The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-06-08
= CAPTAIN CoeHLAN AND THE TESTIMONY
OF Nh. HAYEs.-The following eommuni-
cation win explain itself:

:. CAprA1S CoeHLAN AND THE TESTIMONY
OF Nh. HAYEs.-The, following commune
cation win explain itself (, Fe.laser la
,fspsr; tue 80 RIcHMoND, June 6, 1861,
gaE Editor. of, the, Dispatch, My attention
has been called to the following paragraph
in the testimony of Mr.. James Hayes al
the investigation into the charges against
Judge Meredith IS ssfa4 es' itsg se-,rsss.r3
s,f"t Captain, Coghlan, who was looking on,
said he was not q party to any such pro-
ceedings, although q Conservative" ser
Now, what actually did occur is las far
as my recollection serves) as follows: On
the last day Of the registration I wasp pre-
sent in the registering oficein Marshall Ward
for several hours, and up to the time of the
closing Of the books. While there, heard
o party present making some comments on
the official conduct Of Judge, Meredith.
What was the immediate cause of these
comments I dc not now remember; but /
do recollect that I replied to them in fitting
terms, and declared my conviction that
Judge Meredith was an upright official and
true Virginia gentleman, utterly incapable
of being "a party in any way whatever: to
any kind of fraud. Some; other remarks
were then made TO the effect that frauds
were being practiced in the naturalization
of foreigners. 70 these Talso replied, con-
tending that the party9who made them was
utterly mistaken, and that what he alleged
had no foundation whatever in fact. III
The matter then dropped for the time, but
later in the day some conversation took
place, and 1 said I was opposed to frauds !;
but the remark was used byme in o gene
raj sense, and net with reference, in any
way whatever to any special case; and 1
used the words not only as the. expression
of my own Individual views but in my ca
pacity of ward delegate, representing on
that occasion the Conservative sentiment
and interest for I felt them asl feeInow,
that was but giving utterance to the hon
est purpose Of every member Of the Con
seryative party with whom am acquaint-
ed, including Judge Meredith. aafa5 snasT
The inference which must necessarily be
drawn from the form and wording of~the
testimony of. Mr.. Hayes (ifghe is correctly
is, that 1 was compelled to IacI
knowledge, from facts which appeared du-
ring the registration on =. that day, that
frauds had been committed IN the naturan-
zation Of foreigners, and, consequently, in
their registration, but that, as far as (! was
concerned, was no party thereto. Now,
the fact is, was not cognizant then, nor
am now, of any fraud of the kind having
been committed, and therefore it would be
impossible for me to make any such ac-
acknowledgement. sl'' Z (
The Conservative party are above the
perpetration of such fraud and even if they
were capable of it, it would be needless on
their part to have recourse to it, for they
are numerically strong enough by the ex-
ercise of legal voting to achieve complete
victory if they viii but do their duty. /
do not charge it on Mr.. Hayes that he
has wilfuIly misrepresented me. My be-
lief is that the facts Of the case have be-
come confused inShis mind.sB
n .,.tT-..l Very respectfully, -.,el.
y '... ''' ~, ~. - P. G.. CoGHLAN.