Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-03-13
mia Grover Case Stanley
Mathews and Governor Cham

| tor from Delaware or TO myself or 10 DOM oi US,
| quote from the debate Of yesterday as reported
Mr.. BIaine. The Senator fiom Delaware was
A member Of the commission, and believe thst
the non bipartisan part of that commission was sup
! posed to be the Supreme Court section OF 1t and
vet believe it fell to the lot OF the Senator rom
| Delaware never voted once TO have with the ma
ioritv of the Judges on that commission 90,
MIR Bavard. 0, yes. The Senator las Aot loi-
lowed the facts of that case at all.
| Mr. Hlaine So far test questions came-l
ID not know what the little courtesies inside may
have been-all test questions known TO the pubic,
! think the Senator is uniformly on record against
the majority of the Judges
| Mr. 'Rsvard The Senator has not read the
record. and does not seem to know much about IT.
| have since read the record and find that the
Senator from Delaware IN five votes on the loll-
da case voted uniformly against maJon,y oil the
supreme Judges, EXCEPT on the question OF taxing
| evidence in regard to /. c. Humphreys. | find
that on the thirteen votes involving the condition
of Louisiana, the Senator uniformly votei against
the majority of the judges except, oeleVe' on
two votes fixing the adjournment at certain
hour | think he did vote TO prefer ten clock 10
some other hour with the majority OF the Judges
| On the Oregon case the Senator Is recorded nine
times lie voted with the majority OF the Judges
against Cronn being elected; but he dld vo'e that
Cronin was elected just enough TO keep the
other candidate from being elected On the
south Carolina question think the Senator voted
four times with the minority of the Judges, anu
! think unanimously with the commission, that tue
democratic electors were not csoscn, but, Also
with minority Of the Judges that the republican
electors we're not chosen. SO that my statement
| seems to have been very strongly subsantlated
| BY the record. | always aim TO be very precise,
| ii can lie, in stating facts, especially touching
the record of any Senator.
| There was another point of difference between
the Senator from Delaware and myself in regard
to the position OF the Senator from Vermont, Mr.
f lwards) ! maintained that the Senator from
Vermont had taken ground that the returning
board of Louisiana was constitutional and legal
body and understood the Senator from Delaware
to deny that, and to assert that he had simply
voted that he would not hear any evidence IN re-
gard to it. That was not what asserted. what
| asserted was that the Senator from Yer nont was
on record for the legality and the constliutionali-
" of the returning board of Louisiana and that
it could not be within the scope of possibility that
he would hold it was a legal and constitutional
in the electoral, commission and deny 1t IN the Sen
| ate. Now | read that the Senator from Vermont
signed the following report. will read one para
graph bearing on the point at issue, in which MIR.
Edmunds concurred, as follows:
The commission is also of oIinion by majority
of votes that the returning officers OF election
who canvassed the votes at the election for elect
ors in Louisiana were legally constituted body
, by virtue of a constitutional law.
That is all have maintained and precisely what
have maintained. | stated yesterday the excep-
ton that the Senator from DelRwaTe made ia re-
gard TO the vote tOtlcunI Tue oregon cleclofsi
although there one of the Senators who
voted think "a that side Of the House to admit
the vote Of Oregon, do cot remember that any
democractic Senator objected to the vote OF Gro
min on the floor with the single exception of the
late Senator from Tennessee Mr.. Key and MIR.
KEY stated 10 debate that which | will read
/ have said that do not agree with the deter
minaton of Cronin's case by the governor of Ore
gon. Far more reprehenslble do 1 esteem the
action of the returning boards of louisiana,
Al. In Ibid nnot do laf
those or either of these defeat the will of the
majority OF forty millions of people by mistake,
erroneous proceedings, or fraud.
And Mr. Key adds that he supported Tilden
and Hendricks because he thought them every
way worthy of the high offices to which they
piIed and that his opinion has not changed.
Later in the day the following colloquy cover
ing several points Of interest took place:
"Nr. Blaine. desire to send to the SecretaIy's
desk a letter which | presume was addressed to
me for the purpose OF being read here, (st all
| events | will construe it that way by Mr.. Corbin
the senatorial claimant from South Carolina
The Vice President The letter will be read
The Chief Clerk read as follows:
WASHINGTON, March S.
Dear Sir: Hon. William NJ. Evarts begs me to
say to you that he did not ndorse the letter of
Stanley Matthews to Governor Chamberlain to
me. That the letter was presented 10 bin By Mr..
Haskell, of South Carolina, and he wrote upon 1t
substantially as follows:
That he had read the foregoing letter. that be
desired to see the trouble in South Carolina COM
posed, and be desired TO hear from Governor
Chamberlain upon the subject.
Very respectfully,
ID. L. LORBIN.
Hon. James G.. BlalGe.
Mr. Blaine 1t is proper to state for the infor-
nation of those who may not know it, that MIR.
Haskell, who was the bearer of this letter from
MIR. Stanley Matthews and Mr.. Evarts to Cover
nor Chamberlain, is the chairman of the demo-
cratic State committee of South Carolina. | have
this moment received telegram addressed to my
self which shall also take the liberty of reading
NEW ORLEANS, March s, 1877.
Senator Bayard is mistaken. In every pari III
outside the city, except the five bull-dozed parish
es, in one of which our tax collector has Just been
murdered, my government is recognized BY all
save few pretended Nichols officials.
S. d. PACKARD.
Mr.. Thurman. For the sake of completing the
history of the South Carolina trans action, | wish
the Senator from Maine would be good enough to
give US Stanley Matthews letter.
MIR. Blaine. would be very glad 10 give it if
had 1t, or if the Senator knows anything about
where 1t is.
Mr.. Patterson. Haskell has it.
| Mr. Blaine Then it is in democratic hands.
Mr. Thurman. | thought it was addressed TO
Governor Chamberlain.
Mr. Blaine. But it democratic emissary
or agent who came to Washington for it.
Mr. Thurman. | suppose he delivered it to
Governor Chamberlain.
MI. Blaine. Isuppose so, or Governor Cham
6el lain would not have telegraphed here in regard
to It. The Senator from Ohio may not be aware
that Columbia, South Carolina, is not so near as
the Arlington Hotel is to the Capitol. The Sena-
tor from south Carolina, Mr.. Paterson) says that
1t is still more within the leeping of the demo-
| cratic party, because IT was a letter to Mr.. Has
kell, emf owering him, a mirister plenpoten-
tiary and envoy extraordinary, to treat with Gov
ernof Chamberlain for a surrender of the State /;
and although am not definitely informed, vet
understand il sufficiently to state it as a rumor
that similar one was carried to New Orleans by
a Mr. Burke, believe. That is my informant d.
| although do not state il as fact | believe in
both cases ii was understood that in the event Of
| a surrender Packard and Chamberlain might be
allowed to remain residents or if not that they
would be guaranteed safe-conduct out Of the ir
| res pectiye States.
Mr.. Thurman | beg leave TO inquire of my
friend, who is disting uIshed leader of his party
| ana no doubt SUPPORTER Of the AdminIstra ito q ,
whether 1t is the practice already inaugurated Of
the Administration or of as intimate a frien nd of
the Administration as Mr.. Stanley Matthews, to
choose democrats as extraordinary and ministers
plemfo entiaIy to Iepublicansf
Mr. Blaine. Probably he could not find re-
publican who was willing to undertake the er-
| rand"