New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-02-16
GOVERNOR WELLS,

4 Z
cessary to vindieate the menaoed rightof lecalsel
government, and to avert the humiliation whic
+ would have been involved in submitting to the q,
traoriinary pretensions of the Executive. w
can therefore. very we'll afford to leave the Cove
81 nor TO the placid enjoymentsof whatever grati6c,
E tinn he may derive from his futile attempt 1
j defeat the known and expressed wishes of his fe
low-citizens. But, while we are indisposed to r.
4 pay the Governor with even merited censure, or
annoy him with superfinons racriminaton, "
think it only just to him that VIC should expre
! the great regret which we feel, in common vii
Z the whole public, at having been unwlttingl
forced into position Of antagoaism to him, i
We are quite conscious that the people
Louisiana are BY no means infalIible. We kno
that they have done many things distasteful
I Governor Wells; we admit that, in certain sens,
they have been rebels II but really, in this ma
ter, they we're not to blame. They could not res
Aonably anticipate that after demonstrating thei
pre- eminent fitness for the exercise of the right o
suffrage il November last, BY casting a snearl,
i unanimous vote for the present Governor they
i would il the month Of February, succeeding, be
considered entirely unfit even to choose municipal
II officers, sherifs, CLERKS III court, etc shi Iass,
could they conceive that suoh an assault on their
BY Governor Wells himself Indeed, no man 4 gac-
quainted with the history Of public events n this
State can fail to know thas the main motive which
operated to secure the nomination Of the Governor
BY the National Democratic Convention, and which
I induced tie people to Yote for him il mass was
the belief that il some #xy or another, he would
prove instrumental in leading us back TO the do
main Of law and Of civil rights. We mean no re-
hection on Governor Wells by saving this. Neither
4 do IVA mean 10 say thatah did mot possess that
bonndless popularity, resulting from complete and
intimate sympathy with popular feeling, which
might, apart from any other considerations, have
Icommanded the unanin Gus support Of the people.
| We merely say that such was not the governing
influence, sor eSensa perceptibla influence in his
election. His success, was based upon claim
stronger even than that Of personal popularity i,
ana, II wen founded, quite Is creditable to him,
and every way Az flattering. IT ii, therefore not
necessary TO inquire whether he could Or would
have been elected except for the peculiar cireurn
stances and exigencies under which he appealed
I'd the public for support. The only material faots
y that ne was chosen because the people believed
him to possess not only the power but the will TO
aldHefiectiyely in the restoration Of our former
status, as far AZ any such restoration was compati
pie with the new conditions BY which we were
surrounded. ss4sAsssa III IN u n &sss'# II II
Y II i not too much to say that next to the early
resumption BY Louisiana Of her place in the Fed
eral Union, the object most ardently desired bys
the people Of New Orleans was q reorganization
of their u municipal government under magistrates
ofs their own choice. After the failueof the hope
Of immediate ton, this, as far as the
cty was concerned, was TIE only point left id the
programme Of restoration Of civil law. " nj one
not entirely blind ~ the eyidencesof public opin-
ion. could fail 70 perceive the intense interest
which itexcited. Equally clear was the unanimfty
Of TIE desire which called for return IL our old
municipal organization by means Of an early cleo
hon Of city officers. The legislature recog-
nized this very evident desire BIZ its prompt
adoption Of the city election bill. ii might
reasonably have been supposed that the
Governor wonld exhibit even more than accus
toned gubernatorial aacrity in giving his assent
70 the measure, and thus redeeming his impliedlyi
plighted faith and satisfying the just expectations
III the public. It was a good opportunity for
Governor Wells by signing these twin measures |
for the restoration Of the old parochal and muni
cipal mac hnery 70 show that be really respected
public sentiment, and regretted the evil influences
which hadled him 50 far astray on previous oc-
S@oauAs uuUpiy itSIsta UHdg He uiQ 0OL aVA1l1
Of this opportunity. Weregret II for our
selves and for the public; but more on his own ac
,ount The chance has slipped from his grasp
n the very nature of things il cannot
'cctr again. There IS, unhappily, no way for
i'm to redeem himself from the bad, In In
'ression which must inevitably be left on
ne public mind by what seems to have
'een u determined attempt to thwart the wishes
# the people, and what really was a fragrant, if
ntile and superaaons, exercise of civil tyranny.
z are truly sorry that Cow w ells has placed
in SO unenviable position. We had
Hoped that he would labor zeaiously and sincerely
p BRING. his department Of the government into
harmony with The legislature, and with public
opinion; and that he would fulfil the profuse
promises held out to the people at the time of His
election. He has, on the contrary, yielded to the
advice Of connselors who seem to think that the /,
CITY and the State were made only for their pecus
llar benefit, and who seem to- take. peculiar
pride IN defying the wishes and opinions Of the
public. As some compensation, however for the
disagreeable consequences Or this course, Tie
Governor may solace himself with tile assurance
that no very bitter resentments win follow what.
after a, was . vain effort to interfere with the
liked MARCH of events, and to retain power III the h
hands OF objectionable and unpopular officials.
8t59s5S