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The Electoral Dispute

The Electoral Dispute image
Parent Issue
Day
22
Month
February
Year
1878
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Mr. Hewitt, of New York- Tlio gentleman (Mr. Aiken, of Soutu Carolina) ineinuatcH tbat somebody eold out the Presidency. No Northern man solcl out the Presidency. The propo8ition to sell the Fresidoney was mado to mO, and I contemptuously refused it. Mr. Hewitt proceeded to recouut the facts counectod with a proposition made to him by Col. Pickett (as coming from J. H. Maddox, Special Agent of the Treasury Depar'.mont) to pay J. Madison Wells, Chairman of the Keturning Board of Lonisiana, for giving the count of that Stato to Mr. Tilden, all of which was testified to by Mr. Hewitt before the conimittce of tho Hoime at the last seesiou. And now, faid ho, in conclusión, I aak the gentleman from South Carolina (Aiken) to teil me by what rinht he Inrn on ma and acenses me of selliDg tho I'resideiicy. Af ter the decisión of tho Electoral Tribmial in the Louisiana case had been announced it became apparent to me, as it did to every intelligent person who studiedthe situatiou, "tbat the decisión of the Electoral Commission would award the Presidoncy to Hayes. Of conrso, I feit it was a preat grievanco, but I feit that we had submitted that quostion to the tribunal, and that we wi re bound and conchided bv ité decisión, and I told everybody that I ehould vote to tustain overy decisión of the tribunal, no matter what the connequeuee might be. But I did not see any reason why, bccause Mr. Hayes was going int o the Pretidencv, 1 should ignore the fact that there was a largo nnmber of gentlemen in the House who did not look on (ho qaestion as I did, and that thoy had told me the count phould never be eompleted. On thnt statement I reHected, and I said to myself, Unless it ia understood that tho troops shall bo withdrawn from Louisiaua and Routu Carolina civil war will surely broalt out, for tho members from Lonisiana assnred metnatthelr people would no longos Hubmit to military domination. I knew if (bey resisted, other Southern Staten would bo in honor bound to help them, and I thuught that if I conld not save the Presidency from the wreek there was not any good reason why South Carolina and Ijouisiana ahould not be saved from it. Thereupon, of my own motion, I went to my friend from Ohio (Foster) and made to him pretty much tho romark that I now niüki. The reason wby I went to him was because he had made a speech on this tloor in which he declared what tho President' policy wonld be, and he believed it, and I belioved it. I said to that gentleman. "I fcar there will bo trouble unleas you eau atisfy theee Southeru geijtlemeu this po'icy wliich you ho.ve declared tó be tho jK)!icy of tho incoming administration will be adhered to.' He said to me, "What can I do?" I paid, "Ido not know. It is not my business, but I teil you the facts." Ho said, "I will t-ee about it,"and subsequenUy (I think the next day) he carne back to rao and fhowed me a letter signed by Mr. Hajen, which letter ba ince been publishei. I read it. He said, I " Will that bo Hatisfactory ?" I said, " Mr. Foster, it is not me whom you have to satisfy; it is other gentlemen. To me it would not bo satixfactory, bnt you mint go to them and satisfy them that this policy will be oarried out." That was the last interview I had willi Mr. Fostor on the subject. What, f"ilowed carne to me from other persons. I had no part in a bargain, if it was made. I knew notliing of its terms, but I was t:Hi on the day the Vennont return had been put through the joint convention tha these gèliÖêmen from South Carolina were satisfied, and that tliere e mld be no gooi reiiso I why the count should not proceed. I do not know how they were satitfied. I havo never ! seen any member from LouiKiana about it. I j only knön1 that they told rao they wero satisí fied, and in & f nr as I hud any iniluonco I ex erted it for the comoletiou of ihe count. I did i it in the intcre-st of peace. I did it in the interest of my country. I believo that I did then the tvfaost and best act of my life so far as I had any connoction wlth matters. If other men rjade Improper bargaln, I know Qothiug of them. Have I answered the geutlenian's . (Ellsworth's) question to bis satisfac'.ion ? Mr. Finley aid, in bis opinión the time of the House had been spent moro fooHshly tody than on any day of thix session. The gentlomau from New York (Hewitt) had stated that a pröpo&ihou had beeu mado to him by J. Madison Wells to sell out the Presiden. He (Fiuley) desired to add that tho hoary-headed oíd rase il and hia fellow-conspirators had been j indicterl in Louixiana, and that one of them ■ had been convieted ; and vet, to-dav, members i of Oöngress, of the House and Seuate, and mcniberri of the Cabiuct, woro sending to tlii convieted criminal lottern of condolenco. Not i'iih tliiit. luit. if the papers apoke truly, there was eveu now a serious discussion in tho O.binet over a proposition of sending the ! army. Mr. Townsend - Thoy should not have