New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-12-19
From the Baltimore American, September u, IS.
The louisiana Eslls;rog,ia.

We shall attempt to give our readers a fair
and impartial review of the war of factions at
New Orleans. Henry C. Warmoth was elect
ed Governor Of Louisiana in 1868, and has
held the Office since that time. He was elect
ed as Republican, and up TO the time that
he was seized with q desire to go to the
United States Senate, he was charged with
no act which seemed to indicate n want Of
honesty or patriotism. There were other
men in Louisiana who also were anxious to
represent their state in the Senate, and be-
tween them and Nannoth there sprung up q
dangerous rivalry. The contending factions
two years ago crystaized down into what are
now known as the Warmoth party and the
custom House party. The leaders on each
side are men who have always claimed to be
Republicans, and most of them have taken
an active part in the reconstruction of LOusi-
ana. We need not refer to the disgraceful
contest, between the two factions, which took
place at the opening Of the Legislature last
winter, which is still fresh in the public rec
objection. The bad blood developed then.
has been boiling ever since.
1t was WarmOth'S darling ambition to Sc
cure majority in the present Legislature
louisiana has registry law very similar in
It's provisions to that of Maryland. The Gov
ernor appoints the Supervisors of Registra-
ton, and Warmoth awaited himself of this
provision OF the law to carry out his own pur-
poses. His registers DISTINGUISHED not less
than ten thousand voters. The Democrats
OF Louisiana had no great admiration for
WaFmoth, but when the Iibcrar' panic
swept over the State they took him as a sort
ct necessity. After many conferences and
much .wranglmg q Fusion State ticket was
agreed upon, and there was q general under
standing that such Democrats as should be
elected to the Legislature should support
NaTmoth. y large number Of the most in
fuentlai and respectable Democrats in the
city OF New Orleans refused to have ANYTHING
to do with the corrupt coalition.
1t must not be imagined that the regular
Republicans were inactive. They kept a
sharp eye on the registry books, and as fast
as Warmoth's Supervisors of Registration
reduced the voting list, they made note of
the TACT, and filed the record of these frauds
along with the election returns. The dis
tlanchised parties offered their votes to the
judges OF election, and being refused, the
tickets were put IN separate boxes, and were
transmitted to the Board of Canvassers.
III this condition of affairs it became Of the
utmost Importance to Warmoth that he should
have complete control of the Board of Cam
vassers. This body is composed of the Gov
ernor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary Of
State, and John Lynch and T. G.. Anderson,
(citizens elected by the legislature Lieu
tenant Governor Pinchback being a candi-
date tor nSressman-at-Large, and Mr..
Anderson being 4 candidate on the State
ticket, both these gentlemen were disuuali-
fled from acting as Canvasser. Thereupon
the board, consisting of Warmoth, General
Heron, Secretary of State, and John Lynch,
proceeded to till the vacancies occasoned by
THESE dlsquallficatlOns, in accordance with
The provisions of the Constitution of Louisi-
ana. General James Longstreet and Jacob
Hawkins were chosen. Warmoth found that
he had majority of one against him in the
board, and, on one pretext or other, he re-
fused to submit the election returns for in
spection and revision. He adjourned the
board, and set himself to work to get rid of
the obnoxious ma ority. He Illuminated an
order removing General Heron from the Of
ice OF Secretary of State, and appointing
Jack Wharton in his place. Heron refused
to yacate, but Wharton accepted the office,
as Tar as meeting with the Board of Canvas
sers was concerned. This gave Warmoth the
coveted majority, and he then proceeded with
a high hand. The three Warmoth men cx-
PEELED the other two members of the board,
Jacob Hawkins and General Longstreet, and
appointed Frank II. Hatch and Durant Da
Ponte in their places. Warmoth now had
plain sailing; he submitted the election re-
turns, or such portions of the returns as
suited his purposes, to the reconstructed
board; count was made which gave the
State to the Fusion ticket, elected War
moths candidate to the office of Governor,
and put majority of Warmoth's partisans
into the Legislature. Then followed a high
sounding proclamation announcing the re-
suit, as figured out by his Board of Canvas
sers, calling upon all persons to respect the
same, and convening the newly-elected Le-
gislature in extra session.
AT this point the Z" Custom House, party,
headed by Senator Kellogg, brstled up into
something like an attitude of defiance. Sena-
tor Kellogg, who claims to be the Governor
elect, filed a bill in the United States Circuit
Court against Warmoth and all the members
of his Canvassing Board, and also against
John McEnery, Warmoth's candidate for
Governor, in which the manifold violations OF
law committed by Warmoth were fully set
| forth but the allegations relied on to bring
the case within the jurisdiction of the United
States Courts were those which related to the
frauds in registration and the intimidation
practiced against lawful voters. The sub
| stantial charge was that ten thousand citizens
of Louisiana had been denied the right to vote
on account of race, color, and previous con-
dition Of servitude." Looking at the pro.
cecding in this light, the United States Circuit
| \cHt III DtlIlS one
of the duties of the court to enforce the
rights guaranteed by the Fourteenth and
Fifteenth Amendments by writ of injunction
against such persons as deny them, or by
whatever other judicial process the peculiar
circumstances Of the case may demand
After full and exhaustive argument judge
Durrell granted writ of injunction restrain.
ing Warmoth and his board from making any
count of the votes cast at the late election
and enjoining all persons against attempting
to enter upon any Office by virtue of any pre-
tended canvass heretofore made by this illega
body. 1t must be understood that this in
junction is merely pendeae Me--that is tt
remain in force until final decree has beer
passed and the rights of all parties fully
ascertained and determined.
This order of the United States Crcui,
Court Yarmouth pretended to disregard
Thereupon the United States Marshal for thu
District of Louisiana applied to Genera
Emory, commanding at New Orleans, for
squad of soldiers to assist him in enforcing thu
DEGREES of the United States Circuit Court
General Emory acccded to the demand ant
; despatched company of soldiers, who tool
possession of the State House and remain
there yet. Warmoth's Legislature made
some pretense of meeting in another hall, bu
Il quorum could not be mustered. He himsel
has been arrested for contempt, and is nov