New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-03-30


that my object was unselhsb; but desired /
a written assurance from him that the pol /
10y of MIR. Hayes would be as indicated, |
and from him specially, by reason of his /
very intimate relations with Mr.. Hayes.
His reply to all this was frank, full, earnest |
and satisfactory to my friend, General Cor
don, and myself Indeed, Mr.. Foster said |
he had in his pocket a letter Just re- /
eeived from Mr.. Hayes thanking him |
for the speech to which have alluded,
and indorsing it, He offered this letter |
| to General g )rdon and myself to read, |
but we declined it. He sgrsed to giveAme |
the desired letter, and said he would re- |
quest Hon Stanley Matthews to sign it. |
He promised to meet me that night at my |
rooms. He came about midnight. He said |
that by reason of his interview with Cen |
! eral Gordon and myself he had that eve |
| nign procured a meeting of some gentle |
men from Louisiana and South Carolina at
Wormlev's Hotel, at which, also, Hon.
| Henry Watterson was present, and at the
| conclusion of the conference these gentle
men had expressed great satisfaction at
what had been said to them. On leaving
| he said should have the letters next morn
| ing. On the next day he came to my desk
in the House of Representatives, and hand
| ed ne an unsigned letter. / read it, took my
| pen, and erased one paragraph; told him that
1t could be made fuller and stronger, but
| that from honorable men, who gave it in
| good faith, it was sufficient. In an
hour went to his desk and he delivered
me a letter signed by himself and Mat
| thews. observed that it was in a differ
ent handwriting; read it hastily and re.
marked to him that it contained some gen
| eralities / did not like. He replied that
| Mr.. Matthews had rewritten it, and added:
Brown, it is intended to cover the whole
| case, and l can promise you there can be
no doubt about the fulfliment of all the
assurances l have given you" InOticSd
the original letter on his desk and said:
"Sign this, also" He replied, "Certainly,
with pleasure" AS Iwas leaving. he called
me back aud told me that President Grant
would, as soon as the count was completed,
issue q certain order to General Angur, in
Louisiana. He requested me not to men.
tion this fact for several days, but expressly
gave me permission TO make any use of the
letters might desire. The order referred
to was Issued by President Grant. L
gave copies of the letters to Mesers.
Levy, Ellis and Burke. of Louis
lana, and to General M. G. Butler,
of South Carolina, with authority to use
them whenever they pleased. When saw
that the Democratic victory, so fairly won,
wss lost, my deepest concern was for my
suffering Southern eOuntrymen. To con-
! tribute to their deliversnce from bondage
: was the passionate aspiration of nv heart.
a | Had believed the policy of Mr.. Hayes lif
I inauguratedl would not relieve them from
a | hateful and unrepublican supervision by
n
Y oppression by men alien to them in birth
r and symDathY, / should never have voted
q as did. Hon. Charles Foster secured the
r inauguration of the President. But for his
n speech and these letters the result would
I never have been reached. The converse
a ton and contents of the letter were made
A. known to many. The confidence of thu
n Democrats in him and in bis authorization
Ie to say what he did, composed representa-
4. tives and caused them TO remain unshakeI
A. Ill. -
10 amid the storm that was raging aroun'
}. them; and in the face of remon
Br strances of their constituents. II q feI
1e had faltered the panic would have beer
l general. The work Of the commission woul
ia have been fruitless, and before this time
sd in my opinion, hurricane of war wnul
have been sweeping over the land. HOP
IN deferred has siokened the hearts of Oh
H. Southern men. I do not understand, nc
a do l appreciate the delay of PresideK
to Hayes lie ought not to hesitate Tt
of whole country expected this great an
H. coed work at his hands. Passionate me
re are heaping invectives upon the heads
he those Democrats who voted to stand b
the electoral bill. This pains me, bl
Or, causes no regret for my action. La concl
he sion, will say that l have full faith in Il
re- assurances contained in the letters
an Messrs Foster and Matthews. They al
NO honorable men. / can not believe that the
az would attempt deliberate deception. The
no are the intimate friends of the Presiden
he They know his views, and expressed the
in these letters. An honest construction
- their language means that the autonomy
W. Louisiana and South Carolina should be I
V's stored.
NV 1t is impossible that the PresidenJ, und
~ all the circumstance, and in view of
o no own utteranees and the promises of
ey friends, can refuse at once to make Loui
W VI ana and South Carolina rs free as Obi
Al. EknAn
provinces; over freemen, not subjects.
: done, the peace and prosperity of the !
a. public will be secured. Ii not done, {
~ whole responsibility for the cOnsequenc'
i,o o whatever they may be, will rest upon Pr
IN. '1'N' JOHN YOUNG BROWN,
TUE LETTERS.
N HoUsR OF REPRESENTATIVES,
ne Washington, February 26, 1877.
ae GEETLEMEN-R Referring to the conver
~ ~ tion l had with you yesterday, in viii
ss Governor Hayes policy as to the status
n W. certain Southern States was discussed,
,n desire to say in reply, that we can assu
IN IN you in the strongest possible manner of 0
~ great desire to have adopted such poll
~ as will give to the people OF the States
-hs th South Carolina and Louisiana tbs right
W. 'n9 control their own sffairs in their own WI
aud to say further that we feel authoriz
~ from an acquaintance with and knowled
'ue 'L of Governor Hayes and bis views on t
nS question, to pledge ourselves to you for
~ - that such will be his policy.
se9 CHARLES FOSTER
ar. To Hon. John Young Brown and Hon. John ,.
ost uoD'
SC; WASHINGTON CITY, February q, 1877
the GENTLEMEN Referring to the conver
cry ton had with you yesterday, in which G.
ne, ernOr Hayes policy as to the status Of {
no. ta;n clntbarn Statea was discnEead Ne
ur- sire TO say that we can assure you, In
vas strongest possible manner, of our great
Ano sire to have him adopt such policy as '
etc give to the people Of the States Of Sol