The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-11-20
SAVAGE BUT PATRIOTIC.

The Grant partisan committee having
refused to cooperate with the eminent
northern Democrats in an effort for an
honest count of the votes actually cast,
the Democrats sent them an answer to
their gushing and tricky letter of refusal.
The leading men now seeking fair count
in behalf of IildeD were the leaders of
the Republican party in its better days,
and the Democrats could not have selected
better metal for the controversial part of
the ARRAY. Trumbull has no equal in the
group as a constitutional lawyer, nor is
Palmer far behind him. Julian is an ex-
perienced publicist and will be apt to
know the.best method of dealing with his
quondam associates; and as for good sense,
there are no dozen men in the country can
equal the modest, unassuming Morrison.
Besides the substance, which reads like
good law, as well as good sense, there is
general vein of satire running through the
document which will be apt to torment
the luckless writer's Of the Kellogg ency-
clical. The Democratic letter-writers
point out that the invitation was given in
the spirit of Gen. Grants request, and
that they regret that by implication these
guardians of justice deny honesty to the
president, or utility in the attempt at fair
dealing. On the whole, the letter will be
a fine prelude to the contest in the house,
and the writer's have no reason to be
ashamed. They have rebuked a body of
blatherskites about as completely as Ian
guage could do it. The following is the
document:
DEMOCRATS REPLY TO REPUBLICAN LET
TER OF REFUSAL.
New ORLEANS, La, Nov II, 1876.
To the Hon. Jno. sherman, Stanley Matthews, J.
A. Garfield, W. D. Kelley, Jno. a. Kasson, E.W.
Stoughton, C.lrving Dirty, j. II. VanAllen, NJ $.
Quay, VIII =. Cumback, E. F. Noyes job E.
Stevens, Jno .Coburn, Lew Wallace, John futile,
NJ. A. McGrew, j. A, Chapman, VIM. r. Smith,
Abner Taylor, ), r. Haven, j. NJ. Bcardsley, c.
Farwell, CORTLAND Parker, sidney Clarke, j.
G.. Wilson.
GENTLEMEN-We are in receipt of your
answer to our letter of the 18th inst, in
which you inform US of your determination
not TO confer with us for the purpose of
exerting such influence as we may possess
in behalf of such canvass of the votes
actually cast at the election in Louisiana
as by its fairness and impartiality shall
command the acquiescence and respect OF
all parties. We sincerely regret this
failure Of our attempt to secure the coop
Grafton Of the citizens from other states 10
furtherance of the purpose which, as we
supposed. had brought them hither at this
juncture. We regret it all the more be.
cause your refusal TO confer and cooperate
with US appears to be based upon
A SERIOUS MIsAPPREHENsIoN
Of the language, no less than the spirit o.
our communication 1t can hardly have
escaped your notice that our statement o
the result to be attained by the cooper
alive action which we sought to brinI
about, was a simple reproduction of tn
language of President GRAFT, at whose re
quest, we understand, you came here, il
his recent order to Gen. Sherman. Tha
language was deliberately used, no doubt
in view of the fact about which, as W
conceiye, there can be no dispute, that tn
first and most essential prerequisite to a
honest and Just declaration of the result
of the recent election in Louisiana is
A FAIR AND IMPARTIAL CANVASS
Of the votes actually cast, and it seems t
us that you do the president great iDjus
tice in surprising that in speaking of tn
votes actually cast" as you certainly
US injustice by the imputation of desir
to insist upon such narrow and viciou
Interpretation. In our judgement the e1
preston Votes actually cast" of necessit
designates votes legally cast, and as col
sequence, of such votes only did we desir
to secure fair and impartial canvass.
MISREPRESENTED.
We beg leave to say, therefore, tia
you are mistaken in the belief that W