New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-03-16

should suddenly turn the cold shoulder to
Governor Packard when holding his seat
by much clearer title. The wonder has
been increased by the fact that Governor
Packard was one of President Grants most
prominent Southern supporters through
both his TERMS occupying the position of
United States marshal and welding pow
erful influence in favor of the national sd
minlstration. 1t has been sought to explain
the Presidents sudden change by citing
the influence of his brother in-Iaw, Casey,
who had been long in Office in Louisiana,
but who was unable to obtain from the Re-
publicans the Senatorship he coveted, and
hence sought to make terms for that office
with the Nichols faction. Casey went TO
Washington and undoubtedly used his in
fuence with the President against Packard
and in favor of Nichols, out there are evil
dences of other and more potent influences
in the case, to which we will refer.
Until short time prior to the Cincinnati
Convention, there was a prevalent belief
that President Grant aspired to third
nomination, and when that was conceded
to be out of the question, very few doubted
the Presidents desire to name the candi-
date who shouId succeed him. The Presi.
dents choice was Senator Conkling, and
the conspicuous employment of administra-
ton Influences in his behalf became the
subject of much comment and feeling. By
an arrangement in COHkling's interest the
Cabinet was reOrganized to make q place
for Don Cameron, and he paid for the ap-
pointment by throwing the Cameron infu
enee in Pennsylvania in favor OF COnkling,
and by going as a delegate to Cincinnati in
his interest. The attendance of a Score
tary of War as member of political con-
yenti0n was 80 extraordinary as to indicate
that it was determined to use the whole in
fuence of the administration in behalf of
the Presidents favorite, and Cameron's
! course at Cincinnati left no doubt on the
subject. The few prominent Office holders
who were delegates, and all who were inter-
ested in Federal patronage were promptly
and plainly given to understand that they
we're expected to support COnkling, and
that failure to do so would subject them to
penalty. An especial effort was made to
obtain support from the Southern States
where COnkling had failed to develop ex-
pected strength, but threats and blandish-
ments were alike Intellectual, and COnkling
had on the first ballot but twenty four
votes out of the 1872 from the South, and
| that support decreased on succeeding bal
lots. Among the State delegations which
we're most persistently urged TO give some
support to Conkling was that of Louisiana,
but it failed to give the New York candid
ate q single vote on either of the seven bal
lettings! The Louisiana delegation was
| divided between Senator Morton and James
G. Blaine, giving the former the larger
number of its votes at the start, but
changing toward the latter, until in the
| final ballot Louisiana declared fourteen
votes for Blaine and two for Hayes. Here
was ample cause for the evaporation of
Conkllng and of the administration repre-
sentative against the Republicans of Louis
lana who had failed to elect a single dele
| gate who would vote for the Presidents
tavOrite. But there was q personal signif-
canoe lying deeper than this. The LOuisi-
ana delegation at Cincinnati was headed
ss delegates-atlarge by William P. Kellogg
and Stephen B. Packard, and the oppOrtnn.
| ity for revenge came when the recognition
of the latter as Governor of the State, in
vOlviDg the election of the former
to the United States Senate, depended
upon the action of the President,
whose wishes they had cOntravened at
| Cincinnati, and whose course has been
more subject to the influence of Roscoe
Conkling than to that of any other man.
If doubt is felt as to the potency of that in
huence we can point to the recent decapita-
| tiOn of the efficient and popular postmaster
at Philadelphia, svOwedly in execution of
threat made by Cameron in Conkling's in
terest in Cincinnati; and numerous other
examples could be cited.
We believe we have explained the cause
| of the failure of the administration to recog.
nize Stephen B. Pack ard, the lawful Gov
| oEnor Oh LOulslana' 1nab explanation VIII
not be pleasant to those who believe that
tits the duty of the national government
to maintain legal authority in the South
/ az alnst revolutionary assaults, and that no
/ WEAKNESS or disgust at continued laWless-
ness should induce a oOwardly abandon
ment of the loyal people of the South to the
arbitrary control of the leaders of armed
bands which were drilled in rebellion
against the national government, and are
now engaged in revolutionizing States.
bangor (Maiae) Wing and Courier