The true northerner., 1876-11-24
THE LOUISIANA CANVASS.
Request for Conference and Subse quent
Correspondence. ~
The following address has been issued
at Nauu Orlaans. \. NF


NEW ORLEANS, Nov. IA
To the Hon. Stanley Matthews, James Garfield,
John A. Logan, WIN. u. Kelley, John A. iKasson,
J.. Irwin pitty; John =; shoenSsrser Vim. NJ:
others: 4
The undersigned arrived here yesterday.
They came in answer to a telegram from Hon.
Abraham s. Hewitt. Chairman Of the National
Democratic Committee, dated at New iork,
Nov. 10. 1876, as follows, viz: Tho citizens
OF New Orleans urgently request that a
delegation of prominent gentlemen come
there ut once to counsel peace and fair
and honest returns You arc earnestly re-
quested to be one of ten or fifteen gentle
men, all widely known, to meet at the Louis
vile Galt House. on Saturday evening,
proceeding directly south. or, IL more CON
venient. meeting at the st. Charles Hotel, New
Orleans, on Monday morning. Your prompt
acceptance by telegraph Is requested. This
emergency appeals to your pst iotsm." TIE
undersigned are informed you have oeme
here at the request OF the Presi-
dent of the United States to see that
the Board OF Canvassers make fair count OF
the vote actually cast. While in the late can
vass you gave your support 70 Hayes aud
Wheeler as candidates for President and Vice
President and the undersigned gave their
support 10 Tilden and Hendricks for these
offices, they feel assured that all good citizens
OF all parties regard an honest count and uue
than the success Of any candidate for Office,
and are ready TO do all that honorable men
should DO TO secure such return Uf
the vote cast at the late election in
the State Of Louisiana, which assumes more
than ever before u national Importance, and
upon which in this crisis NAV depend the very
existence OF constitutional government
The undersigned, therefore, in view of the
unhappy controversies which have heretofore
arisen from the action Of the Returning Board
of the State, where It's action could not in an Y
event change the result OF Presidential cleo
tiop, and in view of the des re of all good men,
that effect should be given to the will OF the
majority as lawfully expressed, respectfully
ask you. or such OF Won as are present, to
meet and confer with them personally or
through committees, as may be deemed most
vice, IN order that such iu1uence as we possess
may be exerted IN behalf of such canvass OF
the votes actually cast as by its fairness and i'm
partiality shall command the respect and ac-
quiescence Of the American people OF all par
ties. Yours respectfully,
John M Palmer, Lyman Trumbull, william II.
Morrison, Illinois Samuel J. Randall, A. j. Cur
tin, Vim. Bigler, Pennsylvania; j. f. McDosald,
Indiana; J. II. Doolittle Geo. B. Smith, wiscon-
sin Geo. w. Julian, NJ. ID. Manson, John Love- In
diana; Henry Watterson. j. w. Stevenson. II. d.
McHerry, Kentucky; Oswald ottendorfer, New
York j. b. Stallo Ohio; Lewis V. Bogy, James o.
Broadhead, q. Gibson, Missouri; John Lee Car
roll, VIM. y. Hamilton, Maryland; W. S. Summer,
Connecticut.
THE ANSWER.
The following is the reply of the Republicans
to the communication OF the Democrats invit-
ing conference
NEW ORLEANS Nov. 16
To Hon. John NJ Palmer, Lewis V. Bogy, Lyman
Trumbull, James o. Broadhead, ". r. Morrison
and others, present at the request of the Chair
man of the National Democratic Committee.
GENTLEMEN The msjority Of the under.
signed, to whom your note OF tho 14th inst.
was addressed, only arrived In this city yesr,sr.
day evening. We have. therefore, been unable
to reply until this morning, and can only regre,
that your communication should have been
given to the press immediately upon its de.lv-
cry, and without the possibility Of an answer
accompanying it, You remark that you are in
formed that we came at the request OF the
Presiden: to see that the Board OF Canvassers
make fair count OF the votes actually cast,
and ask that we meet and confer in order that
such an Influence as We possess may be exerted
on behalf Of such canvass OF the votes actually
cast as by its fairness and mpartialIty shall
command the respect and acquicscence Of the
American people Of all parties. We join heart
| ily with you in counsels Of peace and in the
expression Of an earnest desire for perfectly
honest and just declaration OF the results OF
tue recent election in Louiaians by rs lawfully
constituted authorities and we may add that
we know Of no reason 20 doubt that such a
declaration will be made, but we do not see
tho propriety or utility OF a conference on the
basis aud subject TO the Limitations you pro-
pose for we have no such duty imposed on Us,
and, as suggested by the clause Of your note
| first quoted, we are at most requested to be
witnesses of what shall occur in the capvass
of the votes without power or legal influence
over the result or over the means by which
under the laws of Louisiana the result is to be
determined. We cannot doubt that YOU upon
| fioc vvit har "a
private citizens with no official powers. We
therefore cannot supersede or modify any
| laws OF that State, nor have We any right TO
control or influence any of its officers as to
the manner i'll which they shall perform miris-
terial or judicial duties imposed upon them by
the law and should We, being strangers and
without official functions. attempt this, we
should be condemned by the people OF every
State in the Union FOR an improper interfer-
euce with local administration.
The following extract from the laws OF
Louisiana shows that the Canvassing Board ia
expressly required in certain cases to exercise
judicial az we'll az mimic teral functong:
SEC 3. That in such canvass and compilation the
returning officers shall observe the following order
They shall compile fret the statements from all
polls vodpg-places at which there shai have been
fair, free and reasonable registration and election
Whenever, from any poll or voting-place, there
shall be received the statement OF any supervisor of
Registration, Commissioner of Election. iii form
q
three or citizens, of any riot tunult, acts of
violence, intimidation, armed stuibancs bribery,
or corrupt influences which prevented, or tended
to prevent. fair, free aud peaceable vote of all
qua fed electors entitled TO vote at such pole or
voting ace, such returning officers shall not
canvass count. or compile the statements from
such poll voting-piace until the statements
from all other polls or voting places shall have
been canvassed and compiled. The returning
officers shall then proceed to investigate the
of riot tumut. acts of violence. iDtimida
tion and armed disturbances. bribery, corrupt
fuence at any such poll or votingplace and IL from
the evidence Of such statement they shall be con-
vnced that such riot, tumult. acts Of violence, in
timidation, armed disturbance bribery, OF corrupt
influence did lot materially interfere with tue
purity and freedom of the election at such poll or
voting-plsce or did not prevent sufficient number
Of qualified voters thereat from registering voting
TO materially change the result of the election, then
and not otherwise said returning officers shall
aud compile the vote Of such poll or votng-pace
with those previously canvassed aud compiled but
tthe said returning officers shall not be fully satisfied
thereof 1t shall be their duty 10 examine further
timony in REGARD thereto ana to this end they shall
have power TO send for persons aud papers. IT. after
such mination, the said returning officers shall
be convinced that said riot, tumult acts OF vio-
lence intimidation, armed disturbance, bribery,
corrup. influences did rally interfere with the
purity and freedom Of the election at such poll or
voting place, or did prevent q sufficient number of
the qualified electors tbcreat from registering and
voting to materially change Me reeult of the cleo
ton, the the said returning officers shall not can
vass or compile the statement of the votes of such
turns provided that any person interested in said
election by reason of being candidate for Office
shall be allowed hearing before said returning
officers, upon making application within the tune