New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-07-16
Especial Correspondence Of the Republican,
NORTHERN POLITICS..
Louisiana Conservatives and the Pending
Elections.


Louisiana Conservatives and the Pending
Elections.
Boston, July Z, 1876.
Was the Wheeler adjustment entered in
to with good faith by the Conservatives of
Louisiana, or was it used as means to an
end, that end being the final overthrow of
all vestige of Republican influence in the
State! This is no new question. This
question was asked in Faneuil Hall in this
city when Charles Francis Adams and other
Massachusetts Conservatives took ground
against Grant and Sheridan in the Louis
lana affair. 1t was asked in Cooper Hall
Institute in New York when William Cullen
Bryant, William NJ. Evarts, George William
Curtis and other leaders Of the New York
aristocracy took open ground against the
NEGRO government in Louisiana. 1t was
also asked in Congress at the time. The
reply was informally the same, whether
given in Boston, New York OF Washing ton.
That reply was that the Conservatives of
Louisiana we're acting in good faith as
Americans and not as Confederatee,
and that they desired to be encour-
aged to separate the local affairs
OF their State from all forms OF national
party intrigue which had tendency to
keep alive the resentments of the war or the
prejudice Of race or the policy of sectional
ism. Wendell Phillips and other Northern
Radicals took open ground against the
Wheeler adjustment. These Northern Rad
icals took the ground that the Louisiana So
called Conservatives were COnfederates in
disguise; that they secretly applauded the
very acts Of lawlessness which they pub
liciy professed to deplore; that their one
single and all engrossipg obi cot was to con-
solidate the political South in sectional
unit on national affairs, and thus, through
the overthrow OF the Republican party,
and the aid of the Northern Democracy. to
finally gain entire control Of every depart
ment of the federal government, legisla-
tive, judicial and executive, and 80 reduce
the negro to subOrdination and restore the
Union to it's ante bellum status, as that Of a
white mans government. This was the
indictment" brought by the Radicals
against the Louisiana Conservatives and
the Wheeler compromise.
The nomination of Hayes and Wheeler at
Cincinnati. as shown IN a previous letter to
the REPUBLICAN, reflected the spirit of COM
promise inside of the Republican party,
which has for its leaders mr. Adams, Mr.
Winthrop, Mr.. Evarts, William Cullen
Bryant, George William Curtis, Carl Schurz,
Whitelaw Reid, of the Tribune, and other
Northern conservatives. This Cincinnati
nomination now finds its appropriate coun-
terpart in the action of the Republican
party of Louisiana. In the nomination Of
Mr.. Packard for Governor the Republicans
of Louisiana have presented ticket which
once again raises the question involved in
the Wheeler compromise. Do the property.
owning, peace-loving citizens of Louisiana
desire to separate the national interests and
local affairs of their State from the Confed-
crate Democratic coalitionl Can they not
see that the permanent conditions of that
coalition are:
l. Negro subordination in perpetuity as
the fixed political status Of the freedmen.
?. Southern sectionalism based on negro
serfdom.
3. Northern antagonism to this revival OF
the old Southern policy of divide and rule
/ say, can not intelligent men in Louisi
ana see thisl Can they not see that such a
policy can only tend to ceaseless agitation
to end possibly in another civil war!
The vote of the Conservatives in Louisi
ana, both on the local State ticket and upon
the presidential ticket, will be closely
scanned at the North. If the Conservatives
of your State vote solid for Tilden and
Hendricks, and solid against Packard and
Antoine, then the next acceptable speaker
upon Louisiana affairs in Boston will moi
be Charles Francis Adams, but Wendell
Phillips. William Cullen Bryant and Car
Schurz will then reverse the batteries O
their vindictive oratory and turn them full
upon those who have sought, through {
friendly adjustment, to take advantage O
the country.
The Conservative vote of Louis iana will
be scanned and remembered even after
Hayes and Wheeler are elected, and by ne
man will the vote Of your State be 81
eagerly watched as by Mr.. Wheeler him
self. For one l am free to declare that
have little confidence either in the motives
or professions of the so called Conserva
tiyes of the South on the issues involved in
life-aspirations or political rights of thu
emancipated race. l stand with Wendell
Phillips in this matter. / believe that Mr.
Wheeler will live to see the Southern situa
ton as 1 now do. l believe the North will
yet rue the day that it sacrificed its friend
in order to conciliate its enemies. l shall
| certainly be only too happy to flint
myself mistaken in all this. Ant
II violate no breach of confdenc
when l say that Wendell Phillips himsel
| will share in this feeling of rejoicing
events prove that the Confederate is indee'
the friend OF the negro, and the friend o
| impartial government, and the friend Q
| the Union. Bnt it will take somethin
more than words to settle these dispute
| questicrs-to settle the question of goo
| faith as involved IN the Wheeler ad ust
| msnt. In matter like this, actions spea
/! louder than words. b.
| How Captain Henry was Wounded.
A late letter from Fort Fetterman nal
rates the following incidents of Genera
| Crooks recent battle on the Rosebud. Tb
letter is from DR.. McGillicuddy, staff Sui
geon:
We had nine soldiers and eight of GU