The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-09-19
THE PRIEST IN POLITICS.
What aBishop Accomplished for Louisiana.
An Episode OF the Electoral Crisis.

While Major Burk was on the witness
stand before the Potter committee, Gen.
Butler called his attention to dispatch
from Bishop Wilmer, of Louisiana. 1t
was sent from Columbus, o., in the
height of the popular excitement over
the Presidential count, to Maj. Burke,
who was in Washington. Its words
we're:
Peace not to be disturbed in Louisiana.
General Butler asked why the bishop
was so far away from his flock at that
time. Maj. Burke answered that the
bishop went to Washington about that
time to represent to President Grant the
critical state of affairs in Louisiana.
Then he journeyed to Columbus, to
make it clear to Mr.. Hayes that strife
must result from the recognition of the
Packard government. Maj. Burke in
ferred from the telegram that the bishop
had learned that there would be no az
tempt to establish the Packard govern
ment. He thereupon telegraphed that
afternoon to Gov. Nichols. Gen. Butler,
feiguing great dullness, then asked,
"But how. was Gov. Nichols to know
from the mere expression, Peace not to
be disturbed in Louisiana, that the Pack
ard government was not to be estab-
lished?"
~ am sure, sir" Maj. Burke replied,
stifiy, "that there was no misapprehen-
sion of the meaning on his part or on
mine."
BY a singular coincidence, Bisho
Wilmer, who had just returned from
England, where he attended the Pam
Anglican council in Lambeth palace,
entered the crowded committee room at
the beginning of this testimony, intend
ing to have q chat with chairman Potter.
He saw at once that he would be called
to testify, which be did not wish to do
if the committee became aware of his
presence. He retired to an ante-room,
and sent note to Mr.. Potter, whom be
could trust, on the strength of warm
personal friendship, not to betray him.
Mr.. Potter soon joined the bishop, and
there was pleasant conversation. MIR.
Potter urged the bishop to give his testi-
mony as to his mission to Mr.. Hayes,
but the latter declined TO do so. The
bishop then returned to the New York
Hotel, dined early, and took the next
train for quiet Virginia town. After
the adjournment of the Potter commit
tee, he returned to this city. A Sun re-
porter obtained yesterday from an un-
questionable authority the secret history
of Bishop Winners mission to President
Grant and Mr.. Hayes.
"When it became evident" the gentle
man said, "tbat President Grant was de-
termined to foist the Packard ursupa-
tion upon the State with the bayonets of
the United States troops, the long-sufer-
ing Louisianians began to believe that
their only resources were to arms. 1t has
been said that they would have hesitated
to turn their arms against the soldiers of
the United States, but have every
reason to know that they would not.
They had, in their opinion, endured all
that it was possible for men to submit
to without sacrificing every claim to
manhood, and they saw that they were
to be thrust under the yoke of the
negroes and their villainous allies. In q
word, their State was to be Africanized.
If their last hope of escaping this doom.
the installation of State government of
their election, were cut off by armed
interference by President Grant, they
felt that they must strike boldly, without
regard to whom they struck, for their
very existence Us freemen. l know that
they earnstly deprecated conflict with
the United States troops, but am sure
that they would have accepted it as the
alternative to submission to the Packard
usurpation. On the other hand, l do
not believe that the soldiers stationed in
New Orleans would have obeyed an
order to fire upon the citizens, for they
seemed to sympathize with them. When
the citizen soldiers marched past the
Uuited States troops 70 take possession of
the courts, they were loudly cheered.
"Bisbop Wilmer, knowing we'll the
temper of his flock and of Louisianians
generally, firmly believed that blood
shed and possibly sectional strife must
result from an attempt toinstall Packard.
Representatives of the Nichols govern
ment had an interview with him, and re-
ouested him to mediate with President
Grant in IFS behalf. He was high in the
confidence of Louisianians, they argued,
and his sacred Office must give him
claim upon President Grants considera-
ton that other prominent Louisianians
would not have.
"Bishop Wilmer positively declined to
act for th Nichols government. He
was pri. le said; not politician.
IF il was male clear to him, he said, that
the people of Louisiana desired that he
should go to Washington as priest aud
their representative, to endeavor to avert
bloodshed, he would gladly go. The
representative of the Nichols govern
ment made the bishops determination
known to other leading men. Soon
afterward the Judge of the Supreme
Court, the Mayor and the President of
the Cotton Exchange formally requested
the bishop to go to Washington to secure
peace if possible.
"The bishop went to Washington and
,,,,a- D.na,Iopt Grant in tho