The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-07-16
JOHN SHERMAN TO j. MADISON
WELLS.
He is very Bitter Against the People

Dispatches from New Orleans represent
that Mr.. John Sherman has written a
letter to old Wells, of the returning board,
in which there isn't much to help the
case of Wells, but great deal to damage
whatever reputation for common sense
Mr.. Sherman himself may possess. The
letter is reported to be very bitter
against the people for violating the
terms of the agreement" which according
to Mr.. Sherman, was negotiated tor the
deposition of Packard and the restoration
of civil government 10 Louisiana. 1t has
been very positively denied by friends OF
the administration that any such agree
ment was ever made on the part OF Mr..
Hayes by any Of his friends, Mr.. Sher-
man was in a position that enabled him to
acquire positive knowledge on the subject,
however, aud if he insists that the presi-
dent and the cabinet on the one part, aud
persons pretending to represent portion
of the people Of Louisiana on the other,
actually entered into an agreement or con-
spiracy one of the objects of which was to
compound the crimes of the returning
board and shield Wells, Anderson, and
the rest from the penalties of the law
why then the public may feel justified in
advising Mr.. Hayes that the burden OF
disproYinR the charge thus presented by a
member of his cabinet, rests on him. The
prosecution of the returning board, Mr..
Sherman is represented as saying, will
only serve to show the people of New
Orleans iu their true light" Even if
such showing is made, it will come very
far short of being the most important or
interesting result of the trial, unless MIR.
Sherman is misinformed or guilty OF
grievous misrepresentation. The iudict-
ment, trial, and punishment of Wells Il
Co. may show that the people and the
authorities of Louisiana have refused to be
bound by the terms Of an unlawful com
pact, and thus ':shOw them In their true
light" but it must also, in that event,
show in their true light the parties who
sought through such conspiracy TO sEield
criminals from JUSTICE and this showing
must be worse for Mr.. Sherman's friends
than the other will be for the people of
louisiana Chicago Times.
In this connection the following from
the n. Y. Sun will be read with interest:
No wonder they are disturbed at Wash.
ington, and that Anderson and Wells are
20 hurry up from New Orleans to take cOun-
sci with Hayes, Schurz, Evarts, Key, De
vens, and the rest of them, as to their
course in this emergency. After getting
an eight by seven judgement from the per.
jured Electoral Commission, aud IA cOerced
ratification by Congress, these successful
swindlers thought they were safe for four
years, and that blind justice would not fol.
low them in their devious ways. They had
NH oh borl
obtained possession of power and patronage
they were in Office; and they believed the
right was silenced by the triumph of wrong.
Suddenly these bright visions are black
ened with apprehension. and sleepless jus
tice is on their path. They do not and
dare not deny the accusations of having
forged and ialsified the returns of Louisiana,
or of having defrauded Mr.. Tilden out OF
the vote of the State; but they claim i'm
munity for their daring crimes, because
certain self-constituted agents entered into
an Infamous compact to save them from
punishment.
1t there was any bargain, arrangement,
OF understanding between the Hayes man
ayers aud the Louisiana politicians, by
which the crimes charged against Wells,
Anderson, and their coniederates, were to
be condoned as the price of recognizing
Nichols, it should be exposed, without re.
gard to persons or to consequences. Float.
lng rumors Of secret compacts TO seat
Hayes and to cheat Mr.. Til9en, and tos Dust
Packard and Chamberlain, have disturbed
tho public mind ever since the great mi.
qnity was consummated at Washington.
Now that there is prospect of a Judicial
investigation of the Charges
Tho country looks with interest to The
developments in New Orleans, and will
confidence that the whole rascality will be
turned inside out. 1t the information haC
included John Sherman, Garfield, Noyes