Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-11-25

The following is the reply of the
Democrats to the last communication
of the Republicans
The Hons. John Sherman, Stanley
Matthews, j. A. Garfield, w. d. KEEL
ley, John A, Kasson, E. w. Slough
ton, G. Irwin Dirty, Eugene Hale, NJ.
Quay. Will. S. Cumback, r. E. Noyes,
Job Z. Stevenson, John Coburn, Lew
Wallace, John Tuttle, NJ. A. McGrew,
J. A. Chapman, w. r. Smith, Abner
Taylor, S. Haven, j NJ. Beardsley, G.
Farwell, Courtlandt Parker, Sidney
Clark, j. G. Wilson-Gentleman: We
are in receipt of your letter of the 18th
inst, in which you inform us Of your
determination not to confer with US
for the purpose of exertlng such inhu-
ence as we may possess in behalf of
such a 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 cooperation of the citizens from
other States in furtherance of the pur-
pose which, as we supposed, had
brought them hither at this juncture.
We regret it all the more because your
refusal to confer and cooperate with
us appears to be based upon a serious
misapprehension of the language no
less than the spirit of our communica-
ton. 1t can hardly have escaped your
notice that our statement of the result
to be attained by the cooperative &C
ton, which we sought to bring about,
was a simple reproduction of the Ian
guage of President Grant, at whose re-
quest, we understand, you are here. In
his recent order to Gen. Sherman, that
language was deliberately used no
doubt in view of the fact about which,
as we conceive, there can be no dis
pute, that the fist and most essential
prerequisite to an honest and just dec
laration of the results of the recent
election in Louisiana is a fair and i'm
partial canvass of tho votes actually
cast. 1t seems to US that you do the
President great injustice in gupposing
that, in speaking of the Votes actually
cast" he meant to include votes lille
gally cast, as you certainly do US in
Justice by the imputation of desire
to insist upon such a narrow and vi
cious Interpretation. In our judgment
the expression votes actually cas-"
of necessity designates votes legally
cast, and, as a consequence, of such
votes only did we desire to secure
fair and impartial canvass. We beg
leave to say, therefore, that you are
mistaken in the belief that we sought
unduly to narrow the basis on which
we invited your cooperative action,
and you are no less In error IN attrib-
uting to us purpose to interfere with
the legal authorities of the State IN
the discharge of their duties, to claim
rights and to arrogate to ourselves
powers which we do not possess. In
writing our letter we were fully aware
that both the organization and action,
whether judicial or ministerial, OF the
Returning Board of Louisiana were
beyond any authoritative control from
without, and that it would be the
height of arrogance and folly to at
tempt to alter the laws of State OF
which we are not citizens, or to OBJ
trude our Interpretation of these laws
upon those whose duty it is to admin
lister them, but we had supposed, new
ertheless, that there was an influence
which might be rightfully exerted even
by citizens of this republic who are
strangers in this State, and we had ia
ken it for granted that your presence
here. in response to the suggestion of
the President, was d recognition OF
this fact. We had supposed tina: 1t
was not improper for US to remind the
authorities of this State, By ppr mere
presence at least, that there are GER
tain rules of fairness and justice which
underlie all constitutions and laws,
and upon whose observance must de-
pend the acquieseenee of the. people
of all parties in the result of the Lou
isiapa electiOn-Tules such as these