The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-03-28
The Louisiana Commission.

The LOUISIANA CCInAilSSAo1l'
The Wheeling Register adds new tea-
.ure to the Louisiana commission, In say
ing:
"It seems certain that Ex-Governor
BROWN, OF Tennessee, vice-president OF the
Texas Pacific railroad scheme, Is to head
AR. Hayes's commission, which is to pro-
coed to Louisiana with a pledge OF ADMIN
istration aid to that railroad-subSidy IN one
hand. and an offer TO allow Nichoiis 10 NC
Governor, provided two United states scii', =,
tors are added to the waning kao'cai
strength, in the other
Vice President Of q "scheme Is sooo
but let that pass. We cannot imagine 'na.
Mr. HAYES is 50 foolish as to suppose thae
tho southern people are willing to trade Oh
their dearest political rights ioT a pec"hiai!
consideration. II he'is laoorlns unaei '"is
dclusiou, he might as well dismiss II from
bic mind At once; for he will find before
,o,o that the men who have fer twelve
vears held ont against all the temptations OF
federal pelf, power, aud position, cannot
ne temnted by any offer which he can make
70 them, unless he first accord to them the
RICH, to govern themselves in their own
wav. This must be a condition precedent
"a anv other negotiations. This was the
consideration of the bond entered into by
Mr.. STANLEY MATTHEW'S, Mr.. HATEs's
:. hrevet brother-in-law," and Mr.. FOSTER,
who represents Mr.. HAYEs's distrlctln Con-
srcss. These gentlemen did not dare TO
Droffer places OF honor or emolument to the
southern representatives in Congress. Ihey
did not say a word rs to the Texas Paclnc
railway. Their written agreement pro-
misses nothing more, we suppose, than that
South Carolina and Louisiana shall DC recos-
nizcd cas- States, not IS provinces.
Nrssrs. MATTHEWS and FOSTER took cor
rect view of the southern character. Ihey
approached the southern representatives on
their blind side. They recognized thein Us
gentlemen incapable OF being moved by
mercenary considerations: as patriots, ask
ing nothing for themselves but IL Tor thelr
country: as generous, open-hearted men,
ready TO believe all that was said TO them,
and distrustful OF the honor OF no one oc-
cupying the high positions filed by Mr..
HAYES and Mr.. FOSTER. Ii it appears now
that the warm-hearted southron was TOO
credulous, it only shows that he is still the
unsuspecting gentleman that he always was.
The agreement entered into by Mr..
uAYEs's friends and representatives, 1t Is
now said, was never submitted 10 him for
mis- approval. and does not in any manner
bind him. But in what position does this
plea not place MeSsrs. FOSTER and MAT
THEws: They appear as oticiouS informed
dlers; as agents in their own wrong; as
stool-pigeons enticing unwarv victims into
the haunt OF the political gambler. Can
they afford 10 stand in this light before the
people OF the United. States and Of the
world? Will they consent to be discredited
and disgraced? We surmise that they will
not. They will ind it necessary to vindi-
cate their characters and their conduct.
But the best vindication which they can
have, and the only vindicatlon which
will be full, round, and complete, will
be the withdrawal Of the Federal
troops from the States Of Louisiana and
South Carolina. Not from one State
only, but from both. The agreement must
THEws are dissraced. 1t cannot be possible
that these gentlemen themselves can have
any doubt on this point. Mr.. MATTHEws's
letters to PACKARD and CHAMBERLAIN show
that he knows just what his compact con-
templated. His subsequent election to the
United States Senate-over men who used
those letters in their efforts to defeat him
leaves him free to follow up the line Of con-
duct which he had marked out for himself.
1t would seem, therefore, that Mr.. HAYES
will yet be forced either to carry out in
good faith the agreement made for him or
10 break with Messrs. FOSTER and MAT
THEws. This presumption is the only foun-
dation that we can see on which to base a
hope that Louisiana is to be set free from
the chains that have so long bound her.