The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-04-07
senator West and tn. Fort st. Philip
Canal.

No one in this community at all familiar
with he antecedents Of the individual who
Processes to represent Louisiana in the
. United States Senate, will be in the least
| surprised at the announcement made yester-
| day Of his abandonment Of his own bill IN
troduced in Congress, providing for the
construction of the Fort st. Philip Canal
| Treachery and nfidelity alike to friends and
party, seem to be characteristics of Senator
West. Elevated to his present position by
the most questionable means conscious OF
his own utter unworthinesS and unhtneso
| for the office, he has evidently determined
to laugh at public opinion and turn to the
best account the remainder Of his Sena-
toria term.
In the struggle of the people of Louisiana
against fraud, usurpation and tyranny we
snd our redonbtable Senator leagned with
our er emeS In the fight Of Gov. War
moth-who raised Gen. West from the mire
to the United States Senate, and who pre-
viously had enriched him by appointing
him city Administrator-the Senator
Judas-like, betrayed his benefactOr i'll the
hour of need. The thirty-two members of
the Legislature to whom he promised one
thousand dollars each for their votes to
elect him Senator, were likewise left in the
lurcs after his election had been secured.
Can it be wondered at, then, that when
such dazzling and profitable schemes, offer
ing such tempting bats as the Eads jetties
and the Fort ST. Philip Canal, were submitted
to him for selection, that he would hesitate
an instant to decide upon and give his sup
port to the one offering the largest and
speediest compensation What are the To-
cal or material interests of Louisiana to him,
if they conflict at all with lis individual
and financial schemes Here is measure
Of great public benefit to the State ut large,
specially to the city Of New Orleans. 1t has
met with the approval and is now adj
vocated by our Chamber of Commerce,
by our most experienced and talent
ed engineers, and in fact all classes Of people,
Democrats and Republicans. black and white
are unanimous in their demands for the
contamination of thisproject for building the
canal But in spite Of all this, Senator
West after weighing the two propositions
before Congress, ANONYMOUSLY abandons
the one he first introduced himself and now
favors the Ead's project. How are we to
account satisfactorily for this terg iversation
Does any one believe, for an instant, that
the Senator was convinced of the fact that
the Fort ST PhiiiD Canal was unavoidable |
and that the Ead's jettieS would more readily |
and effectually accomplish the desired OBJ
ect. If so, then there is more charity in |
others than we can boast.
Gen. West, what spectacle does he pre-
sent in thus placing himself in antagonism
with the best interests of his people and
State; in opposition to the views Of prac
-ical and scientific men, and the official re
port of the U. S. Board of Engineerse We
ire not such an admirer of Gen. Vests
literary talents and scientific requirements
o believe that he is competent to form an
Intelligent opinion upon so intricate and
comprehensive a question as the one in
rOlved in these projects Hence we are
Inclined to think, from all we have seen in
lis conduct upon this bill, that he has been
governed in his sudden conversion solely
~ motives personal and profitable to him
elf, regardless Of the duties and obliSa-
ions he owes to the people whom he claims
o represent in the United States Senate.
,