Year: 1871

from the Governors carriage, andw with one
huge cheer started at freman's run for
the Turner Hall. Their ranks augmented
at every step by numbers of enthusiastic
supporters, whose cheers were only limited
by the supply of oxygen in their lungs
Thus borne, in sort of prophetic tri-
umphal procession, the Governor and his
friends reached the place of meeting.


In Turner Hall.


The capacious hall of the Turner's, capa-
BILE of holding four or five thousand people,
was crammed to its utmost capacity.


Cheers for the United States flag, the sing
ing of John Brown, with an extemporized
parody, indicating the suspension of some
BODY other than JEFF Davis to sour apple
tree, and the soul reviving strains of the
Star Spangled Banner made the time pass
lightly until the hour of organization came.


The formal proceedings of the Convention
will be found officially recorded in another
part of this days paper. The business of
the present reporter is simply to record the
incidents and speeches not coming under
the official red tape routine.


State Senator A. B. Harris called the
meeting to order. He said:


Gentlemen of this Convention: You will
now come to order. We have assembled
here in pursuance of an adjournment at the
Customhouse this morning 1t lis well known
that when we reached that building we
found it filed with United States marshals
and three companies of United States sold
iers on guard. We found the United States
courtroom. in which the Convention was to
be held, closed, and upon going to its doors
we were refused admission. Finding that
no convention could ever be held there we
adjourned that convention TO this hall; and
it is my pleasing duty as member of the
State Central Committee to call this con-
vention of the Republican party to order.


Mr.. Masters, of Carroll parish, having
been nominated as president.p pro tenn, and
Mr.. w. F. Blanchard secretary pro tem.,
committees on credentials and on perma-
nent organization we're appointed.


A recess was then taken, but the inces-
SAINT calls for Governor Warmoth brought
the Governor to his feet.


Governor Warmoth said: thank You. for


the kindness and for the affection you have
shown me to-day. 1t is to me satisfaction





| consider that the Republicans of the


State of Louisiana have stood by me in this
contest with usurpation of authority-in a
contest with men who have tried to pack a
Republican convention. We did not raise
any contest with this State Committee. con-
trolled and owned by pack of United


States federal officials, who keep themselves
in the United States Customhouse, and dare


not come out to the people and allow them


Ives tn ba


with them. We raised no contest with


them when they called convention to meet
in midsummer, without any purpose


whatever but to perpetuate their own
existence. We immediately went to


work to elect delegates TO represent
us in this convention. No sooner
did we do that, than throughout the length
and breadth of this great State letters were
sent to every leading Republican, attempt
ing to set our friends, both black and white,
against the leaders of the party. These men
did not hesitate to send letters in which
they said "You must not trust any white
man but must send only black men to the


convention" They did not stop at that,
but they circulated every plausible false
hood against the officers of the State gov
ernment and against the men who have
kept together the Republican party in this
State, and have led it to victory so many
times. [Cheers.] The result is this, that
convention is called in tits city,
and notwithstanding that the resolu-
ton calling the convention indicated
the place of meeting, Marshal Pack
ard, with Collector Casey, struck out
the name of the hall indicated inethis
resolution, and published it without any
place of meeting named. We raised no
question even on this point, but we said
when they give us notice of the place of


meeting we will be there. [''Good p and
applausel. They gave US notice yesterday
morning. What notice did they give usf
That they would hold the Convention in
the United States courtroom in the United
States Customhouse, and that no man
should pass the door of the hall who did


not have a ticket from the United States


Marshal. [Laughter and cheers We


did not even contest that. Not only
did they do this. but they absolutely
told us that if we ''made any


fuss" by asserting our rights,-they


themselves being the judges of whether we


were making fuss or not-that they had
plenty of United States marshals to arrest
US. We even submitted to that, and this


morning assembled together and went down


to the postoffice and got our tickets-at


least some of us got tickets, and some did
not. Postmaster Lowell fold gentlemen
that Marshal Packard had no right to indi-


cate the postotfice as the place of giving out
tickets, and that he would not give them.
To others he said there were no tickets,


and many had to apply two or three times


before they got their tickets. Applause. ]
Some of US that had obtained tickets


went to the Customhouse and found
all the great doors closed and barred.
We found that even the commercial men OF
this city were not permitted to enter that
CustOmhouse to transact their commercial
business, unless they had ticket from


Marshal Packard. The government OF the
United States has seen fit to suspend the
business of the CusJomhouse of this port in


order that its peculiar friend and champion


may be. THE remainder of the sentence


was drowned in ringing burts of applausel
After waiting some moments at the door OF
the CustOmhOuse, the United States Marshal
had concluded to allow me to enter. was
followed by ninety delegates, the large ma
jority of whose seats are on the record OF
the State Committee, without contest. We


went in by the great door and mounted
the main stairs, and when we got to the top
what did we find ? Right in front of the
door of the hall which these people had
selected as the meeting place OF the con-


vention, stood two companies Of United
States troops, with muskets, and lightning
rods at the end of them. Laughter and
cheers. What did that say to usR 1t said
that United States Marshal Packard, United
States Postmaster Lowell, United States


Assessor Joubert, United States Collector


Casey and United States Deputy Collector
Herwig and the balance of the crowd were
determined to have their convention to


themselves, and that if we interfered with


them or dared to protest they would arrest
us by United States marshals, or, If not
strong enough, they would turn US out
of the hall by the aid of United States
troops.


A friend of mine once in Cuba had con
versation with prominent citizen OF that