The Morning herald., 1876-12-14
HeW1tt's In tofYloW,


Associated Press: xii. .g.,si
In yesterdays papers I hnd . despatch
from you recttfng conversation with Pres
ident Grant In reference to the unfortunate
state OF affairs in South Carolina and my
interview with him in reference thereto.
So far as South Carolina was concerned
the President enjoined no confidence, but
expressly stated that was st liberty to
communicate hisviews TO the public. He
did enjoin confidence in regard to what he
said of Louisiana affairs, and that confidence
l have respected, although. ~ have
already stated to him, Ibelieve the publica-
tion OF his statements would do much to
tranquilize the public mind, '...
WHAT THE PREsIDENT STATED.
In regard to South Carolina the Presi-
dent stated that, in his judgment, not less
than sixty three members, having certiA-
Gates from the Secretary of State, were
eligible to organize the House and transact
business. Az this view accorded with my
own, and as no confidence was enjoined,
I telegraphed 1t in the following language:
A. G. HASKELL, Chairman, Charleston.
lam able to say that neither House will
be recognized by the President until 1t gets
sixty-three members holding original GER
tificates from the Returning Board.
ABRAN 8. HEWITT.
My object in sending this despatch Was
that thought 1t would tend to allsy the
excitement In South Carolina and prevent
q collision between the people and the
troops, of which we were very apprehen-
sive. On the 9Th of December received
reply, which induced me to send the
following telegram to the President:
TELEeRAMs TO THE PREsIDENT.
To THE PRESIDENT - ~
I have received reliable telegram from
Columbia stating that the sixtysthird mem-
Der holding . certificate from the Secretary
of State has been sworn into the House
presided over by Speaker Wallace, which Is
thereby organized in accordance with the
requirements of the law as stated BY you.
To THE PREs1DENT:- -
have Just received a later despatch saying
that the Supreme Court of South Carolina
has pronounced it's judgment and declared
the House presided over by W. II. Wallace
to be the legally constituted House of
Representatives and that Mackey 10 . private
persons, not Speaker or in any respect an
officer of the legislative badly.
THE INTERVIEW.
On the evening of the same day, Senator
Randolph suggested that he and I should
call upon the President and ask him wheth-
er, under the circumstances, he could not
see his way clear TO order the withdrawal
of the United States troops from South
Carolina and recognize the House of Rep
resentatives so constituted with sixty-fve
members. The President granted US an
interview, which began by my saying that
I had sent him two telegIams 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
q telegram from Columbia saying hat I
had informed parties there that the Presi-
dent would recognize as the legal House
that body which should have sixty-three
members with certificates from the Secre-
tary of State. The President replied that
he had not made any such statement
that he did not believe I had said he had
done so, and that, at any rate, 1t was not
true.
l replied that had not sent any tele-
gram to that effect but had sent one, -
nearly as I could recollect, 40 follows
not recognize any House that does not con.
tain sixty-three members with original GER
titicates from the Returning Board.
The President replied :-"This 10 correct.
I did say go; that was my private opinion
but did not say that would recognise .
House that had sixty three MEMBERS"
l replied "That is true, but think 1t ID
implied, and we have come to ask you to
do so."
The President replied that, as at present
advised, he must decline to recognize the
House containing sixty-three members, and
he did not know that he would recognize
the other House that Chamberlain WAS
Governor until some one was regularly
inaueurated in his place, and that he should
sustain him.
THE VIOLATION OF CONFIDENCE.
The President did not say that I had Vi
olated his confidence in any particular, but
he said 1t would have been q violation Of bis
confidence If I had sent the telegram re-
ported to him from Columbia, the sending
of which again denied. then reminded
the President that he had means of testing
the accuracy of my recollections Of his state
ments, because Immediately after the in
terview on Sunday had dictated the sub
stance of the conversation and furnished
him with copy which requested him to
return to me with any corrections he might
choose to make. He has not returned to
me the copy 50 furnished, nor made any
corrections therein to my knowledge.
"THE PARTY RRPREsBNT."
The President said nothing to me in 70.
gard to my using any of LIS statements for
the purpose of defeating the party which
he, the President, represented. have
never regarded the President Of the United
States as representing any party, and shall
regret to see the President take any other
position than that of the honored head of
the people of these United States, without
regard to party. ABRAM 8. HEWITT.
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| The GhOst