The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-02-13
RETROSPECTIVE AND PROSPECTIVE.

NOW tnat the "Wheeler adjustment III
: been finally abandoned by the Conservati'
members of the Legislature whether from
just appreciation of its insidious and siniste
character, or from due respect to the spo1
taneous popular reprobation of the scheme
\ there can be no further necessity for dis
cussing the subject. But the manner i
which the Congressional Committee have re
sponded to the plan OF adjustment subse
auently submitted to them by the Conserve
tive members of the Legislature, is signifcan
of the committees perception of some mate
d rial difference in the two schemes.
The former they forced to final adoptio,
with zeal that indicated an interested
motive. To the latter they CURLY reply, ''no
accepted" Whether this is their final re
Spouse remains to be seen, and it is not
matter of much practical moment, since this
last proposition contained certain pledges OF
the part of the Conservatives which might
have restrained them in the free and conscen
tious discharge of their legislative duties as
q condition to their being awarded thei,
seats to which to which they had been fairly
elected. These concessions and pledges
would have been in derogation of their official
oath, and it is therefore, perhaps, fortu-
nate that they have been relieved of the
grave responsibility Of having thus ham
pered their freedom of action when adm tilted
to their seats. We do not censure our Rep
resentatives on account of these conces-
sions, although we really think none Of
the kind ought to have been offered, for, in
our view, they are either entitled to their
seats as a matter of absolute right, by virtue
of their election, or they are not If they are,
they should have them without any condi-
tons but those found in the law, and they
should hold them without any restriction of
their freedom as the Representatives of
free people If they are not entitled
to their seats as an absolute legal right they
should never accept them as the result of
bargain, or compromise, or whatever else it
may be called. Their right to represent their
constituents in the Legislature could not be
the subject Of any compromise whatever,
without serious injury to the cause of con-
stitutional government.
But il is plain that this branch of the Con-
gressionsl Committee to which this propo-
sition has been submitted have no desire to |
effect any settlement of our diff cul-
ties by their arbitration but what
would insure the stability of the Kellogg
and relieve Grant and his party
of the odium Of his despotic military inter
vention in setting up Kellogg's government,
and in expelling our legislators from their
seats This is their prime object, and any
scheme that would accomplish this would
meet with their ready approval. This they
thought was fully embraced in the Wheeler
adjustment" and 50 Mr. Wheeler might well
ay as he did, that "if he could
ettle this louisiana question on that
'asis it would be the proudest act
f his life" II Mr.. Wheeler could have
rocured the voluntary acquiescence of the :.
eople of Louisiana through their own Repre-
entatives, in the Kellogg government, he
'ould have accomplished more than Grant, E
ttorney General Williams and Congress
ave been able to do, and would have
ken from Grants neck milestone that is
mixing him and his Administration to perdi-
on. :"
We care not to discuss the Wheeler propo-
ton further than we have already done. It
IS received the spontaneous condemnation :"
the people 1t sutfices to note the zeal with . ,
hich it was pressed by Hoar, Wheeler and =
we (even if its insidious and sinister pur-
'ses were not patent on its face) to satisfy :
that it was devised in the interest of Grant -
d his party, and was not intended to afford
y substantial relief to this insulted and op- -
essed State. If the Congressional Com r.
ttee desire to do justice they have an op- y.
rtunity to do SO in their report and the w.
concentrations they may make to Congress. -
In the mean time it becomes our people and ~
'ir Representatives to be as patient as they n
y under their suferings and await the NJ
lat events that are being so plainly fore o
allowed, which are likely to tax still further ~;
'ir constancy and fortitude, and not only
IRIS but those of their countrymen of the ~,
Ter States who are in sympathy with them.
rant selected Louisiana as the State upon
ich to first place his mailed hand in bis -:
vement toward absolute power. He fixed -
grasp upon her throat and thought to
'ngle her utterly in few short months
. resistance offered to him by our people
only served to infame his anger and pie
Sc him to push forward with more rapid rec
des toward the accomplishment of his OF
ssonable designs. all!
he country, not yet recovered from the Gr
ok occasioned by the dispersion of the on
,islature by Grants bayonets, stands aghast Thu
the amazing impudence of the threat to MIR
rturn the State government Of Arkansas, tho
set up in its stead a usurpation similar to ing
with which Louisiana has been cursed aga
'hese despotic acts following so closely on vol
b others heels are indications that the era
against the Republic will eliminate even con
"