The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-02-23
no COMPROMISE FOR THE
COUNTRY.
The Wheeler Pitfall.

To give an idea of what is thought of the
Illuminating proposition of Mr. Wheeler in the
country, we copy in full the following leading
editorial from the Ale xandria GQ.ette Of the
18th inst:
LOUISIANA has been rescued from a great
peril. her people who have endured with
| hefoic 1oftltude so many ills through pro-
| tIacteo night OF despondency. could not
anofo now TO renoGnce their prospects of ulti-
mate and perfect relief for any present paltry
| gam. But the Wheeler compromise could not
nave brought any present or future gain 1t
was en- lnsldlous scheme, adroitly framed to
| entrap men, who We're despairing of succor.
into adoption and approval of what matured
Judgment would have unsparnclv con-
demned. 1t pretended to be fruit and it was
only bitter ashes
What We're S terms? The Conservative
representatives were to submit their rights to
seats IN the Lower House to the Congressional
Committee, VINO, in advance, declared that
we should have majority; but whether that
majority should be less than two. or more
Than twenty, the committee would not under
take to say before their award. The creden-
ilais gwen to the Conservatives by the com
mittee would not entile them absolutely to
seats, bat thew were to be referred to the
Committee on Elections of Hahn's House las
at present constituted whose .decision
should be final. Those Conservatives whose
81 hnis were rejected by the Committee on Elec-
Hon OF Hahn 5 house were bound to abide by that
tejecuon, because an essential ingredient to
the heeler plan was Il practical prom So OF
that effect. Those Conservatives whose rights
20 seats were adjr1ged ~ the Congressional
Committee, and affirmed by Hahns Commit
tee on Elections, could then be qualified by
taA!hE the oath administered by Speaker
Hahn.
There is not syllable in the Wheeler
compromise binding the Hahn House. .'as at
present constituted, to 90 into a new organi-
eaton; bu'. on the contrary, the legitimate in
feren.e from the phrase above quoted is that
1t was not expected there would be a new Or
ganlzatlon Nor was there any obligation on
the part Of the Radical Committee on Flee
tons, appointed from the material at
Hahns disposal, to ratty the award of the
Congressional Committee in its entirety.
Ga the other hand the Wheeler plan bristled
with obligations of the Conservatives They
were to promise Internationally to abide by
the award of the Congressional Committee or
rather so much of that award as should be
ratified by the Hahn Committee on Elections,
and as an indispensable preliminary to any
arbitration they were to bind themselves not
to attempt to call Kellogg to account for past
mlsdeeds, or to overthrow his government
No mention is made of the treasurer, nor any
engagement expressed or implied on the part
OF the committee to rectity the outrage per-
petrated upon us by counting Mr. Moncure
out IN the face of five thousand majority in
his favor.
We prefer to forget that compromise so
pregnant with calamity was ever adopted bv |
a ma ority Of the Conservative Caucus, and |
we record with satisfaction the fact that the |
Rapdes members voted against it. 1t was |
surrender of our position so long and gal |
lantly held-a treaty of peace made when
victory was almost accomplished with an |
enemy who enticed Us into his lines by spe- |
clous promises, and who had given us ample |
reason to know that breach OF faith was one |
of his favorite devices. Worse even than
that, it was a conformation OF the crime of |
the 4th of Janulry, and an admission that the |
grave accusations we made against the Presi- |
dent and his military were but an atfectation, |
a*pretense made for purpose
All this Is true viewing it as a question OF |
right As question of policy it was more
Objectionable still. The execution of the
Wheeler plan would have removed from
Grants shoulders the weight now expressing
him would have withdrawn from the
wounded Republican party the shaft that |
Louisiana had implanted would have sick
ened with disgust the American people who
have now made our cause their own by the
exhibition Of the pusillanimty Involved in so
AFFECT surrender-would have gladdened |
the heart of Kellogg aud his colleagues at so |
easy an escape from difficulties that environ
them, and would have thrown over our peo-
pie pail of dependency which would have
induced the lethargy of despair.