Year: 1872

I THE GUBERNAFoR1AL HANDICAP.


The meteoric fight of Governor War,


moth from New York to New Orleans and


his rattling advent into this city on


Wednesday afternoon were the main topics


of conversation in political circles yester-


day. It is not that trip to New York OF


any other distant city and subsequent


return by the Governor under ordinary


circumstances involved a novelty, but the


interest in the present case grew out OF


the peculiar condition Of our political al


fairs. Law and custom cIothe the Leuten-


ant Governor with the executive functions


during the absence of the Governor from


the State. and it was to secure this change


by the one party and to prevent it by the


other that led to the seventeen hundred


mile race, which has already been suffi-


GENTLY described.


AS usual in this city, when any striking


event occurs exaggerated rumors Of what


should be, was to be, is to be, or owuld
have been done obtain ready currency,
and the furthest from probability inya-
riably finds the most believers. Without
discussing in any way the more extreme
reports to which the attempt Of fPinchback
to reach Louisiana in advance of Governor
Warmoth have given rise, neither admit
ting nor denying their probability, we
shall examine one or two points that the
Lieutenant Governor might have achieved
if he had not stopped too long at Canton.


One Of his first steps would undoubt-
edly have been to approve certain acts Of
the last Legislature, which it is the inten-,
ton Of Governor Warmoth to veto. Among
these is the election law, by which the
present registrars and returning board
would have found themselves out Of Office.
The officers provided for by the new law
would then have been appointed by the
acting Governor, and the selections would
all have been made in the interest Of the
party with which he is in affliation. This
would have given it material advantage
in the next election and would have been
viewed with concern, if not alarm by the
other party. And it requires no exagge-
ration of the probabilities Of the case to
suppose that there would have been a
great popular commotion and possible
violent opposition. Blood might might
not have been shed, according to the
shape that events would have taken But |
there would have been a feverish feeling Of |
uncertainty and anxiety in the public |
mind. Business would have been i'm
peded in many cases, perhaps interrupted
altogether The oft recurring senli-panic
felt during such scenes as the riots Of
1854-55, the reign of the vigilance COM
mittee of 1858, the civil war from 1861,
the riots of 1866, the disorders and threat
ened violence of 1868, and again in 1870,
the tumults of last session, and in & lesser
degree in other cases from time to time
within the past twenty years wQpld have
seized upon the public mind. The ordi-
nary occupations Of the leople would cease
to claim their attention, which would have
been engrossed by the absorbing thene of
the Lieutenant Governors doingso


The timely arrival of Governor Wa!s
moth happily prevented all this and
turned what might have been an attempted
revolution into q rather harmless but
ludicrou8 escapade. Pinchback' : sailure
to beat the Governor in the railroad race
defeated whatever schemes may have been
and with this failure fell the
hopes Of all those who expected 10 gsodt ;
by them.