The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-03-25
The Commission.

People seem to be astonished that Pre-
| sidential Commission to Louisiana has
been determined on in Cabinet council. The
mere announcement of that fact sends
Nichols scrip down ten per cent and fills
the atmosphere with denunciations of
Hayes. But unless our memory is very
much at fault, the news emanations from Mr..
Hayes himself have always persistent!y in :
Dictated Commission. We venture the posi-
tive assertion that Mr.. Hayes always intend
ed sending a Com mission to Lo uisiana before
taking definite action in it's regard, that he
has always plainly and publicly imtim ate
that intention, and that the general hope of
some immediate settlement of the question
by him without such preliminary was not
the fruit of any satisfactory process of rea
soniug, but of undue enthusiasm.
/ We do not blame our friends for havin &
hurried on to comforting conclusions a
lttia r,ema'Hrely neither do We blame
| them iur undue detection on realizing their
mistake we merely lift up a protest in
favor of history in pointing to facts as they
stand recorded.
What then, was Mr.. Hayes reason orr
ginally, and what ia it now, for sending
this Commission That is the question of
the hour. There are two principal theories
on this point first, that the Com mission is
to negotiate with Packard for an uncondi-
tional surrender second that it is to nego :
tiate with the legitimate State government
for the withdrawal of the troops in conside
ration of price.
The Packard theory has advocates who
say that there is a skeleton in the Repub
liam closet and that Mr.. Packard holds the
key of the closet door, aud that moreover
there are several dozens of such keys held
by as many different persons. According
to the argument all of these persons are in
position TO black mail Mr.. Hayes, be
cause they or any one of them can expose
to the world the whole scheme of bribery
and perjury by which it is said that Hayes
triumpRed over the will of the people, anC
. in which not only he but most of the promi
8 nent Republican leaders were directly impli
Gated. According to these casuists, Presi
dent Hayes is too much of a Talleyrand t
put himself on paper in such matters ant
therefore prefers that species of communi
cation which fades a~ay upon the air.
But there is another class of politica
judges who say that Hayes doesn't troubl
, himself about Packard and crew. He has Gu
loose from such disreputable connections
but would like at the same time to turn hi
virtue to profitable account. There is
Evolutionary English lawyer who could NJ
see case at all until gold sovereign wa
applied to each Of his eyes, and it is though
that couple OF gentlemauly Republican
Senators would operate on thu President a
; eye openers for the Nichols case.
There ia, too, a third party, very small
indeed, bat very good natured, ami
able aud benevolent, to which, however
!, we do not give in our adhesion any NOR
than to the others, aud this p arty says tina
Hayes is stAtesm an aud a gen tIemau, tha
he intended all along, and Intends just O.
much now, to respect State Rights in thei
amplitude, but that he is not going to b.
Precipitate in taking action.
In other words, soms persons conten,
that Hayes is weak and pusillanimous
others that he is shrewd and crafty, an,
again others that he is consistent, Memorable
aud inhexible.
Let us compromise by waiting for devel.
Opments.
Teuxiv FfSf IN q, voa 49, -, r. Anss -