The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-12-14
MIR. HEWITT'S CARD.
His Interviews with the President

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.-The following
is furnished by the Hon. Abram S Hew-
lit, addressed to the Washington agent
of the Associated Press:
In yesterdays paper find dispatch
from YOU reciting conversation with
Preslden' Grant, in reference to the un-
fortunate state ofaffairs in South Carolina
and my interviews with him in reference
thereto. 80 far as South Carolina was
concerned the President enjoined no con
hdence, but expressly stated that | was
at liberty to c. nmunicate his views to
the public. He did enjoin confidence in
regard.to what he said of Louisiana af.
fairs, and that confidence have respect-
ed, although, as have already stated TO-
HIM. l believe the publication of his
statements would do much to tranquilize
the public mind.
In regard to South Carolina the Presi-
dent stated that in his judgement not less
than slxty-three members, having certifi-
Gates from the Secretary of State were
eligible to organize the House and tram
sact business AS this view accorded
with my own, and as no confidence was
enjoined, telegraphed it in the following
language:
A. Z. Haskell, Chairman, Charleston.
South Carolina:
am able to say that neither House
will be recognized by the President until
it gets sixty'three members holding orig
inal certificates from the Returning
Board.
ABRAM s. HEwITP.
My object in sending this dispatch was.
that thought it would tend to allav ex-
citement In South Carolina, and prevent
collision between the people and troops
OF which we were very apprehensive.
On the 6ta of December | received a
reply, which induced me to send the fol.
lowing kilograms to the President:
To the President:
have reliable telegram from Colum-
hia, 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 Of law,
To the President:
have just received later dispatch
saying that the Supreme Court of South
Carolina has pronounced its judgement
and declared the House presided over
by W. II. Wallace to be the legally con-
situled House of Representatives and
that Mackey is private person, not
speaker, or in any respect an officer Of
the legislative body.
On the evening of the same dav Sem
ator Randolph suggested that he and I
should call upon the President and ask
him whether, under the circumstances,
he could not see his way clear to order
the Withdrawal of United States troops
from Columbia and recognize the House
OF Representatives, so constituted with
sixty thre members. The President grant
ed us an interview, which began by my
saying that had sent him two telegrams
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 a telegram fromC Columbia
saying that l had informed parties there
that the. President would recognize as the
legal House that body which should have
siXty.three members with certificate from
the Secretary OF State. The president re-
piled that he had not made any such
statement, that he did not believe | had
said be had done so, and that at any rate
it was not true. replied that he had;
not sent any telegram to that effect. but
had one sent, as nearly as | could recol-
lect. as follows
II am able to say that the President
will not recognize any House that does
not contain siXty-three members with
original certificates from the Canvassing
Board"
The President replied, "That is correct
did say so. That was my private opin-
ion, but did not y that l would lecog-
nize "a House that had sixty-three mem
bers."
replied, "That is true, but l think it
is implied, and We have come to ask you
to do So"
The President replied that as at pre-
sent advised he must decline to recognize
the House containing sixty-three mem
bers, and he did not know that he would
recognize the other House; that Cham.
berlain was Governor until some one was
regularly inaugurated in his place, and
that he should sustain him. The Presi-
dent did not say that had violated his
confidence in any particular, but be said
that it would have been q violation of
confidence if l had sent the telegram re-
ported to him from Columbia, the send
ing of which again denied. then re-
minded the President that he had the.
means of testing the accuracy of my re-,
collection of his statements, beCau i'm
medatelly after the interview Sunday i
had dictated the substance of the CONVEX
sation and furnished him with copy
and requested him TO return it to me with
any correction he might choose to make,
either to be published ifhe would con-
sent or to be retained for his future JUS
tifcation in case, after the 4th of March
next, his intention should be called in
question. He has not returned me the
copy so furnished nor made any correc-
ton therein to my knowledge. The Pres
sident said nothing to me in regard to my
using any of his statements for the pur-
pose of defeating the party whiehhe 1.-THE
President) represented. l have never
regarded the President of the United
States as representing auy party, and
shall regret to see the President take any
other position than that of the IGNORED
head of the people Of the United States,
without regardto party.
TSivnedl ABRAM s. HEWITT
WASHINGTON Dec. 18th, 1876.