The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-02-18


interview with Gen. Grant. It became APP
parent that i was impossible TO unite the repro
senhtlVes OIL the Democracy in Congress upon
any plan OF action which would effcctually
checkmate the design Of the Republican con-
The first caucus held by the Democrats dis
closed the Tact that there were several Southern
Senators and representatives who could not he
depended upon These men did not indicate
clearly their approval Of the constitutional the
DRY. advanced by the Republicans rs 10 the
did they deny the right. claimed by distin-
guished Democratic stntesmcn for the House
OF Representatives to determine whether there
had been an election orr not. They simply vaunt-
ed their patriotism and dealt in platitudrs about
the blessings OF peace and the calamities of civil
war.
CIVIL WAR IMPROBABLE.
There were no Democrats who we're willing
10 hazard civil war TO prevent the consumma-
Judge Black OF PENNSYLVANIA was the most dis.
tinguished and influential advocate Of extreme
ty in the House OF Represcnayes ' and 1 he
mover counsellei anyth ing which could possibly
have imperiled the peace Of the country. He
wealth OF illustration. and masterly arguinenta-
ton; that i was not possible tina, the Repub-
sustain. after 4 iuil dscussion the ,I theory :.
that the President OF that body alone mad
the constitutional power to determine whether
Hayes or .Tilden electors. He had. after careful
study and profound reflection, decided that the
the sole Judge. in disputed cases, as &c. whether
or not t9ere had oeep Legal election Of Presi.
dent Of the United States. while the Senate
should elect Vice President as its pre-.
was the duty OF the Democratic majority in the
House Of Representatives 10 assert tho high
least until the Repubiicans s" showed by some 10, re-
overt act that they were determined TO employ
force t. accomplish their revolutionary pur-
a..tf a h.. .lxst.4.
course which might plunge the country into
glvll war. The people do not want civil war. and
ne men who attempt to inaugurate II. But
will they have anything hut contempt for the
Representatives who turn their backs and
run away simply because desperate Republican
leaders threaten civil war If they are not per-
mittrd peaceably To- carry out their wicked plan
OF defyng the peoples WHIP
WHAT CoNKLISo DID.
Judge Black undoubtedly had accurate infor-
nation in regard to the attitude of more than
one Republican senator and WIS morally
certain That there would be votes enough to
defeat the plan Of the radical conspirators. 1t
WIS no secret early in December that Senator
Conkling would maintain that no such power
WAS conferred 10y the Constitution upon the
President OF the Senate Mr.. Lord. n member u
the House. and the old law partner of Mr.. Conk-
colleagues soon after the beginning of the ses-
sion of Congress. Matt II. Carpenter, late "A
senator, and enjoying the fullest confidence OF
old political as' ogintes IN the Senate. was con
WINGED that Mr.. Tilden honestly elected
and desired to see the right triumph, H. was.
through Judge Black. brought into the Demo-
| cratic case as one Of Mr. Tilden's counsel before
| the Electoral Comnliss but long prior to
this he had assured the Democratic leaders
| that enough Republican senators would oppose
| the count OF the votes 10y the Pres dcnt Of the
senate TO defeat this plan. In this relation.
| the recently published statement of Gen, ii. V
Boynton. CORRESPONDENT of tho Cincinnati
| Gdzetie. who writes with personal knowledge, Is
Ot the utmost importance. lie says. The
| count 10y the President OF the Sennic was ahan-
| don"d. not because Of the attitude Of the
Democracy. but because prominent Republican
senators positively refused 20 support such u
solution. This IS not generally known. but II is
nevertheless true. Gen. Grant had tn" names
oi nine H"puuliran senators who would not.
under any circumstances. agree To- this plan
| The political situation before the middle Of
December presented several anomalons fea-
tur"s. Both parties were divided, hut IA" DEM
ocrats, while they had decided advantages.
| were unable 10 profit hy them. simply hrcause
| of the uncertain ait,tude of some 81 their rep
many people that the Repunhcan senator's who
the soma countin.. the electoral votes had very
| creu influence over Gen Grant. II is also
| Will known that Con. Grant was not con-
| WINGED that the means hoy wnichth" Republicans
had pro ur"d the HAYES electors in Louisiana To-
| be- certified ms duly chosen were aliog ther de-
| men Exc Morton. Cameron and Zach Chandler
| to employ the military O. st the Packard GOV
eminent firmly IN It's feet and to pre-
vent the Nichols Government from organizing.
