The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-08
THE LOUISIANA MUDDLE.
Review of the Great Crime" Of the
Pelican State from It's Inception
to the Present Status
The Personal of This
Dark History.
Garter, Pinchback, Durell, Norton and
Barrett, the Principal Workers
Of To-Day, Analysed.

D8rrett, Inc Fr1nclpai workers
Of To-Day, Analysed.
WASHINGTON. Feb T. 1874.
The history Of the Louisiana government and its
aAairs, which Congress IS called upon to investi-
gate and subsequently to pass judgment upon {,
commences with the first year OF Governor War
moths administration. In its personale and pre-
ciOus rascality IL Is full of the most stupendous
fraud which 1t is the purpose OF this letter to Illus
trate.
President Grant never forgot nor forgave
Governor Warmoth for the rash expressions ne
made when on the STAFF of Major General McCler-
nand In regard to Grants personal habits, but,
from motives Of policy or expediency, quietly re-
served any attack to be made on WarmOth with
his unerring and unfaltering spirit OF retalia-
ton and vindicuveness which, coequal with
his gratitude to friends who have done
him q favor, may be fairly said to be among
the striking characteristics of Grants tempera-
ment and the record OF his life. Grant never
swears, Is a reader Of the Scriptures; and though
he may pray devOutly he never forgtves, 30 FAR as
his actions IN life between man and man are con-
cerned This attack on the political fortunes or
Governor Warmoth was made all along the line
when Warmoth refused TO sanction the election OF
Casey as Senator in place Of West, the present IN
cumbent From that moment the armistice ceased,
and a division in the ranks Of the republican party
in Louisiana commenced. under the Titles ana
Banners respectively, OF
THE wARAOTH AND CUSTOM HOUSE OR FEDERAL
FACTIONS;
but In all these struggles Warmoth was and con-
tnues master of the situation In the controlling Of
the party machinery Of the State, inasmuch as his
patronage was more valuable and remunerative
than the federal Sheridan's ONCE as tax col
lect0r is said to have yielded from $780, to
per annum arising from fees on collecting the tax
list, and the balance Of the Ofces paid nearly the
same; while in the country parishes the average
was about up to that standard. The balance Of the
lesser Offices in the State patronage In the parishes
such as supervisors, realized handsome figures to
partisans OF Warmoth, while the Custom House
was the source Of supply for the supporters
from which they drew their sustenance. The
struggles between these two wings Of republican,
ism assumed various phases in the revolutions
produced in the Legislature by a struggle for con-
troll In the organization Of the body as exhibited
Ia the Carter revolution which eventually culmi-
mated In two conventions, one being held in the
very room in the Custom House building lin which
Judge Durell holds his court, which was pro-
tected by federal muskets and Calling guns. 1t
was presided over by Grants henchman Marshal
Packard, and was held in the month OF August,
convention Governor Warmoth and his supporters
were refused admission by the military forces
guarding 1t, when they withdrew and organized
their convention at New Orleans, which was pre-
sided over by Governor Pincnback. From this
hour out there were two distinct republican Or
CARNATIONS in Louisiana, which had two distinct
executive committees and which continued in
force until the eve Of the election, which presented
two State tickets one headed by Kellogg, and one
by Pinchback, nominated for the gOvernorship.
Affairs thus continued in statu quo until
AFTER THE CINCINNATI CONVENTION,
into which Warmoth threw his fortunes. and a
split then occurred in his Convention the majority
following Plnchback and the minority following
WarmOth into the Cincinnati movement. About
this time National Coiored Convention was held
in New Orleans over which Pnchback presided
until the election of Fred Douglass, and, under
Douglass advice and that OF the Chairman OF the
National Republican Committee, Senator Cameron,
and the members or It, succeeded in getting the
National Committee at washington to cause
fusion between the Custom House and Pinchback
conventions for a Encouragement OF the tickets.
This was amcably adjusted by the Custom House
party getting the eubernatorial nomination, which
was given to Governor Kellogg, and the Pinchback
Convention were allotted the second place on the
ticket, getting the Lieutenant Governorship for
nomination for Congressman at Large, with the
understanding that an equal division Of the Offices
was also to be made. Although late In the canvass
when this compromise was effected, the campaign
was inaugurated IN a happy manner, as described
80 thoroughly and wittlly by Senator McCreery, Of
Kentucky, in his able speech made in the Senate
January %, 1873. The result Of the WarmOth
movement was
FUSION WITH THE DEMOCRATS
In what is known as the McEnery State ticket,
with the additional pledges OF the Convention to
elect Warm0th United States Senator and Sheri-
dan, who is Warmoth's henchman, to be elected as
Congressman at Large. The campaign was active
and bitter in the extreme, signazed by outrage
GUS violence and deeds OF blood, which rivaled
the barbarous cruelty OF feudal times. Warmoth
threw OF ali his former republican supporters who
would not go with him, and gave his patronage to
his new fusion allies. Under the laws OF Louis
lana the Governor appoints Supervisors OF Regis
tratOn. who appoint the Commissioner OF Elections
and Ok the polling places, and 10 show his good
faith to the fusionsts Warmoth placed all the ap-
pointments OF the election machinery in their
hands for disposition by their Resident Committee,
consisting of Messrs. Walker Burke and Austin.
These held the blank signed commissions OF Gov
ernOr Warmoth, with the seal Of State anixed,
brought into requisltion at a NON ent's notice tor
creatures at WILL while Governor warmoth and
sheridan were engaged in an active canvass in the
interior OF the State. In the midst of these CIR
cumstances the Fusion Committee soon discovered,
from advices OF the Supervisors, that
THE NEGRO VOTING POPULATION WAS IN EXCESS or
THE WHITES
ON the list, and to balance this they resolved in
committee to strike of percentage of the former,
after mathematically determining the same from
the list, which the law gave the supervisors power
to DO. Hence when the poll list, upon which the
voting took place, was brought into requisitlon,
thousands of negroes discovered that they were
disiranchised. This was the McEnery trick. When
shis legerdemain discovered by the Kellogg re-
publicans Marshal Packard, as Chairman of their
Enforcement Committee, set to work to counterfeit
this business by preparing the necessary andavits
Tor the disfranchised negroes under the law, as
was lorclbly Illustrated by Senator McCrecry IN his
adVcrte0