Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-06-05
BEHIND THE SCENES.

The Unseen Hand that Prompted
she Potter ResOiuti"u-Is ftlueH
Pulling the wires. - Southern
COngressmen BeWildSred.
Washington Cor. New York Herald
The Democrats are deeply annoyed
here to-day at the letter OF Postmaster
General Key, urging Southern men no.
to support for the next congress any
man who, in this congress or otherwise
favor the Potter resolution of inquiry
into the Presidential title. 1t was an
unexpected blow, and the more telling
upon the Democrats because they are
themselves, with very few exceptions,
irritAted about having been cserced 10
some way, they know not how, into sup
porting the Potter resolution against
their better Judgment and Intentions.
The Southern Democrats in particular,
are annoyed, because they lind them
selves accused by Mr.. Key OF revolution
airy designs which they have not enter
tanned, but for which their foolish support
of the Potter resolution has, as they feel,
given at least a color. They are amazed,
puzzled aud indignant. They feel that
somehow-they do not quite comprehend
how-they have been led into a false pc.
sition and they do not know how to get
out of it. II is not now probable thst
auy one Of them will be bold enough to
bring in q resolution repeating that OF
Mr.. Potter, but a large number of them
are indignant enough to do it, and il
such a resolution could get before the
house under the rules, there is excellent
reason for believing hat Mr.. Potter's
committee would be dismissed by a large
majority of Democratic votes.
The Democrats 90 about in private, in
a maze and with puzzled minds, asking
each other, who did this thing2'
"How was it done2' who advised it2'
who consented to it beforehand2" and
their Indignation increases as they dis
cover that not one conspicuous leader OF
their party was ven asked about the
prepriety Of the resolution or the inquiry.
Not one, except the speaker, who APP
pears to have been the only leading
Democrat here in the councils of the
men who got it up. Mr.. Potter long
ago let it be known that be knew moth
ing OF the matter until. at the last mo.
ment, he was Informed By telegraph that
be was ordered to report it to the house
OF the Democratic seaators-Bayard
Thurman, Randolph, Herman, Lamar,
Gordon, Beck, Hill, Morgas, Garland
aud others-not one, so far as is known,
was even allowed to know anything OF
what was proposed. In the house the
same care was observed TO keep the
secret from the most important men.
1t is not strange, therefore, that now,
when men have had time to talk the
matter over and to discover that nobody
except the hslf.dozen wfo we're engaged
in it was consulted, they 20 about won.
dering how it was done, whose was the
unseen hand that 90 boldly Manipulated
the whole matter, aud how the whole
Democratic delegation in the house. was
led into supporting s measure which so
late as the Oath Of April, as appears BY
interviews in the Herald, all but twelve
opposed with contempt. That an M.
seen hand vas at work in the matter be.
gins 10 be plain to many OF them as they
compare notes. A sonthera Democrat,
who in the Herald interview was strong
ly opposed to sRy measure like thar Of
Mr.. Potter, was asked I day, Were
you misreprentedT'
mo" be said, that is what / thsught,
and that is what | still think. The whole
thing is unwise and wrong"
but you voted for it2'
YES, | did. Two or three leading
newspapers in ny district suddenly came
out for it and tbreatesed that no one
should be returned 10 congress who
dared 10 oppose it. aBd did not ike u
20 against the sentiment Of my district.
WAS there really an excitement
among your people about it2 Did you
receive letters from your c~onstituentE
urging you TO support itY'
No, bat these newspapers came out
all at ono with sharp articles and para
graphs, which we're sent 10 me marked
and you al see that would naturally
affect me-"
Were any public meetings held il
your district 10 demand itR'
mo; only this sudden outburst IL the
press-and that is what ] isd eyerybod,
tells me Of his own district. The news
papers all at once blew out, and threat
ened every mans seat who dared TO %
pose the investigation"
Now, what is noticeable in this matter
is that this is the general experience O
congressman, particularly in the South
SO far as they knew, the public mind il
their districts was not excited on tht
subject. Their psople made no demand
on them; it was not discussed; no meet
ings we're held about It; no letters from
prominent citizens came TO warn then
that they wanted q certain course pur
sued but there was this sudden outburs
10 the newspapers az the critical momen
when II was necessary 10 the purposes @
the unseen band that representative
should be misled and coerced by threat
from home. Who did III
People here begin to suspect that III
unseen band was Mr.. Tilden's: that hi
} famous literary bureau prepared or ii
splred these simultaneous f~ulminations
that as Colonel Pelton is known 10 nav
come to Baltimore 10 arrange In A mr..
vate meeting with Mt. Randall and a q,
others the exact time and manner !
which the resolution should be- intrt
dueed and pushed, 30 Il was from N
New York headquartera that the a.,
ders we're launched, which we're in,snde
to alarm and deceive Representative
E here, and force them into suppor,ino
measure about which they had moi bee
consulted beforehand, Of the form an
intention Of which they bad been car,
fully kept ignorant, which, virtually n
, portant as It was, was never submitte
, TO a caucus, aud Of which, in fact, A,
knew so little that even their ianorAn,
helped to lead them astray. For IN,
8 argued; The men who are pushing Ii
! must have positive proofs in their han,
or they would not dare to be so con
dent"
J. So far as your correspondent has he,