The Portland daily press., 1876-12-11
PRESIDENT GRANT.
His Views Oh Southern Affairs.
Am Hafervicw with an Associated Press
Representntive-The Facts OF the Kew
lit Conference--Demecr asic Fraud, etc,

WASHINGTON, Dec 10.-Presdert Grant, in
the course of long and free conversation to-
day with representative of the Associated
Press concerning political affairs, SAID that re-
Gently he received despatch from Governor
Chamberlain informing him that it was cur
rently.reported in Columbia that the President
had in his interview with Representative Hew-
lit of New York, week ago, remarked that
when 63 members of the South Carolina House
of Representatives holding certificates from
the Secretary of State should convene, he
would recognize them as the legal House. The
President in reply TO Governor Chamberlain
telegraphed him that if Hewitt had sent or au-
thorized the sending of such despatch, it was
untrue that he had SO expressed himself, The
President says that he had free and agreea-
BILE conversation with Mr.. Hewitt, in which he
said that in bis judgment not less than 63
members were eligible TO organize the House
and transact business, including the determin-
alton of the qualification of its members This
was the view be then held. but it was merely a
private opinion and he might have been wrong.
The President on that occasion fur h-r express
ed his views with regard to the grounds on
which each wing of the me hers of the House
respectively claimed their seats and in this
connection the President prod uced note adj
dressed to him by Hewitt. dated House of
Representative, December, as follows:
To the President-l have received a reliable
telegram from Columbia. stating that the sixty
third member holding a certificate from the
Secretary of State has been sworn into the
House presided over by Speaker Wallace,
which is therefore organized in accordance
with the requirements with the law as stated
by you.
On the same day Hewitt sent him another
note, as follows:
have just received later despatch saying
that the Supreme Court Of South Carolina has
pronounced its Judgment and declared the
House presided over by W. Fl. Wallace to be
the legally constituted House of Representa-
tives, and that Mackey is private person aud
not Speaker or in any respect an officer of the
legislative body.
The President said with reference to these
notes that he did not think after his free con-
versation with Hewitt that the latter would
make use Of what he said for the purpose of
defeating the party which the President repre-
sented. When Hewitt and Senator Randolph
called on him several days ago he informed
Hewitt of the contents of the despatch he
received from Governor Chamberlain and the
reply he made to it, land minated to Hewitt
that he thought his confidence had been abused.
Hewitt denied that he had sent to Columbia
such despatch as that mentioned. The Pres-
dent then repeated to Hewitt the substance of
the despatch in reply to Gov. Chamberlain as
to the report current in Columbia. Senator
Randolph then produced despatch from Gen.
Hampton, in which he said that if the Presi-
dent would recognize the Wallace House and
withdraw the troops, he would do every thing
possible to preserve the peace.
The President remarked that he looked upon
this as piece of impertinence on the part of
Gen. Hampton in telling him what to Co; that
the sending of troops to South Carolina was In
obedience to the call of Gov. Chamberlain, the
danger there being too formidable for the au-
thorities of the state to control; that the or
ganized rifle clubs representing Gen. Hamp-
ton were in the city of Columbia, and that if
the federal troopss should be withdrawn for
these troops Gov. Chamberlain would be a ref
ugee to-day as Gov. Ames now is from Missis-
sippi. The President said, in the course of the
conversation, that he looked upon the situation
as embarrassing to say the least. A good deal
OF bad temper had been shown on the Demo-
cratic side and many were acting unreasenably.
They seemed to fear that he was doing what
was not right and were abusing everybody for
not yielding to their views. This struck him as
strange considering the scenes through which
we have passed. Gov Hayes Represented the
party that csrriedlin the late election all but
tour of the states that furnished the means for
restoring the Union. With Gov. Hayes with
drawn there would be peace, but it would be
the peace of DEATH
Senator Randolph explained that the Presi-
dent should not think that Gen. Hampton
sought to advise the President what to do and
that the despatch which was shown to the
President was reply to one that Senator Ran
dolph had sent to Gen. Hampton.
In response to question the President said
he had never instructed Gen. Ruger to place
troops in the State House, but that was the
way that Gen. Ruger understood his orders.
The troops were in South Carolina, the Pcesi-
dent repeated, in obedience to the call of Gov.
Chamberlain TO suppress an Instruction to-
formidable for him to control.
In alluson to frauds he said the majority for
Tilden in the city Of New York was larger
than his total majority in the entire state, aud
in city where crime issperpetrated, aud where
there is large number of men who have little
interest either In the state or in the republic.
La the same way frauds were committed 10 the
states of New Jersey and Connecticut While
it was true that those in the Southern States
who gave Gov. Tildeu majority were voters,
many of them voted more than once, hut
nobody claimed that Tilden did not carry such
States The same party that perpetrated frauds
in the Southern States for Tilden complain of
frauds in Florida, Louisiana and South Caro-
lima, but II There had been frauds in Misss-
sippi, North Carolina and Arkansas these
states would have gone for Hayes and Wheeler.
The President justified the exclusion of Lau-
rens and Edgfeld counties from the South Car
DINA returns, on the ground that the Georgians
voted in them frequently and cast more votes
than there were voters for the Democrats
Much had been said about the use of troops,
but considering the number of lives sacrificed
and the many political murders in the South,
it was necessary to afford the required protec-
ton.