The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-11-18
Tee.
Nrw ORLEANS, November II, '76.

To Hons. Stanley Matthews, Jas. a. Gar
field, John sherman, w. Kelly; John
A, Kasson, +. W. SUoughton, {. Irvine
Ditty, X. ii. Vau Allen, Eugene Hale,
W. s. Quay, VIM. I. Cumback, T.. r.
Moves, Job Z. Stevenson, John Ca.urn,
Lew Wallace, John Tutne, NJ. A Mo
Abner Taylor, s Il. Haven, j. NJ. Be 'rd-
lev, C. b. Farwell, CORTLAND Parker,
Sidney Clark and J. e. Wilson,:
GESrLEMEN:-.-We are in receipt Of
vour answer to our letter of the l4th INST,
IN which you inform US OF your determ-
nation not to confer with us for the pur-
nose of exerting such influence as we
NAV possess in behalf of such canvass
of the votes actually cast at the election
IN Louisiana rs by its fairness and I'M
partlsiity shall command the acqul
escence and respect of all parties. We
sincerely regret this failure of our at
tempt to secure the cooperation OF the
citizens from other states IN the iurthrr-
ance OF the purpose which, as We sup
nosed. had brought them hlther at TINS
iuncture. We regret It all the more be-
cause your refusal to confer and CO.
operate with us appears to be based upon
a serious misapprehension OF the Ian
ruage no less than the spirit OF our COM
municstion. 1t Can hardly have escaped
YOUR notice that our statement OF the re-
suit to be obtained by the cooperative
action 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 General Sherman. That
language was deliberately used,
no doubt, IN view of the fact
about winch, as we conceive, there
can be no dispute that the first and most
essential prerequisite to an honest and
lust declaration of the result OF the re-
oept election in Louisiana was fair and
impartial canvass of the votes actually
cast, and 1t seems to us that you do the
President great injustice in supposlng
that, in speaking of the "votes actually
cast" he meant to include votes Illegally
cast, a. d you certainly do US injustice by
the lmputation OF desire to Insist on
such a narrow and vicious interpreta-
ton. In our judgment, the expression
.yotes actually cast OF necessity deslg'
mates the votes legally cast, and as
consequence OF such votes only
did we desire to secure fair and impair
tial canvass We bog leave to say,
therefore, that you are mistaken IN the
belief that we sought unduiy to narrow
the basis on which we invited your CO.
operative action, and you are no less IN
error in attrlbuting to US purpose to IN
,erfere with the legal authorities OF the
State in the discharge OF their duties, tc
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 be
vond anv authoritative control from
without, ard that it would be the helghit
OF arrogance and folly to attempt to a!tel
the laws of State Ot winch We
are not citizens or 10 obtrude our IN
terpretstiun of these laws on those who's
duty it is to administer them. But We
had supposed. nevertheless. that there
was an influence which might t
rightfully exerted even by the citizen
who are strangers In this state, an1 W
had taken it for granted your presenc
here in response TO the suggestion o
the President was rccogniton OF TIN
fact. We had supposed that It Was 10
improper for US to remind the anthosl
ties of this state BY our mere presence, q
least, that there are certs n rules OF fair
ness and justice which underlle q!
Constitutions and laws, and upon who's
observance must iepend the acquies scenc
of the people of all parties IN the declare
result of the Louisiana election-rule
such as these, that no one onght to b
judge in his own case, and that the dc
cision of any contest ought not to dePen
upon the mere arbItrsment Of one OF tn
: parties thereto; that before SUCH decision
) Is made both parties ought to be iull
| and fsirly heard; tnat all questions
;. law ought to be decided in conformlt
with its established principles, and q