New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-05-24
ANOTHER INTERVIEW
Senator Carpenter has Talk with the
Two Hundred.
Our Fus:ouists go for Wool and Come
Back Shorn.

We regret that We were not apprised Of
the intention of certain Of our Fusion
friends to call upon Senator Carpenter to
hayesa friendly cha: with him. Such an
occasion would have received the prompt
attention of our reporter. if it had been
limited that it was to be made.
We are indebted to the Picayune for the
following very imperfect sketch, which IS
too good, however. to be overlooked:
Last evening, by appointment. the mem.
bers Of the legislative caucus, members of
the Committee of Two Hundred and the
executive committee of the COMMITTEE OF
Seventy had an interview with Senator
Carpenter. at his rooms at the ST. Louis
Hotel. We do not give full report Of
what was said and done. but we believe
the following will be read with interest:
Senator Booth opened the interview by
stating that the object of the meeting was
to exchange sentiments on the political
troubles of Louisiana, with the view that
the opinions of the committee and OF Sena.
tor Carpenter might be modified.
Mr. Harry Wilde gave short statement
o: the trouble which had transpired in
Grant parish. which gave rise to very
long and interesting discussion.
grand Jury of the United States Court had
not been informed that proof of the facts
stated by Mr.. Wilde could be produced.
Mr.. WiIde-Do you know how that grand
Jury was drawn!
Senator Carpenter-It matters not how it
was drawn, it does not affect the testimony.
Mr.. Wilde-Do you know how the tes.
t;mony which was given before that grand
jury was given 1t was utterly untrue.
Senator Carpenter-Well. if you have
got no men in Louisiana to tell the truth.
| don't see how you can help yourselves.
Mr.. Lingan There were witnesses
brought before that grand jury. and they
refu Sod to hear them.
Senator Carpenter-1t is a right that
every freeman has to go before the grand
iu.y and make his complaint. Ii affairs are
IN the condition you say they are, am not
prepared to stop at what the report OF the
Senate committee recommended. l am pre-.
pared to say that there is no government
here. and that there never can be one. Ii
what you say is true. am in favor of the
government at Washington taking charge
OF the State and paying expenses OF every.
thing until you eau have republican form
Of government. If your courts can not be
trusted, if your grand juries can not be re-
lied upon to investigate the facts OF the
case brought before them, then you are not
tit for self government.
Mr. Zacharie-United States courts are
packed against us.
Senator Carpenter-Why, then, do you
not have the Judge impeached!
Mr. Forman-I went before the Judiciary
committee of the House of Representatives,
and asked to be heard on that subject.
Senator Carpenter-lf you go to Wash.
ington with memorial, charging Judge
Durell with any improperly, and he is not
impeached by the House. and put on trial
before the Senate, then 1 shall have moth.
ing more to say.
Mr.. Forman-The difficulty is in getting
hearing.
Senator Carpenter-There is no difficulty
supposition. You all seem to suppose that
the Radical party wants to keep you down.
tell YOU that the interests of the RepUb.
lican party demand that they shall be hon.
eat: it is temptation for them to be so.
We don't care a curse whether you are
Democratic or Republican. but we want
YOU to be one or the other rightfully. There
is not member of either house OF Congress
that has the slightest disposition to Oppress
you or to reverse your Will in the selection
of your government. Now, it seems almost
incredible that when twenty men come up
and swear to statements in the Grant parish
matter, and nobody swears to the contrary.
must we not take it to be true!
Mr.. VOorhies-This grand jury system is
a secret process, and we are not permitted
to contradict these assertions.
Senator Carpenter-Why do you not go
to Judge Durell tomorrow and tell him
that you have witnesses that you wish to
be heard before the grand jury:
Mr. Voorhees, will ask the Senator who
it is that carries on the investigation before
the grand jury!
Senator Carpenter-The man who goes
there to make his complaint.
Mr. Noorhies-The investigation is con-
Quoted by the district attorney and by the
grand Jury themselves. If witness comes
before them, the grand ury or the district
attorney con refuse to question him, If they
please not to do so. We are placed i'll this
position. There are seventeen members of
this grand jury. 1t is published in the
papers that they were selected by one man
in New Orleans Ia Republican,, a freehold.
er. who says that he was very careful to
select three Republicans for every Demo-
crat: and it turned out when the jury was
drawn that every one of them were Re-
publicans, and nearly all Of them cOlored.
Here. then, is a grand jury composed ex.
clusively of Radicals. and nine-tenths OF
them men of color. The district attorney
is also Republican, and has acted in this
controversy entirely with the Radical
party. What chance have we to have
fair investigation made when We have to
pass through the hands of that grand jury
and that district attorney!
Senator CaIpenter-f you draw up
statement tomorrow, addressed to Judge
Dusell or the district attorney, setting forth
what you claim to be the true facts OF the
matter. and they do not g We you fair
chance to be heard before the grand jury,
then desire you to present the fact OF their
refusal to the House Of Representatives,.
Mr.. Voorhies-SuppOse. Judge Durell
should be willing to send the witnesses be-
fore the grand Jury the very moment they
crossed the Threshold of the grand jury
room they are not within the authority of
Judge Durell. He has no right, under the
law, to 60 into the grand jury room. or in.
terfere in their Investigations. Therefore.
so far as Judge Durell is concerned, he is,
after the organization of the jury, neither in
our way or cut OF It.
Senator Carpenter-The district attor.
nOy stands there, and he can be lmpeached.
You are living in civilized society, and you
have got to stand the Inconvenience which
civilized society has. If a man takes your
horse. you can not tOmahawk him foriitIyou
will have to resort to the courts to get back
your horse. Your adversary may get con-
tlnudnCeS Ol tnc chse- duu may hcop Hou
out of it year, and then, when it comes to
trial. he may bribe the jury and beat you.
and you will have to submit: to it unless
YOU get new trial or appeal to an appel
late court.
If you will draw Up letter to the dis
trct attorney, stating what you know the
facts are, and giving him the names OF the
witnesses to establish these facts, and he
refuses to do his duty, you Will succeed IN
yourself, if not in impeaching
Mr. Beckwith.
Mr.. Voorhies-There is another circum-
stance to which it is necessary to call your
atten .ion-:hat none but the witnesses for
+ha prosecutinn ara heard before I'll, grand