been taken away iuto LpiUeiana to wrtst from tho hnnds of the law the convieted criminal. Mi'. Fi ster mid iliat H bad not been hia good for;utiO lo hear the opening remarkti of the Ktmtleman fronj Nny York (Hewitt), but 'n the reniainder of liis statenientUhero was really notbing which had not been piibliibed to the world timo and again, uuless it was a statement that ha bad reason to believe that somo bargain liad been made with eoine Lrniisian I gentlemen. There had bccu nö bargain made no far au ho (Fostur) wan oonoeraed. Hu never knew of any.' Kor himself, he had coufessed that he feit great nolioituile t the condition of tho coanfry. He had dóslrea a peaceful soloion of tbo Electoral Count bill. Ho had votod ■ br it apainut many of nis party fricuda, beeauso ' ie behevcd it wits iminensely more important ! o the country tbat tbo ciuoBüon thonld be oí io a peaceful, nrderly manner, tlian that i ther Hayes or Tilden hould bo Presidont. 'hou the filibuötcring movement had been ommenccd oa the Democratie side he had agaiu scome solicitous about the happineas of tho jeople. The question of poaco or Btrifo had een involvod. Ho had thought then that he cnow what Gov. Hayes' foplings woro on the uestiou of local s'olf-government. Ho had indo public proclamatiou of tbat in hig placo n the floor, and Gov. Hayes had thanked him r niaUing it, aud tbat was the letter to which o mutih reforencü had been made. He did not tnow that at that linio tbo goatlornan from Now York (Hewitt) was pla-ying any imjiortant part in that caao nntil after ho had come to tuin (Foster) to in.juir! sdmethife about it. At that timohe(Hewitl) was not a great factor in the problom. Tho otbcr gcncloman from Now York (Woed) waa conducting the Democratie anti-liübubtering niovement. He (Poster) had laborod aimply for the peacoful exocuúon of the Electoral bilí without oxacting any promise oxcept statiug wbat he had beheved would be thepolicy of PreHident Hayes. Noono thing was done anywhere or in auy place, and he defled mortal man to bricg evidence to that effect, that obliged anybody to do anything in connideration of anything being done by the other side. Mr. GarSeld said, when the decisión of the Eloctoral Tribunal was auuounced, there wtro íetwoen thirty and forty gentlemen on the ther nicle, most of whom had been in arm gainst the United States, whobelioved iu tbcir ïonor they wero bound to stand Vy 1 lio result. Tliey did so. and they roslstcd íike patriota very effort to break up this count and bring bib country into civil war. ïlie country wiU not believo that after they declarod their pur)Of e to do so they statnod thoir honor by doing vhat they wero doing au a matter of trade ; ana do not beliüve it. The men who rosistcd he filibus tering on that tido did it on liigh ;ronnds of national duty and their consciencefc ismen, and if thoi'c be a mortal man in this world who nnys tbey tradod, I olieve that tluit aan lies. I siy it for them, and if there be be a man in this world that says that auy man on this sido of the Iioune, or tbc President, or iny man for tho President, made a trade, I hopo ie wiU exhibit the trade, and let the scoundrel who mado it, or who autborizod it, be lashcd ïaked through the world. But I believe that he man who allege3 that thero was euch a rade is either a deceived and foolod man or a iar. Lot us have done with thi uouaense about trading Presidencios and selling Prosidencies. What man here had a PreRideney for salo or was in the market to buy a Presidency? Let the man who lias such waros for salo ahow hem, and not thuudor iu tho index, but let the jody of bis iroTK show lie has the manufactures ie proposes to BelJ. In regard to what has een said abont the withdrawal of fcroops from Louisians, I disclaim, for one, in so far as my diselaimer goes for anything, that the troopj wero withdrawn as a matter of pqlicy or conciliatiou. They were mthdrawn as 'a matter of oonatitutional duty, and as such I dofend tho withdrawal. But tho evils wluch havo f ollowed and tho trueulont spirit oxhibited by Bome gentlemen in Louisiaua íh a poor recompense for the efforts of our people to restore to the whole country the spirit of peace and eonciliation. Mr. Southard- Will tho gentleman say what the trucnlont spirit U? Hpeaker Iiandall (in a low tono from the Clerk's desk)- "Punishing the guilty." Mr. Gurfield- The pernecuüon, the ontrageons persecution which is following the membsrs of the R&turniug Board in the city of New Orl;aus. Mr. Hale, referring to Fiuley's denunciation of J. Madison Wells as an old rascal, and of hi ffcllow-mcmbers of the Roturuing Board of Louisiana as OOnBpiratOri, and of othors who had boen sending etters of condolence to tho condemned criminal, said he himself (Hale) was oue of those who had been invited to Louisiana after the Presidenüal eJoction to see that there was a fair oount, He had gonc th te tecause he know the spirit which had for years provailod in the Dumoeratio partv thero was HUtïiciently activo to llame ftgam, and to make thestreets of New Orleans run with blood. Ho went on to defend the action of tho Returning