The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-03-23
The Louisiana Commission.

cinnati papers Of yesterday are to til
following effect in regard to the appoin
ment Of a commission to visit Louisian
and ascertain what Is the best policy
adopt toward the rival governments /
that State;
LConmSrsiIlb dlspateh.l
WASHINGTON, March 2l.-The decisio
Of the Cabinet that the present conditio
Of affairs shall be maintained in Louis
ana until such time as the commission /
be appointed by the President shall hay
reported, is not well received by III
Southerners in Washington. They ex
pected that the order Withdrawing III
troops from the State House would hay
been issued by this time, instead Of whicI
II is postponed indefinitely. The reason
why this postponement was had do no
clearly appear, but it is believed that
was more on account OF Packards threat
ening attitude than anything else. II tn
troops were Withdrawn, il il reasonabl,
certain that Packard would forthwith
bring on an outbreak for the sole pur
pose Of compelling their return. II the,
remain on the spot they are ready at AM
moment 10 quell any disorderly proceed
ingS that he may attempt. Nichols ha'
given ample guarantees that the peace
shall be preserved "a far as he and hi,
supporters are concerned, and these guar
antics have been accepted by the Admin
istration in good faith at their full face
value; but he could not promise iol
Packard and his adherents, and Packard
will not agree to keep the peace.
GaEctte's dispatch
The decision to send a'Commission to
Louisiana is well received BY all the Re-
publicaIs, but is generally denounced by
the Nichols men, The latter are loud IL
the declarations that they have been de-
ceiVed. Their disturbed feelings indicate
less confidence in the justness and sound
ness Of their case than they have proiesset
TO have. The decision in the Cabinet wa
based upon the belief that il Commits
sion, compose Of men who would com
mand the confidence OF the country
should visit New Orleans, it might, aftel
consultation with the leaders OF each side
be able 10 proposed some plan Of settle
ment which would be recognized as fair
At any rate, the requests OF the Southern
Republicans that nothing should be done
till the situation was closely examined By
the new administration seemed one thai
ought not to be denied.
EnquIrcts DISpatch.l
General Gibson, Of Louisiana, saws he
had an interview with President Hayes at
John Sherman's houae, prior to the in.
auguration, in the course OF which Hayes
told him he favored the plan OF sending
a Commission. Gibson has resisted the
Commission programme vigorously ever
since Hayes was inaugurated, but says he
has been prepared for it, and in private
conversations has kept Governor Nichols
prepared for It from the beginning. To.
day, when the President announced the
determination OF the Cabinet to send a
Commission, Gibson said TO him: "Mr.
President, l can not find words in which
to express my grief ut this determination;
nor need | try to express TO you the dis.
appointment with which the announce.
ment Of your determination will be re.
ceived in New Orleans and Louisiana.
The language Of your inaugural led
my people 10 hope for the
best at your hands, and this deter
mination will certainly fall very far
short Of their hopes." The President
replied: 81 am very sorry TO hear you
say these things, General Gibson. l us.
sure you that nothing is further from me
than an unkind feeling toward your peo.
pie; but l earnestly believe that this
policy is best calculated to promote the
common interests Of all the people OF
your State"
AT this point Ellis addressed the Presi.
dent, and said: "Mr. President, il is very
hard on our people, after having been
deluded and robbed, to be compelled to
wait yet longer, and dance attendance
upon a Commission--to wait and suffer
while their fate hangs upon the conclu.
sions Of five men who may do one thing
and who may do another" The Presi.
dent replied: "lt is hardly worth while
to reopen the discussion upon those
points, Mr.. Ellis. The proposition to
withdraw the Federal forces encoun-
tered opposition in the Cabinet and
divided the Administration against
itself. The plan which we have
adopted was discovered after an exhaust.
i've discussion to the only plan upon
which the Cabinet could unite, and |
thought ii better that upon a question Of
SO much gravity, the Administration
should act as unit, rather than as a di.
vided body" Mr.. Hayes then turned to
Col. Levy and said that he should select
as members Of the Commission men who
had the confidence Of the whole country,
and should await their report with per.
feet confidence that it would be justified
by events and approved by results. Al
this point the interview between the
President and the Conservative delega.
ton in Congress from Louisiana termi.
mated; but, as the gentlemen were leaving,
the President detained General Gibson,
and said to him that the only embarrass.
ment he apprehended was in a possible
difficulty TO get the men he wanted to
serve on the Commission. But he indi.
Gated that he would exhaust the catalogue
Of non.partisan, fair.ninded men before
he gave il up,