Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-12-13
HEWITT ANSWERS GRANT.
The Chairman OF the National Demo-
cratic Committee Correets Some
Statements Of the President; EisEss
Made to the Associated
Press Agent.
The Chief of the BulldOzing Fraternity
Caught Again as Andy Johnson Once
Before Caught Him-Bad for
"OUr President"

| WAsHTNGTOH, December i2.-1he follow
/ ing Is furnished by Hon. Abram S. Hewitt.
addressed to the Washington agent of the
/ Associated Press:
In yesterdays papers find a dispatch from
| you relating to conversation with President
Grant IN reference to the unfortunate state of
! affairs in South Carolina and tny interviews
with HIM in reference thereto So far as the
South Carolina was concerned, the President
enjOlned no confidence, but stated that was
at liberty to communicate the interviews to
the public He uid eniOin confidence in re-
gard to what he said of Louisiana affairs. and
that confidence nave respected, although,
as | have already stated to him, believe the
publication of the statement would do much
to tranqUiEze the public mind. In regard to
South Carolina, the President stated that, in
his Judgment, not less than sixty-three mem
berS having certificates from the secretary of
state were eligible to organize the house and
transact business. As this view accorded
with my own, and as there was no confidence
enJoined, telegraphed it in the following
language:
A. c. Haskell, Chairman, Charleston. South Caro-
olinal
l am able to say that neither house viii be Fecog-
nlzed by the President until 1t gets slxtythree mem
bers holding the original certificates from the re-
turning board. A. S. HEWITT.
My object in sending this dispatch was that
| thought it would allay the excitement in
South Carolina, and prevent a collision be-
tween the people and the troops, Of which we
were very apprehensive. On the sixth of
December | received reply which induced
me to send the following kilograms to the
President:
To the President:
hav fy-aH F,I,l.
bia, stating that the Sixty-third member holding
certificate from the secr6taTy of state has been sworn
INTO me house presided over by Speaker Wallace,
requirements OF law as stated by you,
To the President
| have Just received later dispatch, saying that
the supreme court of South Carolina has pronounced
Its judgment, and declared the hOuse presjded over
by W. H. Wallace to be legally constituted house of
representatives and that 8ackey Is private person.
not the speaker, or In any respect an officer of the
Legislative body.
On the evening of the same day Senator
Randolph suggested that he and should call
upon the President and ask hIm whether, un-
der the circumstances, he could not see his
way clear to order withdrawal of the United
States troops from Columbia and recognize
the house of representatives so constituted,
with, slxty-three members. The President
granted us an interview, which began by
my saying that | had sent him kilograms
from the house in reference to South Carolina
affairs, the President at once replied that he
had received them, and that very late on the
preceding evening he had received telegram
from Columbia saying that | had informed
parties there that tire President would recog-
nlze as legal house that body which should
have slxty-three members with certificates
from the secretary of state The President
sand he had replied that he had not made anv
such statemant; that he did not believe had |
SAID he had done so, and that, at any rate, it
was not true. | replied that had not sent
any telegram to that effect, but had sent one,
as nearly as | could recollect, as follows;
l am able to sag that the President will not recog
nlze any house that does not contain sxty-three
board.
The President replied: THAT is correct; |
did say so. That was my private opinion;
but | did not say that | would recognize a |
house that had sixty-three members. > re- |
Piled: That is true; but think it is I'M |
plled, and we have come to ask you to do so"
The President replied that as at present ad- |
vlsed he must decline to recognize the house |
sNty-three members: that he did |
not know that he would recognize either |
house; that Chamberlain was governor until |
some one was regularly inaugurated in his |
place, and that he should sustain him. The |
President did not say that | had violated his
'onhdencen any particular, but he saidit would |
nave been violation of his confidence if | |
lad sent the telegram reported to him from
columbia, the sending of which again de-
ned. then reminded the President that he |
lad the means of testing the accuracy of my
recollection Of his statements, because in nv |
Utter interview on Sunday had dictated the |
of the conversation and fur
lished him with copy, and requested |
lim to return it to me with any corrections
le might choose to make, either to be pub
ished if he would consent or to be retained
or hlS future justification in case that after
he fourth Of March next his intentions should
'e called IN question. He has not returned
o me the copy so furnished, nor made any
DIRECTIONS therein to my knowledge. The
resident said nothing to me in regard to my
lsing his statements for the purpose of de-
eating the party which he (the President
epresented. have never regarded the
PRESIDENT Of the United States as represent
ng any party, and | shall regret to see the
resident take any other position than that
f the honored head of the people of the
Jnited States without regard to party.
- .---..... A. s. HEWITT.