The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-12-15
PRESIDENT GRANT.
What he thinks about South Carolina.


What he thinks about South Carolina.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10.
President Grant in the course of a long
and free conversation to-day with repre-
sentative of the New York associated press
concerning political affairs, said that re-
Gently he received dispatch from Gov.
Chamberlain informing him that it was
currently reported in Columbia that the
president had in an interview with
Mr. Hewitt of New York a week ago
remarked that when sixty-three members
of the South Carolina house of representa-
tives holding certificates from the secretary
of state should convene he would recognize
them as the legal house. The president in
reply to Chamberlain telegraphed him if
Hewitt had sent or authorz the sending
of such desra ca 1t was untrue that he
had so expressed himself. The president
says lie had free and agreeable
conversation with Mr.. Hewitt in which
he said that in his judgment not
less than CD members were eli yible to or
ganize the house and transact business, in
| Guiding the determinatitn of its members,
that was the view he then held, but it was
merely private opinion, and he might have
been wrong. The president on that occa-
sion further expressed his views with re-
gard to the groun Is on which each wing Of
members of the house respectively claimed
their seats, and in this connection the presi-
dent produced note addressed to him by
Hewitt, dated house of representatives,
Dec. 9Th, as follows;
To the Presi'elt o. ave received a re-
Liable telegram from Columbia stating that
the sixty. Third member, holciug certlfi-
cate from the secretary of state, has Teen
sworn into the house presided over by
Speaker Wallace, which is therefore organ
lied in accordance with the requirements
of law as stated by you.
Ga the sane day Hewitt sent him en- other
note as follows have just received a
later dipltch spying that the supreme
court Of South Carolina has pronounced
its judgment and declared the house pre-
sided over by w. II. Wallace to be the
legally constituted house of represent uiyee,
and that Mackey is private person, and
not speaker, or in any resre-t an officer
of the legislature.
The president said with reference to
these notes he did not think, after his free
conversation with Hewitt, that the latter
would make use of what he said for the
purpose of defeating the party which the
president represented. When Hewitt and
Senator Randolph called on him several
days ago he informed Hewitt of the con
tents of tie dispatch he had received from
Gov. Chamberlain and the reply he made
to it, and intimated to Hewitt that hi
thought his confidence lal been abused
Hewitt denied that he had sent to Colum
bia such dispatch as that mel TIC ned. Tx
president then repeated to Hewitt the sub
stance of the dispatch in reply to Gov
Chamberlain as TO the report curreLt il
Columbia. Senator Randolph tbtn pro
duced dispatch from Gen. Hampton il
which he said if the pres ident would recog
nize the Wallace house and withdraw til
troops lie would do everything possible t
preserve the peace. The president rtt0iteC
that he looked upon this as a piece of i'm
pertinence on the part of Hampton 10 telling
him what to do; that the sending Of troop
to South. Carolina was in obedience to ih'
call of Gov Chamberlain, the danger ther,
being too formidable for the authorities a
the state to control; that organized rilIt
clubs representing Gen. Hampton were il
the city of Columbia, and that if the fe d.
| g,l. 4.
would be peace but it would he tae rest Of
death. Senator Randolph then explained
, that the president should not think tia
) Hampton sought to advise W hat to do ant
that the dispatch which was shown to tht
t president was in reply to one r lndolph haC
, sent to Hampton.
la response to a question the president sale
he had never instructed Gen Kruger to place
troops In the state house, but Il at was thu
way Kruger understood his orders. TIT
troops were in South Carolina, the presi
dent repeated, in obedience to the call o
Gov. Chamberlain, to suppress an insurrec
ton too formidable for HIM to control, AM
| had it not been for these troops Gov. Cham
berain would be a refugee to-day as Gov
Ames now is from Mississippi.
The president said in the course of con
r versation that he looked on the situation q
. embarrassing, to say the least. A goo
= zeal of bad temper had been shown on tn
democratic side and many were acting III
Y reasonably. They seem to fear that h
: was not doing what was right and wer
L. abusing everybody for not yielding 10 thei
t views. This struck him as strange, cor
n sldering scenes through which We Law
passed. Gov. Hayes represented the part
! that carried in the late election all but fou
s of the states that furnished means for th
b suppression Of the rebellion and Gov. III
: den carried all but three of those whic
e sought to destroy the Union.
: In allusion to- frauds, he said the ms
q jority for Tlden in the city of New Yor
was larger than his total majority in II
entire state, and in which city much Grin
was perpetrated and where there is a lars
number of men who have very little intere
in the state or in the reDuhli