New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-11-29
LOUISIANA AFFAIRS.

PENDING on THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. TING BIS
OF RECENT POLITICAL HISTORY.
A distinguished Louisiana Conservative politician
holding high public place, sat at breakfast IN
! Broadway hotel, the other day, with memoer Vi
The TRIBUNE staff. In the course OF the CONVERSE
| ton, good many interesting things came oul III
regard TO the action Of the President in Louisiana
matters which have fresh interest, Just now Dc
cause of their connection with the pending contest
| in the Senate.
| "You were on the inside both at New-Orleans ana
Washington. last Spring" said TIE TRIBUNE's rep
resentative TEL me how the President came 10
/ make the mistake Of sending the commission down
to arrange the difficulty in your State"
"The Cabinet is responsible for that blunder. MI
Hayess mind was not clear on the question, ana he
left it to the members OF the Cabinet to determine
Four Of them voted for the commission, ana thIee
against it, Mr. Evarts voted IN the negative
He had favored the proposition until MI La
mar went to him. just before the matter
was decided, and made an imprisoned appeal
against a movement which he thought threw away
the chance the Administration had Of support IN the
South and looked like bad faith toward the LOUIS
lana members who had sustained the electoral
count Lamars arguments convinced Evarts' /
think the two other Cabinet members VINO oppoSeu
the commission were Sehurz and Key"
I've all know how the long delay and the crea-
ton of the commission chilled the warm. ELUSIVE
feeling OF the South toward the Administration.
But do you really think that if the President had
pursued his South Carolina plan in Louisiana, and
promptly withdrawn the troops, he would nave
party at his back III the South to-day :"
Certainly | do and this is not a matter OF be-
lief. but of knowledge could name a dozen South
ern leaders who were ready to maze the jump when
the bucket Of cold struck them. Most Of them
proposed to cut entirely loose from the Democratic
party and avOw themselves Administration men.
Mr. Hayes did the right thing in the end. but he
failed 10 strike when the iron was hot HIS hesita-
ton set the current Of Southern feeling back IN lis
old channels. The commission was looked upon as
= Trojan horse that concealed some hocls-iocns
contrivance You were in New-Orleans 1T the tnle'
and you know that hardly man OF influence came
near it until the very last moment and that the day
before the settlement reached The commissioners
had their trunks packed a1d were ready 10 start 10
Washington 70 report failure
"WLat do YOU know about the Returning Board
pro,ecutousl Arc they not contrary 20 the promise
made in Governor Nicholss letter and the resolu-
toas Of the Legislature :"
q so understand the matter. The letter and
resolution, which, by the way, Wayne AacN eagA
prepared, promised immunity from prosecutions
on account Of political action. They were not IN
tended to cover cases Of defacation, theft and the
like but they were clearly understood 10 embrace
the action Of the Returning Board and Of all cleo
ton officials l do not think that any Of the real
Conservatives approve of the prosecutions
81 heard in Washington that they were begun to
crowd the Administration into putting the Custom
House into the hands Of certain Clique IN New
Orleans"
That know nothing about; but you depend
upon 1t that the President has not been party to
any bargain. and will not be. He is upright
man as ever lived.
Tell me about that curious business of the col
lectorship. Why was King appointed and then
dropped. and why was bingham Lawrence taken
upi
king was appointed because the President
thought he ought to do something for the Return
ing Board. and King you know, was Tom Ander-
sons man. Afterward, the President heard reports
affecting Kings moral character. About the tine
Congress met last month, he sent for Randall Glib
son and asked his advice. Gibson told him that he
knew nothing against Kings character, but that,
under the circumstances his appointment had tie
appearance of a trade. II was virtually putting the
Federal patronage IN the hands of tie Returning
BOARD. a. If 10 reward them for their action The
story current among Louisiana men IN Wash
ington il that Gibson expressed surprise
when the President spoke of his doubts as 70
Kings character, and exclaimed: go Good heavens.
Mr. President, do you mean 10 insist that your APP
pontees shall be gentlemeni Why. YOU will have to
turn ont every oficc-hOdcr in Louisiana, except Nc
MILAN, who Is a clean man." Af.crward Gibson
thanked HAYES for this evidence that he recognized
the fact that Louisina is inhabited by respectable
Christian people, and that population Is not made
up altogether OF adventures and rascals. Well dis
match was sent To Speaker Bash, who Is saglcions,
upright man. and who gave important assistance last
IL. +Iar f4ftf I'm. flf4tl
that Kings character was good, but recommended
Busy or Williamson for the collectorship. By this
time both the President and lIr Sherman had made
mn their minds that tie nomination Of King
mistake. and that a new man should be found who
had no Returning Board affiliations"
NOW we get down to Lawrence
..Ycs; another mistake was made there; " but the
President can hardly be blamed. All the Congress
man from our State except one-DemOcTats a. well
! as Reuubhcans-reconmendr Lawrence. and Mr.
! Hayes delighted 10 find man put forward by
| both parties, made haste 20 appoint hlm. 49,
! - W ho was the Congressman that stood out z
| Gibson He opposed the appointment on the
| ground that it was the same thlg ~ putlng W AZ
| moth at the head Of the Custom House. lie Vas
/ nerfectlv rlght about IL. Lawrence Is no business
| man lie i, involved good deal, and all his ahaiTs
| are managed by Warmoih, who Is his partner: IL
! would he a mere igure-head IN the Collectors Of
! fee NaImoth would make all the appolnimenis,
| and control the concern from top 10 bot ion d0h
| need to tell You that shrewd and clever as ar
moth II, he is not the man any Administration
would want to stand sponsor for. lou VIII natural
ask why my Democratic friends Endorsed INN.
| That's a question for them 10 answer Only KNOW
| that the Ex-Governor has winning ways ana al
ways manages TO have y lot Of friends IN our
party when he needs them" ~
| VIII Lawrence be cOutrmedV
"No. Tie is certain 10 be rejected. AfierWard me
President III probably appoint good business man
| with 40 political entan2lenents" -,
| What about the contested SeratoIsh p,