The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-02-16

As TO the manner IN which the Jury was cho-
sen il is sufficient to say that such eminent
legal authority as Mr.. Justice Bradley has
borne witness to the fact that the jury law Of
Louisiana is substantially that of many other
States, and is in no way obnoxious to the
Constitution. As to the race aud partisan
prediction of the jurors il is not enough to
refnte suspicion that two of them were color
ed republicans? These two have been re-
ported to have given verdict of guilty under
the impression that the accompanying recon-
mendation to the mercy Of the court was
virtual acquittal; yet Mr.. Sherman would
have had the whole or a majority of the jury
to be composed of such witiess fellows.
The theory of the Secretary that the alter
alton of the Vernon parish returns was, to
use his own elegant expression, a "put up
job by Iittle6eld, is completely explodedby
the testimony of witnesses in the trial that
must have escaped his attention, if indeed he
has read the full report of the proceedings as
published in the New Orleans papers. Alike
trivial and inconsequential is the charge that
the accused did not enjoy the personal ac-
quaintance Of the men summoned and sworn
TO try him. Secretary Sherman ought to be
ashamed TO father such befogging and petit
Jogging pleas in behalf of his old friend. If
he believed it his duty to affront good taste
by appearing as counsel for his old associate
and fellow-conspirator, he might at least,
have confined himselfto the technical defense
to which the other visiting statesmen signed
their names. In due time he may be called
upon to defend his own offenses in execution
of the conspiracy against the integrity of the
ballot, and il is hoped that he may be able to
make better showing in his own behalf than
in Anderson's. The crime of the Returning
Board would not have been committed but
for the encouraging presence and soothing
assurances that he and Stanley Matthews and
Minister Stoughton, as the friends of Mr..
Hayes and the trusted agents of Zach Chan
dler's committee, took to Louisiana, they
knew the extent and enormity of that crime,
and from the responsibility of aiding and
abetting it they can never escape. Sooner
or later they must pay the penalty in popular
contempt and political death, if not the more
vulgar fate that dogs the steps of Wells and
Anderson.
Is SECRETARY SHERMAN Mad ?-Netc York
Herald. 1t will not astonish the public to
learn that there is much excitement at Wash
ington over the startling course of Secretary
Sherman with regard to the convicted mem
Der of the Louisiana Returning Board. Sew
eral interviews in our Washington reports
will give the reader the opinions entertained
on both sides. Among the many extraOrdi-
nary things in the politics of the last year and
half perhaps the most extraordinary of oil
is the attitude in which President Hayes
Secretary Of the Treasury has put himself to-
ward the prosecution of the members of the
notorious Returning Board in Louisiana.
What greater violation could there be of Off
cial decorum than for high officer of the
federal government TO intrude his opinion in
a criminal trial during its progress before a
regularly constituted judicial tribunal in
State BY what law or what usage or what
principle of propriety can the strange course
of Secretary Sherman be justified? By what
conceivable warrant can he, q mere outsider,
a mere locker on from a distance, assume to
decide that legal prosecution in State
court against a man charged with felony is
an outrage upon Justice? How did it become
the business OF Secretary Sherman any more
than IT is the business of any other citizen of
the United States who is not a resident of
Louisiana? Since when did the administra-
ton of justice in a State fall under the SUPER
vision of federal Cabinet officer and become
subject to his review? What law makes him
an appellate tribunal 10 set aside the verdict
of State jury and reverse the Judgment of
State court? While the trial Of Anderson was
in progress Secretary Sherman, Stanley Mat
thews, Mr.. Garfield and other twisting states
men" sent him telegram declaring their be-
lief in his innocence, telling him that he was
''falsely accused and maliciously prosecuted, {"
rendering him their 'earnest sympathies'' and
deploring the ''revival of sectional animosi-
ties This was an unseemly and scandalous
proceeding, even on the hypothesis that An
derson is innocent. 1t was the expression of
an opinion in advance of the trial and in ig-
norance of the evidence to be presented in
Rot this bra..r.b ~
we're not enough, Mr.. Sherman publicly de-
nounces the verdict and traduces the Judge
after the trial is over, There has never been
anything like it either in the history of our
politics or the history of our Jurisprudence.
Conceding, for the sake of argument, that
Anderson is innocent and his trial malig-
nant political persecution, this wild ebullition
Of angry feeling is none the less censurabIe.
To asseverate that the jury was packed and
that the judge is scoundrel is foolish and
irrelevant and is quite beside the mark The
only pertinent question is whether the evil
dence justified the verdict Other people are
as competent TO Judge of this as Secretary
Sherman, and other intelligent people are
more likely to be impartial. It has been
bruited abroad (maliciously. no doubt that
Dir. Sherman was an accomplice, and that he
and his associate twisting statesmen we're
also TO be indicted. Under these circum.
stances he is the last man in the country
whom decent self-respect could have per-
mitted to raise this wild cutlery. The incul.
patton of the verdict and denunciation of the
Court should have been left to more disiuter
ested parties. Ii comes with bad grace from
a man who is charged with having been par
Heeps cTiminis in the frauds committed by the
Returning Board.
NetC York Stm-John Sherman regards
the conviction of Anderson rs a great out
rage, under color of law, and as ''an act of
folly and madness" Sherman took an active
part rs abettoF and aooomplioe in the crimes
of the Returning Board. The conviction of
Anderson means danger to John Sherman;
and 1t also burns the brand of fraud deeper
into the brow of the de fdcio President. Il
attracts the attention Of the people to the
gravity of the crime by which thew were
cheated out OF their rightfully elected Presi-
dent, and to the fact that while one of the
participants in the Great Fraud is on his way
to the penitentiary, the beneficiary of the
Fraud sits in the chair of the Chief Magis-
trate. Even to Hayes, callous as he may
have grown, such situation must be almost
iniOlerable, and in uttering these threats aud
denunciations Sherman no doubt gives ex.
preston to the thoughts and feelings of his
HiAattI Is wei Is u MS own Tears. but THIS
attempt by de .fdcto Federal official to in
timidaie the courts of Louisiana will be treated
with the contempt it deserves.
1t is reported at Washington that if the
members of the Louisiana Returning Board
are convicted, it is the intention of the au.
thorities Of Louisiana to indict Secretary Sher-
man and all others alleged to be implicated
in the conspiracy to secure the electoral votes
of Louisiana for Hayes. Ii is also stated that
diseontented Republicans are mainly respon-
sible for these prosecutions.
Judge Whitaker, who presided over the re-
turning board trial, who is so much abused
by Secretary Sherman, is a former resident of
Boston, and has a brother in that city. He
was soldier in the federal army, and lost
leg in the war.
The President will write a letter to Attor-
ney General Devens inslructing him to do
whatever may be done under the law to ex-
tend protection to General Anderson, who
was recently convicted at New Orleans This
letter will speak of the prosecution of Repub-
iicans at New Orleans in very decided terms
of disapprOyal and as a violation of pledges
made TO the President when Nichols was re-
cognized as Governor.
In reply to Secretary Sherman's charges
against the fairness of Gen. Anderson's trial,
Judge Whitaker SAYS ~ believe he had fair
trial by an impartial jury. ! am not de-
iaulter to the United States. / was assistant
treasurer of the United States and was ac-
cnsed of embezzlement. On that charge |
was tried and acquitted. Nv securities and