The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-05-24
U. s. Marshal Packard.
From the Iberville Pioneer and News,l

To s. B. Packard Republicanism in
Louisiana owes more~for its stability
and progress than to any other man in
existence. That the Republican ele-
ment in the State SO believesis attestetl
in the fact that never since the hour
Reconstruction was cOnsummated in
our borders, has he been permitted to
vacate the chair of the Central Com
mittee that the National G Government
is equally persuaded, appears in his
recently renewed tenure Of its Mar
shalship for district whose tumults
and anarchy are notorious and would
long since have ruined the State but
for. his firm executive hand. Quiet
and almost stolid in manner, none
would suspect the great reserves and
energies latent in him.
He courts no Difference from men
but unconsciously commands it to an
extraordinary degree. Whenever a
critical issue has arisen in politics,
Republican leaders instinctively have
sought him, they make their own sor-
ties but in the face Of !. desperate con-
| fiict, their faith in successful result
and i'll his generalship is one. When
Democratic Gen. Buchanan strOve to
| obstruct the installation of the State
ticket elected in 1868, it was chairman
Packard Of the Registration Board
that challenged and thwarted the
scheme when H. C. Warmoth sought
to win and disgrace the chair Of the 20
Convention as he had already dis
graced the gubernatorial chair, it was
delegate Packard that resolutely COM
batted his pretensions and rallied the
Convention to the triumphant election
OF Oscar J. Dunn when in ~ War
moth, vindictive because of this fail
ure and alarmed at the manifest pow
er and tact Of his antagonist, sought
to daunt the State Convention by
menaces Of blood, it was U. S. Mar
shall Packard that threw open the
doors of vacant Courtroom, afforded
asylum to the imperiled delegates,
again baff1ed the vicious Governor
and rescued not only the lives Of two
hundred men but the party itself from
destruction. Until the retreat Of
Warmoth to Cincinnati last summer
it had been 4 wrestle Of giants. War;
moth, quick witted, unscrupulous and
possessed Of extraordinary patronage
to tempt apt aud numerous followers !;
Packard, with neither patronage nor
mobs at his command and reticent
and unpretcnding; these were the two
men sworn each to end his battle but
in the fall uf the Other-tIc former's s
motives being revenge and ambition ;
the latter's, the conservation Of the
Republican party. Warmoth has been
acclaimed by some for his political
talents, but what should that be
called, whicl, despite all his disad-
vantages, natural and official, could
not only smite him down to the dust,
disperse his army Of followers and
send him skulking into another party,
whele in another uniform and with
Democratic reinforcements he waged
again his revengefnl contest with as
sorry success7
We conceive that after his chastisc-
ment by Chairman Packard in botl
the parties to which Warmoth had re-
course, the humiliated Ex-Governor
must regret he did not surrender all
pretensions as politician, entitled by
talent and by claims upon public faith
to leadership in Louisiana, long before
he provoked the contest SO fatal te
him. Plague ont; and l thought
he had been valiant and so cunning il,
fence, I'd have seen him damned ert
I'd have challenged him. said si1
,, Andrew Aguecheek.
After every victory achieved by
Packard, he seemed in his undemon
!. strative way to have concluded tasl
scarcely more serious than spanking
an undutiful boy. The undcniabl'
vigor Of the spanking, however, stoot
disclosed in the painful political wrig
giles of the Governor long thereafter
t Mr.. Packard evidently measured hi
, man, long before the man himself sur
y missed it; he promised the party to III
: it Of his pest and he has done this s.
3 effectually that Louisiana has moral,
: planted a tombstone over her late re
h creant steward forever. And here le
e us say-and our party brethren will
: concur with us-that Mr.. Packard pro
misses nothing he does not mean to dc
!. He makes no allowance for breakag
e in his pledges. And as this noble trai
8 is the key to the honor in which he
t popularly and privately held, we rec
e ommend the example to some other
: Of our public officials as worthy OF ex
q periment. Not to promise and for rea
: sons that will suffice a reasonable maj
# may disappoint but does not estrang
: him nor forfeit his confidence. Topro
o mise hastily and then deny, does NOR
G than disapnint it sacrifices esteem
], The regard with which Mr.. Packar
is cherished not only by 80, 600 Repnb
2 licans but by tens Of thousands
e Democrats, as an honest man, is
t nobler thing to earn than any doze
q offices in Louisiana or out Of it.
But we have reason to rejoice tina
= he is not only the President Of OF
It Central Committee, but the immedia'
v arm of the National Government hel