Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-12-28
PRESIDENT HAYEs's POLICY.
AN OPEN LETTER TO TIE REPUBLICANS OF
NEW HANPsHIRE-A SHARP ARRAlGsNEST
OF Tue ADMINISTRATION.


lie ma kes number Of interesting and ex-
pIicit statements concerning the alleged
bargains made during the electoral count,
and their alleged fulfilment by the adoption
and pursuance of the Presidents southern
policy. After referring to the declaration
of the Cincinnati convention, and OF UOS
Hsyes's letter of acceptance, In regard TO
the protection OF southern citizens IN the
free enjoyment of all their rights, Mr..
Chandler asserts that the republican par
ty, BY the advice and procurement OF Gov
HAYES, made the necessity of keeping the
federal power IN republican hands and using
it for the protection OF black and white
southern republicans, the main issue OF the
Presidential campaign. lie says: . The
bloody shirt, as it was termed, was freely
waved, and Gov. Hayes himself urged
prominent public men to put it forward as
our best argument of the dangers OF rebel
rule and solid south" In this connection
he quotes several expressions from Gov.
Hayes's letter Of Nov. 8, 1876,
when the latter thought himself de-
feated, and said 81 do not care
for myself, but | do care for the poor color
ed men of the South. Northern men cannot
live there and will leave. The southern
people will practically treat the constition-
al amendments as utilities, and the
| colored mans fate will be worse than when
| he was in slavery. This is the only reason
that | regret the news is as it Is" Mr..
Chandler then proceeds to state that
President Hayes not only pledged himself
to protect to the full extent of the federal
power, life. suffrage. and political
rights in the South. but was counted in as
President only by reason of special pledges
| given by Senator Sherman, and other Ohio
| emissaries, who particularly and emphatl-
| ticaily promised he would recognize and
maiptain the lawful state governments of
South Carolina and Louisiana and stand by
Governors Chamberlain and Packard. Mr..
| Chandler amphhes these statements at con-
| siderable length, aud proceeded to make
charges as follows: Wisdom and honor,
| therefore, it seems to me. clearly required
tina. President Hayes should maintain his
own rightfulness of title. and stand by the
men and principles OF his party, Had he
| done so, in my belief, the democratic cry of
fraud" would have been the merest folly.
andithe republican party would have remain
| ed dominant In every northern state
| and several southern states, and would have
| swept the country In the resent Fall elections.
| Instead OF this what do We see? Almost
| the first act Of the new administration was
to fulfil bargain that. had been made
| during the Presidential count. by which, If
/
| lawful governments of Louisiana and
North Carolina should be abandoned, and
mob governments in those states be recog
nized and established. Certain democrats
| in the House of Representatives seeing that
| BY the decisions OF the electoral commits
| sion, and the regular proceedings OF the
| two Houses coneurrlng In the electoral bill
which they had warmly supported Governor
HAYES would surely be President, had con-
eeived q plan OF saving something from the
wreck They had, therefore, threatened
| by diatOry motions and riOtous proceed
ings to break up the court. and then opened
negotiations with such timid or too eager
| " expectant representatives as they could
find ready to listen to them. They had
succeeded beyond their ssnguine expecta-
tons. Senator Sherman had visited Ohio.
| and consulted Governor Hayes. Henry
Wstterson, democratic member and nephew
of Stanley Matthews, had acted as go-be-
tween; and on one side Msssrs. Matthews,
Charles Foster, John Sherman, James A.
Garfield, snd on the other L. q. c. Lamar,
John B. Gordon, j Ellis, Randall, Gibson,
Z. A. Burke. and John Young Brown, had
agreed: Flrst-That the count should not
be broken up in the House, but that Gov.