| hut be de- idrl not To Interfere. There MAS hut
ule proea9ity ON 'hr iirst q Isen9Gry t,t
| hilt,.'oi the TWO Houses of oongr - On count.
| m the rle"pt's. votes aud wh.n Nc rival Gov,
| ernW"nts W"r" or-nnH'd 100 NV Orleans. and
| the Democrats. g a sr.ni display of armed
| men. had pra 4 .alv shut tne ln knr'l party ~
| IA tie Statr House. GRANT WAS most urgently
| nppen'cd - 10y the rad al leaders To- irt"rfcrr.
| The dsuiaud was made with due formaliiy-thr
Packard Lt.slatur" I. solved tnat Iunlt Stic vip-
| lenro threatened the peace of the community
| and thu Government WAS puworiesS IN t!. pros
| enc. OF the oV-rtwing nioi,-uut still Gen. Grant
pers sied simply IN maintaining the status g'o
| II was because the MN" Rrpuhli an senators
.NI 10 Had
| only the Senate but eArrcl sed potent inhu nc,
| with GEN Grant. that the men who had deter
| minsd to count Hayes in-u-ing the President
| II the Senate merely Ms an observation-disclosures
compelled To abandon their revolutionary pro-
lect., Thy hid been informed Of the diys on IN
and expected 10 proht by H.
| THE TESTIMONY OF GEN. BoySToS
Gen. Boynton. whose relations with the per
sonai representative OF Gov. HAYES wsr'
VIA 81 Col. Roberts To tsov. HAYES WIS the firSi
iniimation the Republicans had Of the irelini
among southern Democrats Subsequently h.
| asserts they discovered that n number %
prominent southern nwcrc earnestly consid
rring whether. IN case Hayes should honestly
| and earnestly SET himself about carrying int,
| effect the ideas Of his letter Of acceptance. 4
would not be- better for the quiet and matrria
interests OF the South, or whether the shorieS
road Ia a Just aud permanent reconsirutiol
Lid Mt iie rough a Prputllean Admin sra
ne.ess ties OF Ia" situation continues Gen
| Boyntnn t.iut a numb ROT hepubii ans tn
| men with whom me- WIS IN NtuIINnflNl Inter
rour-,.-" should instantly avail themselves ~
| tn = knowledge t. widen the opening hrrdcl
between rid"ns personal adhcr.nts and thes
cooler Southern men,
| The unlersianl ling. tho agreement. the bar
| gain between certain southern Demo rats am
| the personal representatives Of Hayes WIS con
| summatod before the Electoral Commissio
compromise WAS thought Of. The testimony o
Gen. B1ynton settles this point:
All tins preceded the time when n" publican hrs' nhar
donrd the idea supporting the President of the Seuat
| IA making and declaring uie count Tie break hcfwe'
| The extreme aud moderate Democrats lal become
pronnunrcd that those Republican, who were waichu
II elt convinced that In 'hso u" other way could T.
found eft the pending troubles than Tor tie Pf.-ll f
the senate To count hl clare the result there
he sutirleut VOTE f,ih'd hy the NortN"rn d. m'
rras ie HOa~c refuse 10 nttrhd TIE cDuuf VIII
draw from IT, ar 10 ado any other revolutionary tactic
THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION AGREED UPON.
In addition to the embarrassment caused b
the prominent southern men IN r. wis still
another cause of disquietule in the Democrat
: ranks There WIS not perfect agreement be-
tween the men VINO assumed to b" the Lender
| If the Democratic minority in tn Senate AN
the rrrogniz,d leaders of the House II Reprs
srntAtivcs. Ga the IAN of December the Huus
| OF Representatives adopted a resolution provo
Ing for the appointment ut "A select commit 'e'
seven to act in conjunction with any slmu
committee 10 he appointed 10y the Senate, To- COZ
slider and report without delay upon the sub,
| Of counting the electoral votes The Senate {,
spondrd on Dec. IL 10y referring the House rns
plutipn to "a select committee of seven. Mni'