The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-10-09
Stephen B. Packard.
Interesting Interview with Our E1-Mar-
shal-Reminiseenoes Of Louisiana.

Interesting Interview with Our E1-Mar-
shal-Reminiscenoes Of Louisiana.
"Gatl,," the we'll known CORE
spondent of the Cincinnati Enquirer,
writes the following letter to that
paper under date of Aug. 81, 1880, on
board the steamship City Of Brussels,
en- route homeward from Liverpool:
Mr.. Stephen Benjamin Packard, the
Liverpool Consul, is as quiet, atten-
tive aud reliable man as has proba-
bly ever been in the place. Very few
persons in Liverpool, including Amer
lean residents there, know that he is
the man about whom such excitement
was made at the time of Hayes cleo
ton. An American cotton broker
from Georgia, who has been three
years in Liverpool, told me that he
never suspected 10 the least that the
large, affable, quiet man whom he
saw going puuctually to his Office
every day was the great Marshal
Packard Of New Orleans.
The Liverpool Consalate is not
worth any thing like it formerly was,
being now salaried place with some
allowances, worth, perhaps, $4,000 a
year. There il a vice consul, who is
an English lawyer, and has been in
under several Administrations The
allowance for clerks was cnt down by
the last Congress to $25OO. MIR. Pack
ard has given better housing to the
Office than it has had for long time,
and it is now in the second story of a
building near the waterside, directly
over the banking house of Brown
Brothers. The Office pays about $12,-
600 a year to the Government over
and above expenses, and the prof is
of our Consular service, | may add,
pay our Foreign Ministers besides.
Mr.. Packard lives in rented house
in the outskirts of Liverpool, near
the Princes Park. He has family
of four OF five children, who have
been carefully educated at the best
schools of Liverpool by their excel
lent mother. The Consul goes to few
dinners Of a public sort, gives Fourth
of July dinner to resident Americans
and some local dignitarics, and has
considerable number of staunclt Eng
lish friends, who have discerned in
him thoughtful, honest qualities of
mind and heart.
Mr.. Packard, for man so much
celebrated, is still young, only about
forty two years old, have been iu
his office when some of the most
prominent men of Louisiana con-
nected with the old rebel party called
or him as if nothing whatever had
happened. In his adjudication Of
seamen's cases, where there are fire.
qnent disputes between masters of
ships and their subordipates, he has
quiet, Teassuring manner which is apt
TO be useful to both parties. I can
recall some fragments Of conversations
| had with the Governor which NAV
be easie, reading than any .pecula
tive digest of his views and opinions.
Governor" said one day, /" what
took you to- Louisiana originally q"
"I went out from Maine" he said,
"as Captain in Democratic regi-
meDt, raised somewhat later than
others, and differed throughout by
Democrats. That took us into Ben
Buffers command, who was typical
war Democrat. | voted the Demo
cratic ticket down TO 1864, and threw
my ballot for Mcclellan. / married
i'll Louisiana after our occupation Of
the city. My wife was native there"
=" How came you to go into Repub-
lican politics
' After had married-and my wife
liked Lonisiana-I did not want to
como axay from it, and saw that it
was going to be hard papers with
Northern men there. Our only sal
walton was to make new political
which would ps otect our
selves. had been young politician
in Maine while l vas studying law,
and knew something of the organiza-
tion of q party and the offering of
it. Nothing else tempted me into
politics but to see that we we're not
run over"
Did you take a very active part
III oIBa1l:AiHB tue ctale
Yes, / was at the head of the first |
State Committee. Alter
the close of the war we were put un-
der military role, and the command
ing officer of the Department was also
the Civil Governor Of the State. We |
were not allowed to do any thing DO
fitical without his knowledge There |
was a. general desire to have a State
and come into the Union. |
The commanding officer in Louisiana
refused to permit nominations and |
elections for State offices, but was
willing to allow vote to be taken on |
the Constitution We lad passed in !
l saw that the Presi-
Dental election Of 1863 was coming
forward, and that the Republicans
might need Louisiana. So / wrote a t
call for the Republicans to meet in |
and nominate a Governor /
aud State officers. | read it 10 few
friends. aud tod them I should he
before noon next day. That
TUNED out to be the case, but Grant,
then in command of the army at
ordered my release. | /
refused TO be discharged or to give !,
my parole to the Military Governor
until my case had become a test one.
We ran boxes for State officers at the |
same polls where they were voting on
the Constitution, aud the Democrats
ran Il ticket also. Ours was elected.
became Governor and Dunn
Lieutenant Governor. I was made I
Marshal by President Grant, and re-
maiued I'D that Office until the close /
Of my connection with the State It
was Dunn, II Negro, no obtained my |
appointment as United States Mar