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

H,
An Grisodo of the Electoral Crisis.
While Major Brrk WAS on the witness
stand before the Potter committee, Gen.
Hutler called his attention to dispatch
from Bishop Wilmer. OF Louisiana. II
WIS sent from Columbus, o., in the
height Of tho popular excitement over
Tho Presidential count, to Mai. Burke,
who was in Washington. It's words
were:
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 jonrneyed TO Columbus, to
make it clear 20 Mr.. Hayes that strife
mus result from the recognition of the
Packard government. Maj Burke in
forred from the telegram that the bishop
had learned that there would be no at
tempt to establish the Packard govern
ment. lie thcreupon tclegraphed that
afternoon to Gov. Nichols. Gen. Butler,
telgniag great dullncss, 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 7"
II am sure, sir,' Maj. Burke replied,
stltiiy, that there WAS no misapprehcn.
sion of the meaning on his part or on
mine"
BY 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 n chat with chairman Potter.
He saw ut once that he would be called
to testify, which he did not wish to do
If the committee became aware Of his
presence. He retired to an ante room,
aud sent note to Mr.. Potter, whom he
could trust, on the strength of warm
personal friendship, not 10 betray him.
Mr.. Potter soon joined the bishop, and
there was pleasant conversatio Mr..
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
t.ain for quiet Virginia town. After
| the adjournment Of the Potter commit
tee, he returned to this city. A San re-
porter obtained yesterday from an un.
| questionable authority the secret history
of Bishop WilElsr's mission to President
Grant aud NJ. Hayes.
when it became evident" tho gentle
man said, "tbat President Grant was de-
termined to foist tho Packard ursupa.
| ton upon the State with the bayonets Of
the United States troops, the long suffer
ing Lolisianians 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
tue United States, but l have every
reason to know that they would not.
| They hid, in their opinion, endured all
that 1t war possible for men to submit
to without sacrificing every claim to
manhood, aud they saw that they were
to be thrust under the yoke Of the
negroes and their villainous allies. In a
| word, their State was to be Africanizcd.
Ii their last hope of escaping this doom.
| the installation of State government of
their election, were cut OF by armed
interference by President Grant, they
felt that they must strike boldly, without
regard to whom they struck, for their
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, do
| not believe that the soldiers stationed in
New Orleans would have obeyed en-
| order to fire upon the citizens, for they
| seemed TO sympatbize with them. When
| the citizen soldiers marched past the
Uuited States troops TO take possession of
the courts, they we're loudly cheered.
"Bishop Wilmer, knowing well the
| temper of his flock and of Louisianians
generally, firmly believed that blood
shed and possibly sectional strife must
| result from an attempt 10 Install Packard.
Representatives OF the Nichols govern
ment had an interview with him, and re-
ques,ed him TO mediate with President
Grant in its behalf. He was high in the
confidence of Louisianians, they argued,
and his 81 red office must give him a
claim upoi President Grants considera-
ton that lker prominent Louisianians
would not h-,.e.
Bishop Wilmer positively declined to
act for the Nichols government He
was priest he said; not politician.
II it was made clear 10 him, he said, that
the people of Louisiana desired that he
should 60 TO Washington as p.:es. end
their representative, TO eudeayOr to avert
b!oodshea. he would gladly 90. The
representative of the Nichols govern.
ment made the bishops determination
known TO other leading men. Coon
afterwarl the Judge OF the Supreme
Court, she Mayor and the President of
the Cotton E1ichange formally requested
the bishop t. go TO Washington to secure
peace If posSib.s.
The bishop went to Washington and
called upon Presidene Graut in the
White House. President Grant vss po-
lite Of manner. bus grim of face. Seeing
this, the bishop spoke in his moss
straightforward way. 'Ms. Prsident.'
he eaid, I do not como To you as the
agent ot any government. but As peace
maker. belong 10 no party, ana !
never voted. You have eaough chivalry
an your nature 60 make you sympathiTe
with men of your own race The Louis
ianians have borne all that they can.
and they must now submit TO the op-
preston of negroes and their white
leaders or resist Bloodshed muss fol-
Low. You entered the White House with
the words Les Ds havo peace on your
lips. and you oesm determined to 20 out
with sLes rs have war on them. Your
sun viii set in G sea of blood, and YOU
will leave only q heritage OF ohloquy to
xntlE anccssor.,
President Grant was apparen,iv
to1ched, bat be vas silent, as though he
were revolving in his mind what the
oisaop had said What do you recon-
nenaF he then said, with charaetersstic
bnsFity. The Loaisianians ask only that
The united Ststes troops be restrained
frssa ia.s.ferenee,' the bishop answered.