The daily gazette., 1876-12-13
MR.. HEWITT SPEAKS.

tNutfUtuH httbt'tCtfuH ~ tHt hrttW
Interrietrs and Correspondence-Ihe
Question Of Violation OF Confidence,
4 Temperate Reply.
WASHINGTON, Dec. IL, 1876.
The following is furnished by Hon.
Abram s. Hewitt, addressed to the Wash
ington agent of the Associated Press:
In yesterdays papers find dispatch
from you Ieciting conversation with
President Grant in reference to the un-
| fortunate state Of affairs in South Care
| lima and my interviews with him in refer
ence thereto. So far as South Carolina
was concerned the President enjoined no
confidence, but expressly stated that
was at liberty to communicate his views
to the public, He did enjoin confidence
in regard to what he said of Louisiana
affairs, and that confidence | have re-
spected, although, as l have already
stated to him, / believe the publication
Of his statements would do much to
tranquilize the public mind. In regard
to South Carolina, the President stated
that in his judgment not less than sixty
three members, having certificates from
the Secretary of State,. were eligible to
organize the House and transact bust
ness. As this view accorded with my
own, and as no confidence was enjoined,
l telegraphed 1t in the following Ian
guage:
THE SOUTH CAROLINA TELEGRAMs.
"A. c. HAsKELL, Chairman. Charleston
| am able To say that neither House will he
recognized by the President until 1t gets
sixty three members holding the original
certificates from Returning Board"
My object in sending this dispatch was
that thought it would tend to allay ex-
citement in South Carolina and prevent
a collision between the people and the
troops, of which we were apprehensive.
On the 9th of December received re-
ply which induced me to send the follow
ing kilograms to the President ~ have
received reliable telegram from Column
bia 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 as stated by
you" "l have just received a later dis
patch, sAyin%that the Supreme Court Of
South Carolina has pronounced its .judg-
ment, and declared the House presided
over by w. ii. Wallace to be the legally
constituted House OF representatives. and
that Mackey is private person, not Speak
er, or In any respect all officer ofthe leg
islative body
THE SECOND INTERVIEW.
90 the evening of the same day SEN
ator Il ,ndolph suggested that he and |
should call upon the President and ask
him whether, under the circumstances
he could not see his way clear to order
the withdrawal of the United States
troops from Columbia and recognize .he
House of Representatives, so constituted
with sixty-three members. The Presi.
dent granted us an interview, which be-
gan by my saying that l had sent him
two telegrams from the House in refer
ence 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
telegram from Columbia saying that |
had informed parties there that .he
President would recognize as the legal
House that body which should have
sixty-three members with certificates
from the Secretary of the State. The
President said that he had replied that
he had not made any such statement,
that he did not believe had said lie had
done so, and that at any rate it was not
true. replied that had not sent any
telegram to that effect, but had sent one
as nearly as could recollect as follows:
Il am able to say that the President will
not recognize any House that does not
contain sixty-three members with orig
inal certificates from the Returning
Board rne President replied; "rnat
is correct; did say SO; that was my pri-
0ate opinion, but dit not say that |
would recognize IA House that had sixty
three members ! replied: That is
true, but think it is implied, and W.
have come to ask you to do SO. The
| President replied thal as at present ad-
| yised he must decline to recognize the
House containing sixty three members
and he did not know that he would recog-
nize the other House: that Chamberlain
was Governor until some one was regul-
| AIRY inaugurated in his place, and that
he should sustain him.
WHO VIOLATED CONFIDENCE?
| The President did not say that | had
violated his confidence in any particular.
but he said it would have been a viola.
tion of his confidence if | had sent the
telegram reported to him from Columbia
the sending of which again denied, /
then reminded the President that he
had the means OF testing the accuracy
of my recollections of his statements,
because Immediately after the interview "
on Sunday had dictated the substance
of the conversation 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
!, if he would consent, or to be retained
for his future jurisdiction in case afteI
!, , the 4th of March next his intention
, should be called in question. He ha,
: not returned me the copy SO furnished
n nor made any corrections therein to m,
J.. knowledge. The President said nothin
!. to me in regard to my using any of hi
statements for the purpose of dc
felting he party which he (the Pres
y dtnt) represented. | have never regarc
y ed the President of the United States a
- representing any party, and | sha
+ regret to see the President take an
,. position than that or the honored hea
y of the people of the United States, witt
- out regard to the party.
" ABRAM S, HEWITT.
N WASHINGTON, December II, 1876.