The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-04-05
HAYES, SOUTHERN POLICY.
The True Inwardness of the Foster
>, Matthews Assurances: !,

= Matthews Assurances: :,
- - - - >. Ea =,
Corsspoadence Of the Mev Nork Herald
81 WasprNGToN, March %. =.
Somuch needless aid mischievofls fuss
has been made:.about certain papers, said
to be agreements made during the count
ing of the electoral vote between some
Southern Senators and Representatives
andMessrs. Stanley Matthews and Charles
Foster, that the last two gentlemen have
expressed their wish to have them made
public. They are given below, and it
will be seen at once that they contain no
agreement or bargain, either on the part
Of the friends of Mr.. Hayes or on that Of
the Southern gentlemen who received
them. The question with the Southern
men was whether they should join the
Democratic flibusters in obstructing the
count, or whether they should, as it is
certain they were inclined to do, help to
carry out the electoral law in good faith.
In considering this question, which in
volved resistance to the urgent demands
of many of their Northern party friends,
it was natural and proper that they should
inquire as to,the effect Mr.. Hayes becom-
ing President was likely to have upon the
peaceable and just settlement of the
troubles in South Carolina and Louisiana.
They remembered that Mr.. Hayes had
promised in his letter of acceptance to
deal justly with those States, but they
remembered also that the political cam
vass had been carried on without his re-
monstrance on an entirely different basis,
and they had an undoubted right to in
quire of his friends what were his real
opinions and what was likely to be his
policy, and the more because some of the
Southern Democrats, were inclined at all
hazards to 60 with their party, and would
have done so had not the wisest and most
patriotic of them Influenced them other
wise. @ -"
Under these circumstance number of
conversations and conferences were held,
which resulted in the papers now pub
lished. The Southern men did not ask
for an agreement" nor did they make
or attempt to make any bargain with Mr..
Hayes with whom they had no commu-
nication, or with any one for him. They
did ask Messrs. Matthews and Foster,
known to be in his confidence and to be
possessed of his opinions on public af-
fairs, what in their judgment would be
the treatment of the two States if MIR.
Hayes became President: Messrs. Foster
and Matthews gave them their opinion as
frankly as it: was asked, and the event
shows that they judged Mr.. Hayes right
", because in bis inaugural message he
did confirm all that they said he was
likely to do, and announcedoa policy
which was and which remains entirely
satisfactory to the Southern men.
The principal documents are given by
John Young Brown in connection with a
narrative of events pledging President
Hayes more strongly than the letters
themselves ="
WASHINGTON, February 26.
To Hon. John B. Gordon and Hon. John
.. Young Bro,cn:: #.@t
GENTLEMEN: Referring To the con-
versation had with you yesterday, in
which Governor Hayes policy as to the
status of certain Southern: States was dis
cussed, we desire to say in replythat we
can assure you in the strongest possible
manner of our great desire to have adop-
ted such policy as will give to the peo:
pie of the States of South Carolina and
Louisiana the right to control their own
affairs in their own way, and to say, fur
ther, that we feel authorized, from an
acquaintance with and a knowledge Of
Governor Hayes and his views on this
question, to pledge ourselves to you for
him that such will be his policy. ~
a.. ..r., ..a CHARLES FOSTER.