Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-07-10

WASHINGTON, July 9.-Secretary Sherman
has sent the following reply to Chairman
Potter's letter of July LIST:
TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
OFFICE OF SECRETARY,
WASHINGTON, ID. c., July 8.
Hon. CIarksoi n. Potter, Chairman of the In7es.l-
eating Committee Of the House Of Representa-
tives
SIR have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your letter of the first instant upon
my return to the city after brief absence.
In respect to the evidence rendered by me to
prove frauds and intimidation at the election,
| have to say that since the date of your let
ter the Question seems to lave been settled
by the committee in favor of taking such tes
timony. E. L. Weber, witness called by
the committee, has been examined as to
whether there was violence and fraud ct the
election in East Feliciana. In his prepared
statement he was not only allowed to testify
to the extent OF the violence aud fraud in
East and West Feliciana, but to the causes of
that violence and its effect upon the election,
and the next day he was examined by mem
befs of the committee distinctly upon the
causes and grounds for throwing out the vote
of those parishes. Surely, when the commit
tee thus seeks to prove that violence and in
timidation did not prevail In theIe parishes,
cannot be denied the right to prove that muir
der, whipping, burning, raiding and ali forms
of intimidation did prevail, aud IN both those
parishes; that in East FelIciana these
were sufficient to deter every Re-
publican voter from voting, though
there had previously been recog-
nlzed majority there of nearly one thousand
Republicans. Whether the testimony shall
be taken anew by your committee, or that
taken by former committees shall be received,
| will, with entire Difference, await your de-
cision. With a view to identity the testi-
mony offered by me, l have placed it in the
hands of one of your committee In the order
in which it is referred to in my written offer.
In view of the fact that your committee is
now engaged In taking further testimony in
tended to show that the declarations set forth
in various protests are not true, it seems to
me that | should be allowed to prove by ad-
ditional testimony that these protests are
true. also call your attention to the nature
and character of the examination of E. L.
Weber on the third of July, when no mem
Der of the minority of the committee was
present to object or to cross examine, and
when, by some misunderstanding, my coun-
sci was denied the privilege Of the process of
examination, unless he did so against what
was claimed to be the order and wish of q
majority of the committee. The questions
were not only uniform and leading, but he
was allowed to testify to common rumor,
and to his differences based upon
common rumor, and tn s not only as against
me, but against several members of the house
of representatives, and other high officers of
the government. l also beg leave to correct
a Misrepresentation into which you have fallen
IN saying that had given to the public COM
munications designed for you. The only
my 'rofninr tifer 81 testimony OF violence, anu
that only gave several weeks after it was
sent you, and after Mr.. Morrison's paper had
been published. But l now respectfully ask
that my tender of testimony and my memo
randum to Governor Cox and this letter may
be published in the official record. l have
also to state that | am now prepared, at the
convenience of the committee, to submit tes-
timony here in Washington to repel the
charges against me, and have given TO Mr..
Shellabarger list of witnesses whom l ask
may be subpenaed. Very respectfully,
JOHN SHERMAN.