Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-10-08
The Story of Louisiana.
From the Chicago Tribune.l

State Governor of Louisiana, NJ ichae
hahn, was elected by the half-dozer
parishes hen under Federal control
Gen. Banks supervised the election
In March Constitutional Convention
met and drew up q constitution which
abolished slavery. In September tn,
SIX parishes adopted this instrument
congressman were elected at the same
time, but they were never admitted tC
the House. At the close of the war
all these arrangements collapsed. The
prevalent theory was that Louisians
was Territory. In the spring of 1865
an election for Territorial Delegate
took place. Henry G. Warmoth, ex.
Lieutenant-Colonel in Grants Army oil
the Tennessee, and x-Provost-Judge
under Banks in New Orleans, got the
negro vote, and was chosen. A purse
OF SO, 900 was made up for him, and he
went to Washington. Congress would
have nothing TO do with him, but Presi-
dent Johnson appointed him Treasury
Agent and sent him to Galveston. In
the fall of 1865 general election was
held under the Constitution of 1854.
The Democrats carried every county but
one. j. Madison Wells was elected
Governor by 22,312 out of 27,S0S votes.
The Legislature chosen at this time met
early In 1866. 1t passed some ili-ad-
vised laws, among them an act regu-
lating negro labor in harsh and un-
necessary way. In July of that
year, the surviving members of the
Constitutional Convention of 1864
called meeting of that body to revise
the State Convention. They made the
preposterous claim that the convention
could assemble and submit changes in
that instrument to the popular vote at
any time The convention met July
30. A riot ensued. Several persons
were killed. Congress appointed a
Committee of Investigation. The re-
construction acts were soon afterwards
passed. The convention provided fo-
by these acts met in November, 1867.
The convention it framed was adopted
by the people in May, 1868. At that
time Warmoth was elected Governor by
81, 901 votes to 3S,046 for Tallaferro,
the Democratic candidate. Warmoth
was at once inaugurated. The Legis-
lature was overwhelmingly Republican
and dishonest. The Presidential cam
paign of 1868 was disgraced by a num-
Der of riots. On election-day, very few
negroes voted. Intimidation was doubt
less the great cause of this, although it
is claimed that the party-managers,
foreseeing certain defeat, kept their
followers from the polls for the sake of
pleading terrorism thereafter. In 1869
the mammoth iobbery which destroyed
the credit of Louisiana and swelled her
debt to its present enormous proper
tions fairly began. In 1871 the Repub-
licans quarreled over the spoils. The
Assembly elected, at different times,
two Speakers, pro- and anti Warmoth.
Soon after its adjournment, Republic
an State Convention was to meet at New
Orleans. Aug. 9, 1871, this body as
sembled. U. S. Marshal Packard had
the right, as Chairman of the State
Central Committee, to appoint the place.
He designated the Custom House. The
building was guarded by Federal troops,
received tickets of admission from Pack
ard. WarmotL and all his friends were
excluded. They held a convention of
their own, which sent a committee,
headed by Pinchback, to ask Grant to
remove the Federal ring of Casey,
Packard, ct al. Grant did nothing.
Thenceforth the party in Louisiana was
split into Custom House (or Grant, and
Warmoth Republicans. Nov. %, 1871,
Lieut.. Gov. Oscar j. Dunn (colored)
died. On Dec. the Senate was con-
vened without the House, and chose
Pinchback, then one of Warmoth's
warmest friends, as its President. He
therefore became Lieutenant Governor,
although the legality of such session
by half OF the Legislature was strenu-
ously denied. Jan. 1, 1872, the Legis-
lature met. The Senate had no quorum
Casey, the Collector, had taken the alb
sentees on cruise in the revenue-cutter
Wilderness. The Senate could do moth
ing, for lack of a quorum, until the 18th,
but the House made the interval lively
by splitting into two factions, each of
which formally expelled the other from
membership. There was some rioting,
and one Representative was killed.
Jan. 20, the election of Pinchback was
confirmed by the Senate and the War
HULL WlHS VI tuo OdTteI,
Speaker of the other wing, issued
proclamation announcing his intention
to seize the State House. Business was
suspended for some days. Both sides
armed. Gen. Emory finally stopped
the turmoil by the threat of Federal in
reference. The Carter Legislature dis
solved, and the legal (Warmoth) body
soon after adjourned.
Warmoth attended the Cincinnati
Convention as a Liberal Republican.
Pinchback preserved Il neutral position.
When Grant had been renominated at
Philadel ohia, Pinchback made bar
gain with Packard, Casey, and Kellogg,
and deserted Warmoth. After some
trouble the opposition elements in the
State were united in October. Nc
Emery and Penn ran as the Opposition
candidates for Governor and Lieuten-
ant Governor against kellogg and An
tome. Kellogg is an ex-Co.onel from
Fulton county. ILL.,, who was seEt by
johnson to New Orleans in 1865 as Col
lector of Customs, and who was elected
United States Senator in 1868.
Nov. 4, 1871, the election was held.
The returns were sent to the legal Re-
turning Board, which consisted of War
moth and some of his subordinates. 1t
was speedily known that McEnery was
elected by about 10. 900 majority. The