Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-02-13

"a AAAVAs AoU UCCu C6TEl0U OUT anu
that fleet is before Constantinople.
France and Italy have suspended
their movement towards sending
their fleets, probably because firman
was refused. Regarding Austria he
only knw she had asked for firmau.
WASHINGTON.
SHERMAN ISSUES A MANIFESTO.
WASHINGTON, Feb. ll.-Secretary
Sherman being asked If it was true
that he, Matthews, Garfield, Hale and
White had sent despatch to Ander-
son, said it was true and as that fact
had been made public he would fur
nish copy of the despatch and they
meant all they said.
Sherman then stated that he repar-
ded the arrest, trial and conviction of
Anderson as great outrage under
color of the forms Of law. Anderson
was not indicted. The grand iury
had refused to indict him. The pro-
ceedings against him is called IAN in
formation" and is expressly prohibit
ed in cases of felony by the constitu-
ton ofthe U. s. and of most of the
states but is provided for by the law
Of La. The information was signed
and filed by man who was an officer
of the White League, identified with
all the numerous crimes of that orga-
nization. The judge who tried the
rase is public defaulter for over
100000. When Anderson was ar
rested he was acting collector Of the
port of New Orleans and the arrest
made while he was in the discharge
of his duty at the Custom House,
which stands as Sherman thinks on
ground under the sole jurisdiction of
the U. s. by cession from La. He
was hurried to Jail, required to give
excessive bail and failing to do go was
kept in custody, denied .all postpone
ment, forced to trial, convicted and is
now held for sentence without the
benefit of bail. The jury was picked
to convict, the panel had been care
fully selected almost exclusively of
one political party and one race.
Their examination, as called, showed
the deepest and strongest prejudice
against the defendant and in any tri-
bunal he (Sherman) knew, nearly
every one would have been rejected
on his oath and yet though challens-
ed they were sworn in. With such
jury / am prepared to believe the
story telegraphed this morning, that
the two colored jurors were tricked
into agreeing to this verdict by an
empty appeal to the mercy of the
court.
The cause of this excitement against
Anderson and his associates is that in
the performance of public duty, in
plain pursuance of law and upon am
pie testimony, they eliminated from
the election returns in Louisiana the
result Of violence and intimidation.
Though this was not alleged in the
information, yet, every body knows
this was the gravamen of their offense,
and without it no man on this Jury
would have convicted Anderson. 1t
is this that excited the populace, heat
ed with passion, to the highest state
of resentment. The pretense set up
for the prosecution was that Ander-
son had participated in the forgery
or alteration of Vernon parish re-
turns, but there was not one particle
of evidence to connect him with this
act. The whole had been thorough
ly examined here by a committee of
Congress and all tho records and re-
turns had been spread before them
and even Littlefield, who made the
alteration, had exculpated Anderson
from all knowledge Of it. The truth
is the Vernon returns were opened by
the returning board before hosts Of
witnesses an the ninth day of the ex-
animation and were printed precisely
as they were, in the daily papers, and
in both Houses of Congress, and the
subsequent alteration, by Littlefield,
of one copy of these returns, was
done, either as put up job by him,
or in the interest of local candidates,
having no effect upon the general re-
suit; and there does not appear to be
. single scrap of testimony showing |
that Anderson participated in it in |
the slightest degree There was no |
motive for such alteration by Ander-
son, the true return being printed in
70 many forms it was absurd to think
he would alter them, and yet upon
this false pretext he was convicted.
still hope this conviction will not be
carried into execution, but if it is
Do a matter of course the deepest feel
ing of resentment and hostility will
exist in the minds of the great mass
Of our people, who believe that these
officers did but their simple
duty. Nothing has been done pend
ing the trial to interfere in any way
with the course of judicial proceed
lngs but if Anderson is imprisoned
under this sentence it will be a mock.
Dry of public justice and will bring
into contempt all efforts at peace and
1t is an unlocked for
and terrible commentary upon the ef-
forts of the President to quiet the tur.
bulence and violence of La. politics
md seems to me an act of folly and
madness.
The following is the dispatch re-
Ferred to-:
WASHINGTON, ID. g., Feb. 4th, 1878.
To Gen. Thomas G. Anderson, New
Orleans THE undersigned feel It
due to you under the present circum-
stances to assure you of our unhesi-
tatiDg belief that in the matter where
IN you stand charged you are alto
yether guiltless of any offence against
aw that you are falsely accused and
persecuted; that the pro-
,eeding against you, though in the
form Of law, is without the substance
IF Justice that we heartily tender our
earnest sympathies and express our
hope that the sense of justice and love
IF peace Of the people of La. will pro-
tect you and not permit the best in
terests Of the whole county to be dis
turbed by revival OF sectional ami
mostly. In any event We are confident
hat the American people will redress
my injury Of which you may be made
he victim. Signed.
JOHN SHERMAN,
STANLEY MATTHEW'S,
J. A. GARFIELD,
EUGENE HALE,
HARRY WHITE.