Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-04-05
What Charles Foster and John Young
Brown Say as to Their Cores
pondenee.
Mr.. Foster said to an interviewer

Mr.. Foster said to an interviewer
An informal meeting was arranged,
at which were present, as friends of
Hayes, Messrs. Sherman, Garfield,
Dennison, Matthews, and myself. The
object Of the meeting was simply to
arrive at better understanding in re-
gard to the policy of the incoming Ad-
ministratIon. They, on their part, did
not claim that the assurances they ask
ed for were to determine their action as
to the carrying out of the provisions of
the electoral bill, but that they desired
them as guarantee to their people
that they acted in good faith. To this
end they desired that Hayes give to
them only such guarantees as he had
already given to his own friends.
In reply it was stated by us that it
would be improper and indicate at
this time for Hayes to give any assur-
ances foreshadowing his policy, but that
we felt justified in stating, from our
knowledge Of the views and intentions
of Hayes, that his policy would be to
favor local self-government and home
rule in the South. We gave
NO ASSURANCES AS COMING DIRECTLY
FROM HAYES.
We simply stated our belief as to his
course based upon communications from
and conversations with him. Whatever
may have been said with regard to the
withdrawal Of troops was simply in the
nature Of belief that such would be the
result Of the policy which we believed
the President would adopt.
Err. BROWN
writes as follows to the Courier Jourqa.
al: =,
I said further to him [Foster1 that
there was but one thing which would
change me, and it was if I thought that,
by voting to complete the count which
was to result in the Inauguration of Mr..
Hayes, would be aiding directly or in
directly in perpetuating
THE UsURPATIoNs OF PACKARD AND
CHAMBERLAIN
in the States of Louisiana and South
Carolina, l would reserve my action
and do Hly very utmost to defeat the
execution Of the bill, regardless of con-
sequences. calamitous to the country
as | believed that would be. | further
more told him that if l changed my
position | knew of several prominent
gentlemen who would Join me, and if
at that critical hour, when the daily and
nightly scenes, surprising by far in
wild excitement and violence anything
ever witnessed in the legislative history
Of the country, the line of the Demo-
Gratis who were voting to execute the
law should be broken. it would result
in q stampede among them and Mr..
Hayes would no more be the President
than he (Foster) would be. Foster
said he believed this. have the high
est respect for Charles Foster. | be-
lieye him to be an honorable gentle
man. and told him that it was my
confidence II him that had brought me
to him. He represented the district of
Mr.. Hayes. He had Just made manly
and patriotic speech, in which he had
said that under Hayes, if inaugurated.
the flag shall float over States, not
provinces; over freemen, not subjects.
l referred to this speech, and told him
l had come to request Of him written
assurances thatif Hayes was inaugurated
he would restore home-rulc in the states
Of Louisiana and South Carolina that
the people Of these States should
control their own Affairs in their own
way, as free from any intervention by
the Federal authorities as the State of
Ohio. This conversation was long and
earnest. / told Mr.. Foster that [ wanted
to make no bargain, no agreement ;
that I scorned the thought Of ii that
had declined a reelection to Congress.
was voluntarily withdrawing from
political life, wanted no office that a
President could give me. and that my
object was unsellish, but desired a
written assurance from him that the
policy of Mr.. Hayes would be as
indicated, and from him especially by
reason Of his very intimate relations
with Mr.. Hayes. His reply to all this
was frank, earnest, and satisfactory
to my friend General Gordon) and
myself. Indeed, Mr.. Foster sad he
had in his pocket a letter Just received
from Mr.. Hayes. thanking him for the
speech to which l have alluded, and
endorsing it. He offered this letter to
General Gordon and myself to read, but
we declined it. He agreed to give me
the desired letter, and said he would
also request Hon. Stanley Matthews to
sign it. He promised to meet me that
= / my rooms. He came about
midnight, ana said, by reason of his
interview with General Gordon, and
myself, he had that evening procured
meeting of some gentlemen from
Louisiana and South Carolina at
Wormley's Hotel, at which also Hon.
Henry Watterson was present, and at
the conclusion Of the conference these
gentlemen had expressed great salts
faction at what had been said to them.
On leaving he remarked that I should
have the lettors the next morning.
On the next day he came to my desk
in the House Of Representatives and
handed me an unsigned letter. I read
1t. took my pen and erased one
told him that it could be
made fuller and stronger, but that from
honorable men who gave it in good
faith was sufficient. In an hour l went
to his desk and he delivered me a letter
signed by himself and Matthews. l
observed that ii was in a different hand
writing, read it hastily, and remarked
to him that iteontained some general
ties l did not like. He replied that Mr..
Matthews had written it, and added:
Brown, it is intended to cover the
whole case, and [ can promise you
there Will be no doubt about the
Of all the assurances l have
given you"
Had believed that the policy of Mr..
Hayes, if inaugurated, would not relieve
them from hateful and unrepublican
supervision by the army, and the further
plundering and oppression BY men alien
to them in birth and sympathies, should
never have voted as I did. Hon.
Charles Fostersecured the Inauguration
of the President. But for his speech
and these letters the result would never
have been reached. The conversation
and contents of the letter were made
known to many. The confidence of the
Democrats in him and in his authoriza-
ton to say what he did composed repre-
and caused them to remain
in doing what they believed
was right amid the storm that was
raging around them and in the face Of
earnest remonstranees of their