Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-12-11
Interview with the President.

sponded that if he had any, his respect for the
position, and for the people who made II, and
his ideas of gentlemanly delicacy would pre-
vent him from mentioning it. From the
course pursued by President Grant we are To-
duced to believe that be is utterly incapable Of
entertaining such feelings as those expressed
BY Mr.. Monroe; and, indeed, we doubt If
there be more violent and INSCRIPTIONS par
tisan in the land than the man who now occu'
pies tho White House, and one whose re-
marks, during an interview, it would have
been more necessary for Mr.. Hewitt to make a
detailed memorandum of as soon as the inter-
view was over. Fortunately Mr. Hewitt did
make the memorandum, and as he has never
been detected in preVaricatiou, while the Pres
iden.'s lapses in that respect are numerous, the
following account by the Associated Press will
be read with curious interest:
la conversation with friend Saturday the
Presidents attention was called to various
newspaper paragraphs, purporting to give the
text OF conversation between himself and MIR.
Hewitt on Sunday last. The President said
| that nothing OF the kind had been authorized
by him, and that ho had seen nothing pub
lished on the subject giving, according to the
best Of his recollection, o correct idea OF the
nature of that conversation. He had heretofore
| declined to give the substance Of the converse.
ton fer the reason that be feared that be
| might not recall 1t exactly as it occurred, but
| 10 view Of so much having been said on
the subject uDauthorltatively he would say
| that the first conversation with Mr. Hewitt
was extremely pleasant and agreeable. 1t was
| general conversation, 10 which both expressed
their views upon the political situation, but not
| to the extent OF the postivencss set forth 10
| the iabricatons published 10 the newspapers
| The President stated during that conversation
| that sixty, three members were, ID his opinion,
necessary to legal quorum 10 the South Caro-
| lima House of Representatives. The following
day the President received dispatch from
Gov. Chamberlain stating that it was repre-.
sented 10 Columbia that Mr.. Hewitt had tele-
graphed to Gen. Hampton that the President
| had stated to him that whichever Legislature
had sixty three members would be recognized.
| To this the President Immediately replied that
| if Mr.. Hewitt had sent such telegram that it
was entirely unauthorized and untrue, but that
he was Of the opinion that Mr.. Hewitt had not
made such a statement. The President says
what he really did state was that, as he under
stood it, sixty. three members were necessary 10
order to legally organize the Legislature and
transact business, but that be did not say go
| authoritatively; thatit was simply an expression
of his private views on the subject. The Pres-
| dent added to-day, by way ofcomment, that tho
| republican House of Representatives OF South
Carolina is reported to have organized With on
" fifty. nine members, while the seeding House
met 10 Carolina hall with only fifty-six men,
bers, and If fifty nine members did not constl
tute legal quorum certainly fitty.six did not
He understood that the democratic House had
admitted the eight members from Laurens and
Edgefeld counties, who claimed to have the
certificates of the Supreme Court Of the State,
when in fact they had simply transcript OF
the proceedings Of the court, furnished them
by the clerk. On Wednesday last the Presl-
dent received two messages from Mr.. Hewitt,
as follows
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec. E, 1876.
The President, Erecutiue Mansio@:'
have received a reliable telegram from Co
lumbia stating that the sixty.third member
holding certificate from the Secretary of State
has been sworn into the House presided over
By Speaker Wallace, which is therefore organ
lied 10 accordance with the requirements OF
law, as Stateo Ny YOU. -
ABRAM S. HEWITT.
The second message read thus:
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Dec. {, 1876.
The President, Executive Mansion.
have lust received later dispatch saying
that the Supreme Court of South Carolina has
pronounced its judgment, and declared the
House presided over by w. II. Wallace to be
| the legally constituted House of Representa-.
tives; that Mackey is private person, not
| Speaker, or 10 any respect an officer OF the leg
| isIative body. ABRAsI 8. HEWITT.
These dispatches seemed to convince the
President that Mr.. Hewitt had in his telegram
| to Gen. Hampton misnterpreted the portion
Of their conversation on this subject. The
| President remarked that the conversation was
| somewhat free and he thought confidential,
| and he did not suppose that Mr.. Hewitt would
| use it to defeat the party which he (the Presl'
dent represented.
On the same day, Immediately after dinner,
| Mr.. Hewitt and Senator Randolph were an
nounced and admitted to an audience. After
az interchange Of the usual courtesies, the
President invited them to seat, and at once
showed Gov. Chamberlain's message to MIR.
Hewitt and his own reply. At the same time
the President stated In very plain terms that
uS tual MS COuuueuCe Hdu psSu
abused.
Mr.. Hewitt emphaticalIy disclaimel any
such conduct on his part, remarking that what
he did say was that the President gave as his
opinion that no less than sixty-three members
constituted legal quorum, and was necessary
to organize the House for the transaction Of
business.
At this juncture Senator Randolp phi presented
a dispatch from Wade Hampton, in which the
latter said, in effect: IF the President will
recognize the Wallace House and Withdraw
the troops everything will be peace and quiet. u
10 this the President promptly and warmly re-
piled that be looked upon it as piece of i'm
pertinence 10 General Hampton attempting 10
instruct him as to his duty; that the troops in
South Carolina we're there in obedience to the
constitutional demands OF the Governor Of that
State, for the suppression Of threatened DO.
nestle violence by the organized and armed
rihs clubs represented by General Hampton,