The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1877-08-23
- H Il Il H
SECRETARY SHERMAN,
M A OHIO.
FRIDAY EVENING, AUGUST II, 1877.

response 10 your invitation l am here tonight TO
state 10 you my views Of what has thus far been
done by the present Administration In It's conduct
Of public affairs. In doing 30 1 wish 1t distinctly
understood that / speak for myself alone, as q cit
lien OF Ohio, TO you, my fellow-oiuZens and my
nsighbors. 10 whom / am under the highest obi.
cations Of gratitude aud duty.
The PRESIDENT
Authorized me 20 say one thing, ard one thing
only, for him. and in his name, and that is that all
reports that impuie 10 him any participation
whatever I'm the nomination Of candidates on your
State ticket, OF any desire or purpose TO influence
In any way the Senatorial contest in Ohio. are
utterly groundless.
These are your matters, md / can assure you for
him, that he has not and will not interpose in any
such contest between political friends.
For oil else I say TO you, neither he nor my old
and honOred friend, Judge West, is responsible.
You all know that l am now, and have been
warmly attached TO the Republican party. l be.
heve in its principles and honor its work. With
my strong convictions / could not conceal my par
tisan bias, or my earnest hope for the success OF
the Republican party, but the subjects OF which /
intend 10 speak 10 you 10 night will not lead the 10
say much OF former political struggles, or 10 fight
our old battles over again, but chiefly 10 discuss
the
ACTUAL ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTIONS
OF the day as they have arisen since the 4th Of
March last, and in all OF which you are alike inter.
osted whether You may call yourselves Repub-
leans or Democrats. As TO those questions | wish
fairly TO appeal to the candor aud good Judgment
OF honest men OF both parties, only asking for the
ADMINISTRATOR Of President Hayes that consider.
ate charity OF Judgment which must be extended
TO all human agents.
When he was inaugurated he found ~tbirtysix
btates in the full and uncOntested exercise OF all
the powers OF States in the Union. In two States
only there were contests as to who was Governor.
Both contests bad existed from January to March,
1877, while General Grant was President.
In South Carolina, Governor Chamberlain
ticket, and General Hampton on the Democratic
ticket. The President ia not made the Judge OF
who is elected Governor Of q State, ond an attempt
10 exercise such power would be a plain act OF
The Constitution of South Carolina is much like
that OF Ohio. The count Of the vote was 10 be
made by the General Assembly Of the State. I'm
fortunately for Chamberlain a controlling question
in the contest had been decided against him by O
Republican Court, and he was only kept IN pos
session Of the State-House by the actual prese nee
Of United States troops In the building. He had
appealed again and again TO President Grant to
recognize him as Governor and to give him the
aid of Federal troops in the enforcement OF his
claim, which General Grant had refused. and
sought only to preserve the public peace. When
President Hayes was inaugurated, both contest
ants we're called TO Washington, and both were
patiently heard, and the questions presented we're
patiently and carefully examined. The President
held that a case was not presented In which, under
the Constitution and the laws, he was justified In
ubiuE ~ hImg VI II OuiOSu VI NINlhluk u
purely local election contest.
THE SOLDIERS AND BAYoNETa
OF tho United States we're then withdrawn from
the State HOuse-nOt from the State, nor the Capt.
tai Of the state-but from the building in which
the Legislature, that alone could lawfully decide
this contest, must meet. This was all that was
done by the President, and Governor Chamberlain,
without farther contrasting bis claim, abandoned
II and left the State.
1 say TO you now that, strongly as 1 desired the
success of Governor Chamberlain and the Repub-
Ham naptu IN Eoufl CaTOlina fha prpGi1anf had
not a shadow of right TO i%nterpOse the power Of
the army in this contest, and his attempt to do 30
would have been rash and abortive, az well as
without legal right.
THE CASE OF LOUISIANA
Was far more difficult. The local returning
officers OF that State had, after o full examination,
certified 10 the election OF the Legislature, show
ing a Republican majority in both houses. This
had been done by excluding from their return the
votes of certain parishes and counties wherein in
timldutiOn, violence and fraud had prevailed
to an extent sufficient TO change the
result of the election. 1 was present,
at the request Of General Grant, to wit
ness the count, and / assure you, as / have said
officially, that the proof Of this intimidation, vio-
lence and fraud, extending to murder, cruelty and
outrage in every form was absolutely conclusive,
showing q degree Of violence IN some OF those par
ishes that was more revolving and barbarous than
anything could conceive OF. IL was plain that
the returning officers had the legal right to pass
upon and certify in the first instance who were
elected members OF the Legislature, and that they
were justified by the evidence in excluding bull
OOLbu DlIlblCSt u ~ -" pqudiAl OlOuI luub bhC
return was not concluslve upon the members
elected, and that each house had the Constitu-
tional right to pass upon the returns and cleo.
tions of its members. and to set aside tho action Of
the Returning Board.
The two houses, when organized, had also the
power to pass upon the returns of the election of
Governor, and they alone, and no one else. Meth
or the President Of the United States nor the Re
turning Board has any power or right TO pass upon
the election of Governor. And here the difficulty
in the Louisiana case commences.
Governor Packard contends that a majority Of
the two houses, as duly returned, did pass upon
the election Of Governor, and did return that he
was duly elected, but this was stoutly denied by
Governor Nichols. This vital point was strongly
asserted and denied by the adverse parties, ana
the Legislature of Louisiana divided into two hos.
Iile bodies, holding separate sessions, each as
seTting it's legal power and denounoing the other
as rebels and traitors.
GOVERNOR PACKARD AND HIS LEGISLATURE
Called upon President Grant for the aid Of the
army to nut down insurrection and domestic viO-
lence; and here I confess that II l had been Presl-
dent instead Of General Grant, would nave rec,
power OF the General Government. MY intense
feeling caused by the atrocities In Louisiana may
have unduly Influenced me. But General Grant
did not think this was his duty. / do not %critiolse
bis action, but only state the facts. He would
only maIptaln the peace. He would not recognize
Packard as Governor, but ! know, what is now an
open secret, the strong bent Of his mind. and at
one time his decision was TO Withdraw the troops,
to recognize Nichols and mus end this dangerous
contest. He did not do this. but kept the peace.
But during these two months the whole condi-
ton OF affairs had slowly changed In Louisiana.
The government OF Packard had dwindled away
until IL had scarcely q shadow OF strength or au-
thority. except at the State HouGo, where 1t was
upheld by Federal bayouets.
THE GOVERNMENT OF NICHOLS
Had extended Its authority over the State, and
was In full existence aa the de JdctO government
of Louisiana, supported by the great body OF the
white men and nearly oil the wealth and lntelll-
rence OF the State, ana by the tired acquleBcence
OF n large portion of the cOl0red people, some OF
whom deserted his Legislature and entered that
OF Governor Nichols. The delay AMI hesitation
Of General Grant had been fatal to Pack
ard. and when Hayes became President the
practical question was greatly changed. One
thing was clear, that a Legislature had been duly
elected in November previous, and was then in
existence, though separated into two parts. II
she members 10 wfnlly elected could be convened.
they alone could decide the question OF who was
Governor without the intervention OF troops, and
their decision could be supported, II necessary, by
the General Government.
The most anxious consideration was given 10
this question. Days and weeks or anxious DELHI
Grafton were given to II by the President and his
Cabinet. But ono way seemed open for
A PEACEFUL SOLUTION,
And that was to gather, II possible, q single Log
islaturo who could be recognized as the depOsi-
tory OF the representative will OF tho people OF
Louisiana. If this could be done 10 had the
uuQuestioncd right 10 decide who had
been elected Governor, and al other questions
would settle themselves. To aid In this object a
commission OF the most eminent men, high In po-
6itlon, from different States and distinguished for
judicial impartialtty, waa selected, and the result
is known TO all. They went TO Louisiana, and
with great difficulty brought together these hostile
Legislatures which met, organized, promptly set.
tied the questions IN dispute In favor OF tho gov
arnunantn f Niolnla and Tina nndod this mOat DIM.