Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-03-29
rhe Broken Agreement.


addressed to Hoo. john B. Gordon acd myself.
The circumstances attending their origin are 10
brief as follows -
Ga the Goth OF February las! l se1t q page
from the House CT Represent atiYca to The 0eo-
ate chamber for my distinguished friend Gen.
Gordon, and he came over in few minutes
told him wanted 40 Interview with Hon.
Charles Foster, at which desired his presence
| oullipcd to Gen. Gordon what Intended 10
say to Mr.. Foster, and be said be wHnl1 with
pleasure accompany NE.
We found Mr.. Foster 10 the goGsa ii lie
committee 90 appropriations. No one else vas
present. During the Interview lto!d Mt rc%:
ter that had been, as be kCeH, against oil
dlatory motions; had 10 speech Advocated
tue ipaaxibie execution Of the electoral oil;
had stated 10 democratic caucus tia: would
80 vote if were the only man from the South
to do 80; that the vote vas approved ny ny
Judgment: that felt urder an Obligation ol
honor to stand by the result, bitter is 1t was
feeling that the situation was Get chaTg@ah'2 10
the electoral bill, but to the maJorlt? ol tie
commission when We had agreed to trust.
told him had received dispatches and :ei-
tiers from cherished ami trusted irienda, cou-
veyiug the most emphatic remonstrance against
my course, but that with my conVlctlons about
the question, il q petition signed By every voter
10 my district should be sent to me requesting
me to support d!latory motions, It %oua no!
| BY hair alter ne purpose. Sail lurthtr 10
| bin that there was but one tGlog which "Guld
chaoge me, and it was !! Thought tia! ~
voting to complete the couut which Was to &c.
suit in tue inauguration o! Mr.. Hayes, would
be aiding directly or indirectly iii r2rH2iu.i!EH
the usurpation Of Packard and Chan3cr.lA !''
the States OF Louisiana end South CAROLINE, i
would reverse my action and DO M very ~
most to defeat the execution o! the bill reG2ri
LESS Of consequences caiamitnns 10 The country
| az believe they would he.
| | furthermore told him that ii changed nay
position | knew of several prrinlneni %:rat!e
men who would Join NC, and il ut that ciitlca!
| hour, wien the daily and nightly :couo:, SUI
passing by far ia wild excitement aad Ti@:2ace
ANYTHING ever Witnessed in the Legislative hi
tory Of the county, the iiun OF the democrats
who were waiting to execute tic las sAoAia T.:
broken, it would result 10 stamprds a:aonE
them aud Mr.. Hayes would 10 n:p!e - The
President than he (I'ostcrl w'nli hv. AiT.
Foster said he believed this,
have the highest respect iur Ci!as. Foster.
[ believe him to be Al honorabIa rcnt'a!nan,
and told him tha, it wa, my cand"3ta IN
him that had brought ne To Tia. Tic frn:e.
scented the district Of Mr. Hayes Inh%i Ju5t
made manly aud patriotic spevcti, IA "niH;'
be had said that under Hayes, ii naNgGGSted,
"the flag shall fllat ever States, "oi !t'Tinee5,
over frecmcn, 70. SUBJECTS.
| referred to this speech an! told hlm I'!d
come 10 request OF him written assurances ti:at
if Hayes vas inauguraleI he would restore
home rule in the States OF Louisiana and nout!!
Carolina; that the people OF these States Shou!a
control their own affairs 70 their own way Is
| free from any intervention by the Federal 81,
thorities as the State Of Ohio. This couvcrsa-
ton was long and earnest | tod Mr.. Foster
that | wanted to make Nc bargain, 10 agree.
meut; that scaroeG the thought Of it; that |
had declined reelection to Congress; vas vol
unfairly with drawing from political lite; wa"! =.
ed no office that a President could give ne,aId
| that my object was uDSeiish, but / desired Z
written assurance from him that the policy OF
Mr.. Hayes would be as indicated, aud from
him especially by reason Of his very intimate
relations with Mr.. Hayes. Ills reply to all this
was frank, full, earnest and satisfactory u :uy
friend Gen. Gordon aad myself. Indeed Mr..
Foster said be had in his packet !; letter Just
received from Mr.. Hayes, thanking him Tor Tie
speech to which have alluded and endorsing
it. He offered this letter to Gea. Gordon aDi
myself to read, bu! We declined it. lie agreed
| to give ME the desired letter, and said he would
| also request Hon. Sta!liey Matthews 10 sign l..
| lie promised 10 meet Inc at my rooms. lie
| came about midnight, and said By reason 0! his
| interview with Gen. & Gordon aud myself he E@d
that evening procured meetlog CT some gcn-
tlemen from Louisiana and South Carolina at
WormIey's Hotel. at which also Hon, Henry
Watterson was rrsseGt, aud at tho conclusion
. Al Ian, i,H.t
pressed great satisfaction at what had h>cn said
to them.
Ga leaving he remarked that l should have
the letters next morning. On the rext day he
came to my desk, IN the House Of Rerrsssata
tives, and handed nc 40 unsigned letter.
read it, took my pen and erased one paragraph;
told him that it could be made fuller and st.oos
er, but that from TIE honorable men, who gave
it in good faith, it was sufficient.
10 90 hour | went to his desk and he deIls
cred me letter signed by himself and Mat
thews. | observed that il was in different
handwriting, read it hastily, and remar ked 70
him that it coutaued some gcIeralities | did not
like. He replied that Mr.. Matthews had re.
written it, and added, Brown, it is intended
to cover the whole case, and can promise you
there will be 20 doubt about The fulGl!nent Of all
the assurances have given you | noticed the
original letter on his desk and said. Sign this
also" aud he replied, "Ccrtainly, with pleas
ure"
AS was leaving he called ne back ana ted
me that President Grant would, as soon as the
count was completed, issue a certain order to
Gen. Augur, io Louisiana lie requested ME
not to mention this fact for several days, but cz-
pressiy gave me permission to make any use Of
the letter [ might desire. The order referred
to was signed by President Grant.
gave copies of the letters to Messrs. Lew
Ellis aud Burke, Of Louisiana, and to Gen. Vi.
Z. Butler, Of South Carolina, with authority to
use them whenever they pleased. When saw
that the democratic victory 50 fairly wen Vas
lost ny deepest concera was for my su'ferinr
Southern couutrymep. 10 contribute to their
deliverance from bondage was the passionate
aspiration of my heart.
Had believed that the policy OF Mr.. Hayes,
if inaugurated, would not relieve them from the
hateful aud u0repubblican supervision by the
army and the further plundering and oppres
aiop hv mon allan IN thnm in birth and sCmn,