Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-06-26

crates!
with him on this subj ct while was in Wash
ington, and he denies having said anything
of the sort. What he says was that the coun-
try owes the settlement of the succession to
the fidelity of the Confederates, who, having
voted the commi' sion, earned out its de-
cision IN good faith. An analysis of the vote
for the commission and for the count will
show that MIR. Tilden's immediate friends
stood by both the one and the other. 1t is
true that MIR. 1Ilden was seriously opposed to
the electoral bill. But its support was mainly
derived from his nearest friends, Mr.. Herman
and Mr.. Barnum in the senate, Mr.. Hewitt
and Mr.. Field in the house. Coming south,
the Confederates who supported 1t, and af-
terward stood by 1t, as Mr.. Herman and Mr.
Hewitt did, were such men as Tucker, Hill,
Gordon, Gibson and Lamar-two of them
entering upon six years term in the senate,
and two prominently named for members
OF the cabinet should Tilden come in. The
men who voted against the commission, and
who fibustered to obstruct the count Tex
cepting Mr.. Field, who Joined In the lat
teri were generally hostile to Mr.. Tilden
This is of itself sufficient answer to Mr. Hew-
tits gable, very properly and promptly
rebuked by Mr.. Ellis. But behind t there
was caucus rule, pledging the party to
stand by the count. What motive, for ex-
ample, could Lamar and Hill have to feel
lukewarm? They had just been elected
Democratic senators. They had everything
to lose and nothing to gain by the incoming
of Hayes. As early as the thirteenth of
December Mr. Lamar joined Mr.. Randall,
Mr.. Ottendorfer and myself in sending from
New Orleans "a telegram to Mr.. TIlden of
about this purport: You have carried Lou
islana. The S late will be counted against US.
Issue an address to the country stating that
you are elected President, and will maintain
I tl,,4 L.
owes its peace and the Democratic party its
united existence to the abstinence and for
bearance of Mr.. Iilden, who could only have
headed a popular emente. But | did not
think so then, and it is false of M. Hewitt to
pretend at this late day that there was any
improper COLLISION between southern Demo
Gratis and the Hayes set. | am sure that Mr..
IIlden himself is of more just and dlscrm-
mating turn of mind; but In this. as IN other
matters, it is not the first time that he has
been misrepresented by that frisky person
who goes about with so much cry and so lit
tie wool"
But what about the Wormley conference?
Mr.. Watterson laughed. ''Wby, bless
you, =" he said, ''the only Democratic mem
bers of congress who were there were Ellis
and Levy, Of Louisiana, and myself. l had
been asked to go along with them as a sort
of witness and referee, and partly to learn for
General Butler, Of South Carolina, whether
the intentions of the Hayes people were as
honorable toward his State as toward Loulsi-
ana. The coming IN of Hayes was already
assured. | was as thoroughly committed to
it as Garfield, and SO was Hewitt, and so
were all of US who acted together in execut-
ing the will of the commission. Naturally
and properly South Carolina and Louisiana
wished to save what they could out of the
wreck. They wanted the troops removed.
This was the burden of the talk on their side,
while the Republicans present seemed to be
aiming at impressing US with the notion that
they were not as big rascals as We took
them to be. There was no agreement what
ever, verbal or In writing. There was not a
word said which might not have appeared
next day without embarrassing anybody.
Proctor Knott tells me-a circumstance |
had forgotten-that | supped with him that
night and gave him the particulars. They
were certainly known by everybody who
cared to learn them next day, there being
no effort or occasion for concealment. |
was surprised and amused, several months
afterward, to find an affair so insignificant
elevated to the dignity of a conference
1t was nothin~ more than pow-wow be-
tween persons who, having differed on the
main issue, were agreed upon the new phase
of the sltuation-the fair execution of the
count and the just treatment of the people of
Louisiana and South Carolina, and who were
not wholly lost to reason and good viii. :"
''You think, then, that the execution of the
count was Indispensable"
ITO be sure it was and equally oas mat
ter of good faith and good policy. The sur
render was the electoral bill. After that we
had nothing to do but to stand by it. Other
wise we should have drifted into dissolution
and chaos"
What is the feeling in the south on these
matter?" the reporter here asked, ''and how
is Mr.. Hayes regarded?''
1.-The people of the SOUTH Mr. Watterson
answered, ''are nothing if not sentimental.
One of their greatest faults is to trust too
much to appearances. Elusive and credu-
lous themselves, their prediction is to take
everybody at his word. They were angry
with Tilden because he did not get crowbar
and prize his way into the White House.
They wanted him at least to wrap the flag
around him and fire a few horse pistols.
About this time Hayes came among them
full Of promises and bombast. He struck
their long suit-thelr hospitality. 1t became
point OF home feeling and local pride, and
also of political magnanimity, to make a fuss
over MIN. So they did. They put the big
pot in the little one, quite forgetting in the
hubbub that the man had given them only
what they had won for themselves, and that
he had only done this after using it for
months to trade on. In its exuberance, the
south may still forget that Hayes has never
double pay. From the first he has been an
intriguer; small huckster of patronage;
truly faithful to no party and nobody; ready
to betray all to intrench himself in the place
which he knew he got by fraud
But what will the south do?
at will vote the Democratic ticket until it
seats Democratic President, or sees Grant
restored to power, in which latter eventual
ready debauched by the materialized and
mixed politics of the north, hopeless of the
Republic and despairiDg of itself-it will
make the best terms it can with the man on
horseback, and go in sure enough for the old
flag and an appropriation.
Why not under Hayes?
"Oh," said Mr.. Watterson, laughing, at
hasn't got so low as that just yet 1t will re-
quire another era of Grantism to do the job
completely" Then he added: "The time
may come when you people upon the eastern
seaboard will realize the dreadful mistake you
have made in your estimate of and your con-
duct toward the south. When, by your SUI
percilious disregard of facts, which ought to
be obvious enough, you have forced the south
into an alliance with the west, you will learn
that you have put from you the only conserv
alive force which could have saved you.
Extremes often meet, but always for mis-
chief. Driven off by the radlcalism of the
east from a natural alliance-an alliance of
conditions and traditIons-the solid and re-
of representation, will give its political
training and culture to the west, just as New
England gave hers to the Republican party
with such consequences as may well cause
thoughtful men to apprehend the future.
You people go on as if there were no here
after. You seem to think that because you
have developed a faculty for initiating the
bad manners of the English, and the bad
morals of the French, you know it all. You
had better try and learn little of your own
country if you would retain the supremacy
you have so long enjoyed. But l see that l
am getting out of current bearings" conclu-
ded MIR. Watterson, land as there is no end
to such moralizing, l will finish just here
The reporter expressed his thanks, when
Mr.. Watterson asked: when shall you print
these notes of yours?''
Tomorrow morning.
"Ah," said he, ''that is we'll. don't want
to say ill-natured things about people and
then run away. I shall, therefore, be able, if
you print at once, to remain two or three days
at the Everett house."