Board, and particularly to Bhow tbat the roturns from Vernou pariah had beon publiohed in the newspapers betere one claim had been eetup tuat there had beon fiaud or alteration in them. The Iietiiruing Board had eliminated cortain votes which were elaimed to have been cast through intimidation and fraud, and through tho overawing influence of armed Domes of men m that State. The aetion of the Rettirning Board had been sustained by the Electoral Comtnissiou, and following that Hayes had been inaugurated. He did not know what the agroement was, did uot knöw that auy existed, but he knew that, hether the troop had been withdrawn irom Louitiana for constitutional reasons or as a matter of eonoiliation, the Nicholls Legislatura had passed a resolution that it would diecounteuanco any political prosecutions, and he kuew and believed that the prosecution of members of the Iïoturniug Board were of that kind. He had signed tho dispatch referred to, because ho did not, believe these men ought to be abandonad, or that tho administratiou ought to abandon thern. Mi'. Ellis, of Louisiana, who had been out of the hall dnring tlie discussion, aud who had evideutly been ill-informed of the purpoHO of Howitt'a remarks abouthim, obtained thefloor, ;.nd, assnming that Henitt had held hii and nis colleagues respouxiblo for the l'residential bargain, declarad that the lip which uttcred tho asertion that Louisiana or auy representativo of Lcmniana had ever barterod or sought to barter or entertain a proposition to barter away the interests of the Democratie party or interest of the wholo people of the Union in the election of Samuel J. Tilden lied i:i heult uud lied in his foul throat. He then went on to relate the conference at Worialey's iotel, mentioning as the actors oa hat occasion, hims.li, Ii. A. Biirke, of Louisiana, and ienry Watteraon, of Keutucky, on the Democratie side, and on the Kopublicau sido Mr. larüeld, Mr. Fouter, ex-Gov. Dounison, 8tauey Matthews, and Senator (uow Secrctary) jnerman. Ho declarcd theio was no rgain ; that the only matter whioh t'-anspired was au "interchauge of j views, and that he and his 'rionds relied npon tho assurauces of Mr. iayen' close fricuds as ti) what were his views and sentiment in regard to Louisiana and South Carolina. These gentlemen had pledged lothing for Mr. Hayes. They bad bound him y no promise, by no pledge. The languagc hey had held was : " We know him ; wo kuow ns sentiments toward the South. We know he xilieves in the thu self-government of those Jtates, and, without speaking authorit&üvely for hira, we will tay that, in our opinión, he vill givo the bleHsing of free government to hose States ; that he will lift tbeni from the jlood and dunt in which they have boen tramnet], and that (in thu langnáge of Mr. Fostcr) he llag shftll float there over free States, and no longer over comjuored aud abject provnces." Subsequently Mi'. Elüs again obtained the loor to make a personal explanatlon, and reracted all tho offensivo alluuion to Mr. Howitt n his remarks, saying he had been assnred by hat gentleman and other friends that he had wen misiuformed. Por the hour or two that this jKirsoiial and iolitical skirmiub. lasted the scènes iu the ' :Ioukg were of a highly excited character. The ïit'inberH on the ltepublican bide seemed to enoy keenly the internecine war on the oppositu '■ lide of tho chamber, and were most eager in the enconragement of Aiken, Ellis, and other antagonisls whom Hewitt had on hand, and Conger was constantly and iiTopro-t-ibly on bis f eet, eeeking to aend poisoned arrows into the ! enemy's camp. Spidcr vs. Parrot. Tlie corresponclont of a Freuch paper ; relates a remarkable contest wliieli he witnessed iu tho isle of Java betweeu h j parrot and a gigantie spider. The : Jer, whose body wns as larg; as a smull bird's, dropped dowu upou a youag rot whoflo mamma was l'rom home, and spreading its huge elaws over the nest began sucking its blood. When tho mother returned slie naturally "went for" the eneruy, and seized hold of one of his legs, bilt -whether it be that lega are not a sensitivo portion of spiders' organizatioüs, or that this particular iusect lia-t au ovorpoweriug penchant for the blood of youug parrots, he wouldn't let go, uutil Ijír paiu becoming too intense for endúranos lie turnea on the mother, and. twiniug all his legs iirmly around her neok, was just arrauging for a good long Bliek in that quarter when slie gave him an awful dig in the belly with her beak, whoroupon he feil over, dragging her to the ground with him. The naturalist then shot him aud releasad the parrot. A sEAROinNO statistician lms discovt-rcd that ninety-six mnrderers wore executed iu the United States last year, which figures, bowever largo theynwy sef-m, probably do not comprise all Ukósé who as equiJly deserved hanging, but escaped. England is said to hang about thirty persons a year, and of ttfty-three oondemed to death in Franoe, last yonr, it is íaid that only flfteeu werfl notiially U.i'""ltni].

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Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus