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

New Orleans Returning Board, has excited
Secretary Sherman to pitch Of violence
hard to explain, except upon the theory,
that, as Sherman was one Of those whom
Grant sent to New Orleans to be present
ut the count, and having melted, OF advised
and sanctioned the forgery Of the returns,
he is as guilty as Anderson, an undertakes
TO bluff everybody in anywise connected
with the trial, Judge, jury and witnesses.
We annex his rawlings, as given from Wash
ington By reporter for the press, and fol
low them with comments from the PhiIa-
delphia Times, the N. ]. Herald, and the
NJ T. Sun, threelof the leading indepen-
dent journals ofthe country, from which our
readers win get pretty accurate under
standing Of the case. Federal authority
has been invoked to arrest these returning
board trials; a cabinet meeting has been
held upon the subject, and Mr.. Hayes has
determined, it is reported, to interfere with
the process Of justice in the Louisiana
Court in order to save the returning board
from the penalty Of their crimes. 1t is
difficult to believe that Mr., Hayes will take
SO rash step, utterly unwarranted by any
constitutional power conferred upon him.
If he does it viii call down upon his head
a storm of Indignation which he will find
it difficult to weather. As the Baltimore
Gazette says .-"When he shall do that,
one of two things must happen either he
must surrender his Office or the American
people must surrender their liberties y
Here are the views Of Secretary Sherman,
as reported from Washington:
WASHINGTON, February ll.-Seeretary
Sherman stated to-day that it was true that
he and Messrs. Matthews, Garfield, Hale and
White had sent dispatch to Anderson, and
that they meant all they had said. Mr.. Sher-
man then stated that he regarded the arrest,
trial and conviction of Anderson as a great
outrage, under color of the forms of law.
Anderson was not indicted. The grand jury
had refused to indict him. The proceeding
against him is called an information. and
is expressly prohibited in cases of felony by
the Constitution Of the United States, and of
most Of the States, but is provided for by the
law of the State of Louisiana. The informa-
ton was signed and filed by man who was
an officer Of the White League, identi fed
with all the numerous crimes of that organi-
cation. The Judge who tried the case is a
public defaulter for over 100000 When
Anderson was arrested he was the Acting
Collector for the port Of New Orleans, and
the arrest was made while he was in the dis
charge of his duty at the Custom House,
which stands. as Mr.. Sherman thinks, On
ground under the sole jurisdiction of the Uni
ted States by cessIon from Louisiana. He
was hurried TO prison, required to give ex-
eessive ball. and, failing to do so, was kept in
custody, denied all postponement, forced to
trial, convicted, and IS now held for sentence
without the benefit of bail The jury was
packed to convict. The panel had been care
fully selected almost exclusively of one polit-
zeal party and one race. Their examination,
rs It was called. showed the deepest and
strongest prejudice against the defendant,
and in any tribunal he Mr.. Sherman) knew
nearly every one would have been rejected on
his oath, and yet, though challenged, they
were sworn in. With such jury | am pre-
pared to believed the story telegraphed this
morning, that the two colored jurors were
trieked into agreeing to this verdict by an
empty appeal 10 the mercy of the court
The cause Of this excitement against An
derson and his associates Is that in the per-
formance of public duty, in plain pursu-
anee of law and upon ample testimony, they
eliminated from the election returns in Lou
isiana the result of violence and intimidation.
Though this was not alleged in the 'informa-
tion," yet everybody knew that this was the
gravamen of their ofense, and without it no
man on the jury would have convicted Ander-
son. II is this that excited the populace,
heated with passion, 10 the highest state of re-
sentiment. The pretence set up for the pros
ecution was that Anderson had participated
IN forgery or alteration of the Vernon par
ish returns; but there was not one particle OF
evidence to connect him with this act. The
whole case had been thoroughly examined
here By the committee of Congress. and all
the records and returns had been spread be-
fore them, and even Littleheld, who made the
alteration, had exculpated Anderson from
knowledge Oft The truth is the Vernon re-
turns were opened by the Returning Board
before hosts Of witnesses on the ninth day OF
the examination, were printed precisely as
they we're in the daily papers and in both
houses of Congress, and the subsequent alter
alton by Littleiield of one copy of these re-
turns was done either as G put-up job by him
or in the interest of local candidates, having
no effect upon the general result, and there
does not appear 10 be single scrap of testi-
mony showing that General Anderson partic
ipated in it in the slightest degree. There
was no motive for such an alteration by An
derson; the true return being printed in so
many forms il was absurd to think he would
alter it, and yet upon this false pretext he was
convicted. | still hope that this conviction
will not be carried into execution, but if it is,
as a matter of course, the deepest feeling OF
resentment and hostility will exist in the
minds of the great mass of our people who
believe that the Returning Board did but their
simple duty. Nothing has been done pend
ing the trial to interfere in any way with the
course of Judicial proceedings, but If Ander-
Son is imprisoned under this sentence il will
be mockery of public justice aud will bring
iuto contempt all efforts Of peace and concil-
iation.
II is an unlocked for aud terrible commen.
tary upon the efforts of the President to quiet
the turbulence and violence of Louisiana pol
tics and seems TO me an act of folly and base
ness
Following is the dispatch referred to
WASHINGTON. February 4
To General THOMAS { ANDERSON New Orleans La
The undersigned feel it due To you under present
circumstances TO you of unhesitafing be-
lief thar in the matter wherein you stand charged
you altogether guilueSs Of any offence against
law; that you falsely accused and maliclously
prosecuted; that the proceedings against you though
In the form OF law. Is without the substance of jus
ticc. that We hereby tender our earnest sympafhes
and express our hope that the sense Of Justice and
love Of peace of the people of Louisiana viii protect
you and not permit the best interests Of the whole
country 20 be disturbed by renewal OF sectional
animosties In any event confident that the
American people will redress any injustice OF which
you may be made the victim. lSignedl
John sherman. Stanley Matthews, J. \ Garfield.
Eugene Hale Harry White.
ANDERSON AND HIS ACcoMPucEs.-Phi
delpAia Tinles.-The remarks of Secretary
Sherman TO press reporter on the conyic-
ton Of General Anderson, and the message
In the same tenor from the Secretary, Sena-
tor Matthews aud others to the convict await
ing sentence, are exactly what might have
been expected. but they are none the less q
piece Of rare effrontery. 0feourse anything
these gentlemen may have to say is entitled
TO very little consideration, for they are tarred
with the same stick that besmirched their as =
acetate who has fallen into the clutches of the
law If he stoned Louisiana, they, like Saul
OF Tarsus, consented to the act and stood at
his side holding the garments of the martyr.
IL he was criminal, they were accessories
before the fact To condemn him would be
but TO add to the weight Of their own con
demnation. To defend and excuse him is to
defend and excuse themselves, so far as their
own words can eject that object, but if their