New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-09-21

o2@68xtn& OOUCou$E8S04
, BY his plsusibility and under pretense o
tkeir lives and privileess, M the power Q
the State into his control, he used it sgains
Republicans and Democrats, and only il
, the interest Of those who placed him abov,
both parties. SGSk y,
The manner in which Governor Warmotl
) administered the Registrations and election
laws caused themt0 Be termed infamous b.
VIGOROUSLY living in New Orleans, wert
commissioned by him rs registrars and su
pervisofs Of election in different parishes
who unblushingly returned themselves q.
elected to the Legislature, where the elect
Ors had no idea they were candidates. The
people would vote ell day for their choice
and when the returns were counted the
favorite's name would not even be men
1 toned. A cOlOred candidate who stood BY
the polls until the last vote was Tailed, and
not hearing bis name mentioned, asked with
peculiar feelings. lis dar not one vote for
me in dat box; fore God. voted for my.
self"
1t matters not what Office was to be filed,
or IN what part Of the State the election
was to take place. the, Governor could, by
means OF the extraordinary powers which
had been conferred, return whomsoever be
pleased, The power which he possessed,
and the traits Of character that strongly
marked his individuality, tended to make
! him aggressive and dictatorial in the Re-
| publican councils. Quick in conception,
nndaunted in resolution, and bold in exc
| cutiOn, he resolved to rule or ruin the Re-
| publican party in Louisiana; and, in that
which somewhat puzzled our friends in the
North, and from which eventuated all the
complications which are SO imperfectly un-
derstood by the people outside of the State.
In the month of August, 1871, State
convention was held for the purpose of
electing . new State Central Committee.
The cOntral of that COMMITTEES, which should
call the State convention to nominate q
Governor and other State officers, was the
ambitious purpose of our young executive.
1t was his intention to be reelected Gov
ernor, and. by the use of his patronage and
other questionable means, to ascend to the
United States Senate upon the expiration
OF the term Of Senator Kellogg, ON the |
fourth of March, 1873. In order to control
the August convention, Governor Warmoth
sent his police to the primary meetings, in
citizens clothes, to elect delegates in his in
tereet; and to the disgrace Of his admins
tration this disreputable programme was
carried out in terror and blood.
1t was his determination to have a con.
vention in which he should be supreme, or
at every sacrifice to break up the conven-
ton in . riot. Finding in the midst of all |
Of his intimldations that the representa-
tlves OF the Republican party were not |
likely to indOrse him, he conceived the des- |
perste idea of renting all the halls in the |
city Of New Orleans on the day of the as
sembling of the State convention, in order
that his partisans might have uninterrupted |
access to the convention. 1t was the inten.
ton OF Governor Warmoth to control that
if he had to do it in blood. The |
Sfafa l.:- i
able to rent hall whose approaches were
not at the disposition of the Governor, was
driven to the necessity of holding the con-
ventiOn in the customhouse, as no other
place could be obtained. - 7T'
Fearing that desperate effort would be
made to overawe the cow ention, which
might result in q bloody riot, and with
1esire to check the young Governor in his
1igh-handed proceedings, and protect
United States property in case of . COLI
ZION, . company Of federal troops had been
ordered to stack their arms in the custom
aouse. Their appearance guaranteed peace,
md prevented bloodshed. Defeated in his |
purpose to control the convention or to |
Freak 1t up, Governor Warmoth bolted,
With some of his adherents, and attempted
o cast reproach upon the convention. be- ,
ause 1t was beyond his power to seduce or !
ntimidate it. A great deal was said in the :
Worth about q convention being held in the :
uetomhouse. and that the people had been :
Inundated by Calling guns. 1t sprung !
rom the howl of q defeated and mortified | !,
rickster, who found himself repudiated by :
ne party that intrusted him with power. .
he late Lieutenant Governor Dunn stood =
obly at the head of the true Republicans, y
Tho were designated IS the Customhouse :,
arty, and carried the people with him :
gainst the apostate.
Governor Warmoth nnorra,oa -;.l r., | Z
ctor Casey over local issues. He omar. a
lied with President Grant, because he a
ould not remove the federal officials who t.
ltw !tted him in his intrigues, and check
ated him In bis aggressions. He quar- a.
led with Lieutenant Governor Dunn, be- =,
'use he would not consort with him in his | :,
;.n policy; aud he finally quarreled "
ould not bow to his behests and serve his ~ ~
lrposes. He possessed extraordin arv :;
'wers, and dispensed an immense patron =;
e; and, as the positions of his adherents -,
pended upon their fidelity, they were al. s
avs turbulent in their admiration for the ~
Jung Governor. ~ ~
This state OF affairs brings us down to %,
,vember q, 1871, when Lieutenant Gov ia
nor Dunn, gentleman Of color, possess ru
Z IN an eminent degree those private and m
bic virtues which will ever endear him dc
the people Of Louisiana, irrespective of co
Tor, suddenly and mysteriousfy passed su
ray. The suspicious of some were de
engthened by an indecent and unconsti. | DO
sl0nal proclamation of the Governor, con. tn
ming an extra session Of the Senate to 10,
ct q successor, for which there was no tic
bic necessity. AS the time for the regu- pr
session of the Legislature was only six tic
eks distant, the unblushing intrigue fro
'cked public propriety. The attempt tn,
g recognized as the forlorn hope of tin
operate man to perpetuate personal gov. VIC
ment in defiance of both parties. The | thu
istitutiOn of Louisiana authorizes the ret
vernon to call the Legislature into extra to
sion whenever the public interests may wh
nand it, but there is no constructive AM
norlty which confers upon the executive VIII
assembling of one branch of the Lepis. ref
ire to the exclusion of the other, Az COL
cOlored people of the State everywhere tiOl
ated Lieutenant Governor Dunn az their fro
at leader, and followed him with pride reb
fidelity. Governor Warmoth fancied gre
1t would only be necessary to exalt q a
'red man to the vacancy to win our tun
" anu guarantee our support. The Re- the
licans and Democrats coalesced to de. bio
State Senator Pinchback, the candidate pre-
n whom the Governor concentrated his cou
myth, but the influence and combination can
9 too powerful for the alliance, aud Mr.. reg
,hback was elected Lieutenant Gov MOI
~ 1t was hoped by Governor Warmoth out
this success would do much toward opl,
ecung his unholy schemes and intrigues, foul
~ 1aiied TO accomplish more than regi
slng Inversion, winch, to the confusion vote
our young. executive, the sagacious exp
hpack USED TO his own advantage; and dra'
lad OF assisting. as was expected of "
to destroy the Republican party, he nor
! important crisis, as President of the ;st s
W. ''.'n'o ''e s"'iof. in
Is unnecessary in this connection to cleo
more than passing glance at the leg wou