The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-01-08
Defence that Coniicts.


Gen. II. V. BOYSrON, the wcll-known
Washington correspondent OF the Cincinnati
Gd,cH,, has come to the defence OF Mr.
HAYES against the charges OF bargain and
corruption recently preferred 10y MIR. WILL
LIAM T. CuANpLrR. Gen. BoyNroN is an
intimate personal friend Of Mr.. HAYES, and
lc ospouses his cause with the zeal Of an
ardent nature. His zeal, as it appears to
us, has outrun his discretion We quote his
own words
The attention Of Republicans In Washington was ar,t
an,cdl, directed to the Of feeling among Southern
Democrats by the marked ol the Northern
wing Of their party caused by the publ, OF what
will be remembered as the interview with GOV
uASfs Coluinnu. for thc purpose OF mi. discussion
i.not necessary inquire whether that interview was
correctly incorrectly reported. but a. printed. 1t at
became the handwriting on tie wall to ritDEss
orsonai adhet,ns Emissacs from Liberty street came
lost haste 90 Washington. sound southern AMI
there any response them to sentiment
nat would prefer LAWS with An assured liberal policy
20 rIlprs with the certainty Of general trouble Their
"a Congress disclosed ;he situation to Republicans aud
the middle oi December sStne Of the most prominent
uong the latter had fully rrs-ped IL, meaning aud 1t.
disabilities Republicans who gave ihcms Ives earnes,
the study Of the situation found general sgreemen,
mons southern Democrat, upon several subjects"
In short, number Of prominent Southern
lrne silly considering whether IN case H.rrs should
honestly and earnestly himself about carrying into
the ideas Of his letter Of pance would
lar better for the quiet and matt rial Interests Vi III,
scu,h whether the shortest road Pc ma
mont reconstruction did not lie through Republican Ad
ininistrauon under Gov HArys
These the elements Of Southern thought which
number Of Republicans found to he question. q earnest
though quiet discussion That they should instantly avail
Themselves o, this knowledge to widen the opening
breach between TpIss personal sdherents and thsss
scoIer Southern men entirely natural"
TON fixes, as will DO seen by the above
extract from his letter, as the middle Of
December. The election OF President took
place in November previous. The cleo
hon had been over more than month.
Why did "some OF the most prominent
among" the Republicans set themselves
30 work at that late day to convince
Southern Democrats that they would be
better off with HAYES than with TILDEN
What good could 1t do to convince them
They were not to vote over again. Suppose
lhey became satisfied that they had made n
mistake and voted for the wrong man, what
Rould they lawfully do about it They
rould not recall their ballots for TILDEN
and substitute ballots for HAYES.
No; there was but one thing that could
returns-tO substitute false returns for hue
returns sand this is the thing that was done.
This revelation Of leaky but truthful
Republican witness, testifying from his own
knowledge, brings us face TO face with the
most accursed conspiracy ever entered into
on American soil Gen. BoYNToNs own sim
pie, unconscious statement leads US directly
up to this gigantic crime, and he leaves
us confronting it in all its enormty twas
this crime which, for the first time, defeat
ed and temporarily overthrow free, self
government in the United States. With
what eyes, then, are we 10 look upon
HAYES, who proiltcd by the conspiracy and
upon this friend and defender OF his who in
ssts that such crime was natural.
And when such evidence is volunteered by
Mr.. HAYES own witnesses, are We to he
told that no sufficient grounds exist for his
impeachment?