Hayes should be declared and inaugursted
President; and. Second-rhat upon Gov.
drawn from protecting Governors Chamber
lain and Packard, and that the new admin
istration should recognize the governments
| of Wade Hampton in South Carlina and F.
| H. Nichols in Louisiana. By certain gen
eral and indefinite letters, since given to the
public BY secret writing now in the hands
of E. A. Burke, and in other ways, the
agreement was authenticated; and Pfesi-
dent Grant was Immediately requested by
Gov Hayes's counsel on no account to re-
\ cognize Packard or Chamberlain, but to
leave the ultimate decision as to their fate
to the incoming President After the in
auguration the bargain was speedily full
filled. As soon as the electoral votes of
their states were safe, Governors Packard
and Chamberlain had been notified by Mat
thews and Evsrts to get out Governor
Cham erlain was now summoned to Wash
ington and informed that he must surren-
der. He protested against his taking of"
The President hesitated but W ade Hampton
demanded the performance OF the bargain.
Matthews was sent for, and came from
| Ohio, and within "a hours the United
States flag was ordered down in Charleston
and Gov Chamber. AIN was stamped out. As
to Louisiana. the fulflment proceeded more
slowly, but none the less surely. Packard
had made. on March 2lst. the constitutional
call for federal aid, which 1t was difficult to
withhold IRON one as surely governor as
Hayes was President. and yet there was the
bargain. As subteriuge an uncOnstitu-
tional commission. consisting of John NJ.
Harlan, Joseph R. Hawley. B. B. Lawrence,
Wayne MeVesgh and John c. Brown was
sent to New Orleans, instructed to gradual
|, destroy the Packard legislature by sedu-
eng or forcing its members into the Nichols
legislature; but they proving too stubborn
| he roll nh cd ha
President that nothing would destroy Pack
ard, but an actual order Withdrawing the
troops. At the word the President gave tho
order and Packard was crushed and the
commission returned triumphant to Wash
ington, TO be recognized one of them
(Hsrlan) by appointment as supreme court
Judge; another (Lswrence) by the re-
lease Of Jake Rshm. the great whiskey
conspirator ard deirauder Of revenue
at Chicago. Hawley was offered an
appointment as chief commissioner to
the Paris exhibition, but declined be-
cause the salary was to be only IS 900; and
three offices were rendered to Mcveagh. but
declined on the ground that his sigual ser
| vices demanded more ample recognition.
The English mission was assigned him, but
| circumstances have made its delivery mex
pedient, or impossible. One other hope re-
manned to Governor Packard lie had the
court of justice and might appeal to that ;
but there were two vacancies, and it re-
quired all three of the iudge>-Ludeling,
Leonard and John f. king-tO make a
quorum. Judge King was Immediately ap-
| pointed collector Of New Orleans. So the
| Packard court vas struck down, and tue
Nichols mob government reigned supreme.
The bargain was in every way fulfilled, and
| Burke had no occasion, as had been threat
! ened, to make public the secret agreements.
| Gov. Hayes had been made President By
the fidelity and courage OF Packard and
| Chamberlain and their devoted followers,
| and his administration had trampled them
down. ln the future pursuance Of the
| bargain made with southern democrats, the
new administration has adapted the so
| called southern policy First, entirely
| contrary to the announced principles of
the republican party second, which has
been carried out BY the abandonment Of all
| federal intention and effort to protect life.
property or suffrage at the South or to en-
| force the constitutional amendments; and
| third, has resulted in the enforced dissolu-
| ton of the republican party at the South.
| and it s Generalization. division and defeats
at the North. The letter is thencetorward
mainly devoted to recapitulatiOn OF Presi-
dent Hsyess act and utteranees ln,the line OF
the so-ealled southern policy. MIR Chand-
Ter says among other thing As the
policy OF the democratic party was to be
carried out at the south, q south
ern Confederate General, D. NJ. Key.
"A democrat who had opposed Governor
Hsyes's election in the Senate, and ds-
nounced his title as frsudulent--was sp-
pointed postmaster general, and commenced
the distribution of southern pOstOthces to
the rebel democrats and negro murderers of
Hamburg and Ellenton, who had been in
dcted in the federal courts of South Caro-
lima. The great and good Hampton
appealed for their release, and it
was accorded by the President, 10
letter of May 18th. granting general am
nesty to negro murderers as political often
ders. To make immunity more certain, the
policy Of anpolnting as dlstrlc. attorneYs