society and politics here
would lead us to expect
That he now advocates reform. and appa-
| rentlv with sincerity, the inference from
surrounding circumstances being that there
| is now more political capital to be made out
of e!orn than money out OF the continuance
of abuses.
1t has not been shown beyond a doubt.
| that the Governor has ever been concerned
| in bribery: though l think the committee
will leave New Orleans with the impress
| sion that there is scarcely public man
With absolutely clean hands in this respect,
now engaged on either side of the local
| faction fights
Concerning the federal officers here, the
! investigation will show:
| That the principal energies Of Packard.
/ Casey and Lowell who control tie most of
the patronage, have, for the past year or
! two. been directed toward controlling local
! politics
! That all their appointments have been
made with reference to this. and to the
forcing of reprehensiblc measures. political
and private, through the State Legislature ::
That among these appointments are many
! men notoriously unfit for their places. or for
| any place under the United States govern
inent, and many pure sinecures. bestowed
| IN support CT political retainers:
! That. az the convention OF August, Isl .
! there was IN unwise and flagrantly i'm
proper interference with the affairs OF the
sovereign State of Louisiana: not merely
! with its government, but with its party
! politics; and not merely with politics, but
! n behalf Of particular faction of party;
! and that, on that occasion, such abuse Of
! official power and such needless and often
siye display Of federal authority were re-
sorted to by the Presidents representatives
here as naturally to weaken the local feel
IL Of respect for the national government;
That these same officials, this winter
| joined in a conspiracy to overthrow the law
fully constituted State government of
| Louisiana, in which purpose they acted net
merely in their private, but in their official
| capacity-perverting TO it their patronage.
! their influence ex otiicio with the President
their force CT subordinates, their privileges
! and belongings as officers of the govern
ment, and au armed vessel of the United
| States, with its complement OF officers and
| Iuen;
| That President Grant was made ac-
| quainted with all these circumstances. duly
| verified by aiiidavits and other indisputable
evidence; and that he failed in each instance
to interfere: in fact, that the Customhouse
lntFigUers had his taclt approval of last
years performances as their warrant for
proceeding to those Of this year;
That Casey, Lowell and Packard can not
be justified in such highhanded measures
by pleading high moral necessity. since
they have individually been identified with
many OF the worst of the local type of legs-
latiye swindIes.
REMEDIES FOR THE ABUSES.
These are abuses with which the con-
gressional committee has immediate con
cern, and for which it will doubtless feel
called upon to suggest remedy. That
remedy lies, however, most obviously with
the President, viz the dismissal of the Off
cials implicated He can hardly refuse
longer to apply it. If he had done SO six
months ago, things would be much better
than they are. What the committee can
say about the State government and the So
cial condition Of Louisiana, is very mixed
problem. The times are out of joint, that
IS clear. Perhaps the committee may be
able to evolve q remedy for all these trou-
bles, lying within the province of Congress
to apply; but that is very doubtful.
There is demand, ON the part Of the
opponents Of the present State gOvorn-
ment-and these opponents are certainly
IN the majority in New Orleans-for re-
rec0nstructlon-a summary vacatlng OF all
State organization and the appointment of
Provisional Governor. The idea is a
CtOpian one. The only warrant for it would
be the proof that Louisiana has not re-
publican form of government; but the gov
ernment is republican in form, though not