The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-03-29
"ADDRESS." i" 7"

Bru'us to Packard-An Open Letter
| Which Dem0lishes Fraud.
s. B. Packard:
&r-In reply to proclamation re-
Gently issued by the Governor OF the
State OF Louisiana, you have seen fit to
issue In the PicGy,t1,e and Times, OF this
city, can Address," to whom it ap-
pears not, in the form OF advertisement.
Under all ordinary circumstances this
documenS meriting only the contempt
OF real men, would be passed by In
motives, chief among which is the ef-
feet 1t is hoped to have on millions of
people in the North and West who are
not only prejudiced against us, but who
are utterly ignorant OF our real condi-
tion, and, humble private citizen
though I am, / feel it to be a duty to
strip the mask from your hideous face
and hold you before the world in your
deformity. You say, "Mr. Nichols,
fixed fact, complete in all its branches,
is destitute Of one shred Of legal title to
the office he attempts to usurp."
Pray, tell me, sir, Is that not "a fixed
| fact" which you cannot shake from it's
foundations? Two men claim to .be
Governor of Louisiana; one is shut up
In the st. Louis Hotel with all his So
called officials, exercises not one parti-
Gle Of control over anything or anybody,
Is contemned and despised by every
lover Of peace, honor and law; the
other, with all his officials, lives openly
before all men. exercises full authority,
and receives the full recognition and
homage of high and low, rich and poor,
and IL there be any Limitation to the
scope Of his authority, it comes not
from your hands or lips, but from the
central power at Washington invoked
by you. Which is the fixed fact"
Packard or Nichols?
But you speak of illegal title to the
office he attempts to usurp." Granting,
for the sake of argument, that Governor
Nichols is usurpatory in his actions,
still do not say attempts" He is not
attempting usurpation; the act Is COM
plete; he has the State In his hands and
you under his foot. You call yourself
| G0uerROr, and yet you cannot success
fully appeal to the people you say have
chosen you to put down an usurper you
affect to despise.
You claim to have been elected Gov
ernor, yet days before your so-calied
Legislature was to meet, and from
whose hands you were to receive your
commission, you barricaded the State
House, filled 1t with armed men, called
to your back door the army Of the ma
ton, and shut out from the building
the very people whom you claim elect
ed you.
Is all this the action Of man who
feels that he has hold on the hearts OF
his countrymen, and that he has been
chosen to rule them Would you not
| have preferred to be inauRurated as was
| fInvnrnnr oir
squarely before God and man, and amid
the acclamations Of all classes Have
we not wonderfully perverted matters
in Louisiana when the elect Of the peo-
pie sneaks behind barrieaded doors and
under the shadow OF borrowed bayonets
to be inaugurated, and the usurper
walks bareheaded through the throngs
OF shouting men and women, and takes
the oath Of Office under the broad
canopy Of Heaven?
You claim that you shall be regarded
as Governor because Mr.. Hayes has
been made President by ssthe highest
tribunal in the nation" Mr.. Hayes is
President, Mr.. Packard, but to the
shame Of civilization and republican in
stitutions; but Mr.. Robinson is Cover
nor Of the great State Of New York-not
his Radical opponent. And this Is the
way you must look at things in Louisi-
ana. Anderson and Wells counted in"
Mr.. Hayes, and the people OF the ma
ed' you in, but the people Of Louisiana
do not acquiesce; they say they chose
Coy. Nichols; they have installed him,
and the question is, now, "What are
you going to do about 1t ?"
You say, "Not one Of those important
branches Of the government (Treasurer,
Secretary Of State. Auditor, Attorney
General and Superintendent Of Educa-
tom is in accord with or under the con-
ernor Nichols is ready for the Treas
urer no doubt the Treasurer will be
ready for him. AS to the other
branches" the elect of the people are
in the offices under Governor Nichols,
and you know it. To some extent they
are paralyzed in function by the army
Of the nation; but the contrast between
Governor Nichols and yourself right
here is striking, and it brilliantly illu-
mines the justice Of our cause. Gov
ernor Nichols official arm is partially
paralyzed by force from Washington
your official arm. is utterly pGlsied By
| force from Governor Nichols. Does 1T
strike you?
But God defend US from having Gov.
| Nichols Sin accord with" Bill Hunt,
Johnson and Brown-your Attorney
| General, Auditor and Superintendent.
Whenever Gov. Nichols wants "the
records and archives" Mr.. Packard,
you'll give them to him.
"The Supreme Court appointed by my
predecessor recognizes me-" A brill
liant illustration Of mutual admiration!
You recognize them, and they recognize
you; but where are ''the records and
archives" this time, Mr.. Packard? You
are the elect of the people; everybody
loves you and wants you to put down
the usurper Nichols; why don't you
possess yourself of those archives?
You sneer at the several thousand
armed White Leaguers, with artillery
in battery" whom you say took posses
sion Of things. Is this becoming in a
man who claims to be the elect of the