The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-03-16
STANLEY mATTHnws.
asis soiutisn or the Louisiana ANA A"ash
Carolina Dltsleuitsss.
tDineinnsti Enquirer ]

Cotumnua. o., March lin ffiendly
conversation with a gentleman IN TINS
nfiv ia reference Il, affairs In South Care
lima aud Louisiana, Mr. Stanley Mat
thaws expressed his views regarding tho
noltisal situation of those States, nna
tho remedy for existing evils, Hubstah"
TALLY % fellows. ..,a,a ~.
On Tho question OF recognizing tho
ono or tho other Of tho opposing parties
In Boi.th Carolina and Louisiana 40 tho
proper State government. he says the
National Administration has tho bonHtls
tutiunal right To choose which ono "
will recognize. and the fact that ono 81
them originated and ia now SUSTAINED
bv mob force does not in the least afteeb
thia right of choice by the National Adj
miniatration. The National. Govern
ment may recognize tho ono which may
BIO called tho mob party. II Haid MOP
party ID actually strong enough TO main
lain itself and establish q State govern
ment, The fact thai Paeltatd's govern.
ment was tho legitimate government
under The forms OF law makes no differ
anee II tho Administration chooses TO
reeognise tho Nichols government,
which originated In mob force, and
which ID still sustained by mob force
| the main thing requisite being strength
suiilcient to maintain government,
This idea he illustrated by supposing
that dissatisfaction with the. govern.
msnt oil Ohio should arise. and should
grow Into aueh formidable proportions
| that it should drive cut and Keep cut
| the eSisting State government, the Ma.
| tional Government would not nave the
right TO interference with the military
except TO prevent actual blood.ahed=
ding. and that the National Govern
ment might recognize the new goyern-
ment OF Ohio thus set up and mains
tained by force against tho titular and
regularly constituted State authorities:
Col. Matthews did not say he favored
the recognition of Nichols or Hamp.
ton, but he conveyed that impression.
The fact or constitutional right the M
tienal Government has to recognize
whichever IL chooses OF the eontenaing
State governments.
herlain ut the solicitation OF General
Gordon aud Mr.. Haskell, chairman Of
tho South Carolina Democratic State
Committee, They came TO him TO ask
him TO interoeds with President Hayes
To have the troopa Withdrawn from
South Carolina. Instead OF complying
with their request, he unfoldad TO them
what he considered the more desirable
way to ge about the settlement OF the
South Carolina difficulties, which Was
that Chamberlain had better make
overtures Go Hampton for compro-
mise, even II he (Chamberlaih) should
thereby have to sacrifice some of bis
legal rights for the sake Of tho public
peace, Gordon and Haskell then asked
Matthews IL he would write q letter for
them to carry to Chamberlain, embody-
Ing this plan of his, which request he
complied with,
Col. Matthews did not intimate that
he represented President Hayes views,
but said he had only heard Hayes say
he favored o Commission OF eminent
public men, who should be acceptable
TO these States, and to try to get the
conflicting claimants to the Governor
ship to agree to the plan OF settlement,
so that State government might be
established according to an agreed basis
of settleMent-for instance, something
similar to the way the question OF the
presidency was finally settled. Colonel
Matthews suggested that II tho Com
missioners thus going to the disturbed
States could induce the rightful holders
OF seats In the Nichols Legislature to
ioin with the rightful holders Of seats
In Packard's Legislature, they
would then have a quorum
of rightful members In beth
branches of o Legislature which could
proceed to count the votes for Governor
and determine which one was elected.
He says the Returning Board OF Louisi'
ana have no right or authority to count
and declare the vote OF that State fol
members OF the Legislature.