The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-11-30

l
Custom House and such disposition o
them made as Packard directed. TIL,
convention was to meet in the United
States Court Room, which is in the sec
ond story of the Custom House. 1t cal
be entered from the corridor through ont
door only, but there are two entrances
through an adjoining room, which il
turn can only be entered through pri
vate entrance. The admission was to b'
by tickets only, and tickets were issued
by Packard as chairman, and could only
be obtained at the money order window
of the Post. Office. The troops were in
structed by Packard to admit only sucf
as had tickets, unless specially directed
otherwise. All his adherents were ad
mitted under special instructions through
the private entrance to the room adjoin
ing the court room, while Warmoth ant
his friends were held back by the sold
iers stationed at the public entrance tC
the room, until Packard's party had pos
session of the court room and organized
the convention. Finding that he was
with the aid of the Federal army, heaten
by U. s. Marshal Packard and brother
in.law Casey, Warmoth retired to anoth.
er hall, and there held a convention oI
their own.
GRANT RESPONSIBLE FOR 1T.
The pretext for the Intervention oi
Federal troops was the protection of the
Custom House and other public proper
ty; but how could the holding of a Re-
publican convention in New Orleans en-
danger the property of the United Ssates2
Who ever heard of political convention
being held in Custom House before2-
If had been held anywhere else would
the Custom House have been endanger-
ed2 Certainly not. If it was endanger-
ed at all, it was by holding it there, and
for that Packard and Casey were alone
responsible. Under the circumstances
what was the bounden duty of the Pres
ident if he had been deceived by the rep
reservations of Packard and Casey2 Had
he not been party to the scheme and
possessed the slightest respect for him
self or the position he occupied, he would
unquestionably have ordered their in
stant dismissal. But he did nothing of
the kind, although the Warmoth party,
through Judge Dibble, made instant
complaint. The Judge proceeded then
to Long Branch where the President
was, and, to use his own language as tes-
tilted to before Congressional commit.
tee, "made very emphatic representa-
ton to him." in regard to the use of the
troops. In reply, the President said he
would investigate the matter, but accor-
ding to Judge Dibble, concluded by ask
ing "what objection we had to the troops
if we did not intend to do any harm2"-
His promise to have the matter investi-
gated was not kept, and Packard and Ca
sey continued to hold Office and enjoy
his unlimited confidence.
THE WILDERNESS" AFFAIR.
A few months later these same men,
in order to accomplish their end-ob.
tanning control of the State Government
ordered revenue cutter to take on
board and carry up the river fourteen
State Sci ators, whom it was necessary to
keep out of the way that there might not
be quorum present, and thus enable
Warmoth to elect a successor to Lieuten-
ant Governor Dunn, who had died Nov
25, 1871. Warmoth had called an extra
session of the Senate for Nec. 6, 1871, for
the purpose of filling the vacancy, and
had without difficulty elected Pinchback
but this was claimed to be unconstitu.
tional, and the Packard Casey faction de-
termined that when the regular session
began, Jan. ! 1872, the election of Pinch
back should be repudiated. The Legis.
lature was convened at the constitutional
time, and seventeen Senators were all
that Wsrmoth could muster. The Pack.
ard faction counted fourteen, and there
were absent three who were depended
on by the anti-Warmoth party. 1t was,
therefore, necessary to prevent the or
ganization of the Senate and, according
ly, the fourteen Packard Casey men
staid away. The Sergeant-at. Arms of
the Senate was directed to arrest the alb
sentees and bring them to the bar of
that body. 1t was to prevent this that
the revenue cutter Wilderness was en-
ployed, at the direction of Collector Ca
sey, to carry the refractory Senators up
the Mississippi river, where they were
kept for six days. The Secretary of the
Treasury was finally forced, by public
clamor, to order the commander of the
cutter to disembark his precious freight
and return the vessel to its legitimate
duties. But for this second fragrant out
rage neither Packard nor Casey was re.
moved, nor did they even lose the es.
TEEN of the President.
THE RETURNING BOARD FARCE.
Thegreat Presidential struggle was now
approaching, and the serious detection in
the Republican ranks, caused by the
inaugurated by Carl Schurz
and number OF other prominent lead.
ers, disposed the Administration at Wash
ington to compromise with Warmoth,
the electoral vote of that State
would be assured for Grant Warmoth
was, however, disposedIto reconciliation
only on his own terms He demanded
he removal of Casey and Packard before
he would agree to strike hands. This
was instantly rejected by the
President, and thereupon Warmoth pro-
posed an alliance with the Democrats,
which was after good deal of negotia-
ion finally accepted. The Liberal Re-
Dublicans and the Democrats having
United upon a national ticket, all the |
Louisiana Democrats were thereby in
luced to come into the arrangement
which Warmoth proposed. The under
tanding was that the Democrats we're TO
lave the State officers and Warmoth was
o go the United States Senate. Accord
ngly ticket was nominated as follows
ohm McEnery for Governor, and d. B
'enn for Lieutenant. Governor. On the
'ther hand the Custom House party,
at the combination Warmoth
lad effect d with the Democrats, did not
hink it wise to nominate Packard and
'ut up instead, W. p. kellogg for Gov
rnor, and G. G. Antoine for Lieutenant
Governor The election was held in strict
with the Registration and
election law Of 1870, and the result was
majority for McEnery of more than TO-
20 votes. The returns were duly made
ut and forwarded to the Returning
'osrd in accordance with the law in ali
he parishes, save in one or two, where
no Inatnpo Hnnca Y,,n,1, c,,,,oo- IL