The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-07-26
How the Louisiana Question Was
Settled.

Potter Committee denied having Wrilten
the alleged letter having ever held con-
versation with Anderson and Weber, as the
former asserted; and having received any let
ter from them. That ends that chapter OF the
Investigation, unless the democrats can
produce the original OF the alleged letter,
which of course they would have
done long ago had they been able
to. MIR. Morrison, one Of the demo-
cratic members of the committee, said when
Anderson produced his pretended copy
that 'unless it is supported by other facts
and circumstances and comes to be COM
pleted as evidence it will amount to sub
stantially nothing" and if Mr.. Sherman
had denied writing the letter when
he first came before the committee,
as he has now done, and had there
upon caused Anderson to be arrested for
perjury, the committee and the public
would have been spared great deal OF lying
and worthless testimony, though perhaps
the vile character of the men who controlled
the republican party in Louisiana would
not have been so thoroughly shown up.
We must add that this whole ''Sherman
letter business has been discreditable
blunder on the part of the democrats 1t
was deliberate attack on the character OF
prominent public man, made, as
now appears, without the least evil
dence, and on the ground only of
pretended copy of letter presented by
selt-confessed perjurer and the original Of
which the democrats confess they have
never seen. It is intolerable that public
men shall be liable to such attacks as these,
and we trust Mr. Potter and the other
democrats on the committee will see that
they owe an apology to Mr.. sherman, and
not only to him, but to the public, for their
inexcusable course.
The letter Of General Hayes from Column
bus to Mr.. Sherman in New Orleans, pro-
duced before the committee yesterday and
now first made public, will be read with
interest. 1t is in every way creditable to
the President. He, at least, did not lose
his head during those exciting days.
| In New Orleans, before the sub-commit-
| tee, Major Z. A. Burke was called and pro-
duced great number Of kilograms relating
| to the Louisina question and the electoral
count, and gave succinct account OF the
| events and conversations in Washington re-
lating to Louisiana during the last weeks
of General Grants administration. includ-
ing the famous Wormley conference 1t
appears from this that General Grant, Mr..
Sherman and other leading republicans
were mainly interested in the orderly in
auguration of Mr.. Hayes and shaped their
course toward South Carolina and
Louisiana with reference to that OBJ
ject Mr. Burke confirms what kilograms
from President Grant and others made
public in the HERALD at the time
and since showed, that General Grant
was tired of the republican misrule
in Louisiana had become convinced that
troops ought no longer to be used to main
tain in power men who could not support
themselves and who had no hold on the
| State, and that he did not take the decisive
step Of removing the troops and recog-
nizing Governor Nichols partly because he
| did not want to embarrass or forestall his
| successor, and partly, as now appears from
| Major Burke's statement, because he and
other leading republicans feared that such
action would prejudice the seating of Mr.
Hayes.
Such leading republicans as Senators
Morton and Sherman, and Repre-
sentatives Garfield and Foster, seem,
meantime, to have satisfied them
selves of what President Grant already
knew, that Packard could not sustain him.
SELF and that to recognize him would be to
plunge the State into general disorder,
which it would require large army to sup
press On this head, we will add, they
had no need to depend on democratic testi-
mony, for there were few South
ern republicans honest enough to
describe the correct situation to them.
Among these was Mr. Pinchback, who
frankly said that if Packard was to be
recognized the President must quarter
q regiment in every parish of Louisiana and
send squad Of troops with every officer
of Packard's who went out to issue
process, otherwise the State would fall
into universal violence and anarchy. Mr..
Pinchback, speaking in the interest of the
colored people and as their representative,
said the best course was to recognize
Nichols, because this would at once
secure peace, order and equal rights,
revival OF industry in which the
colored people were vitality interested, and
rest from the long continued political ex-
element But if this was not to be done then
abolish civil government, put the State
under martial law and send US a West
Point general as ruler" said he. Every
body, white and black, will then rest con-
tent; but to recognize Packard would be fatal
to all the real interests Of the State and
of the colored people" 1t was on such tes.
timony rs this Of Mr.. Pinchback that lead
ing republicans, including Morton and
| Sherman, came to the determination that