The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-08-28
BtJRKE'S TESTIMONY.
,rrsE WHOLE STORY OF THE REMOVAL
OF TEE TROOPS.
tEs,e WorrnIey conference.-the PAtssHsfeF"
sug - buffers HnsuEt-Bon CameFon's
scE,crpe of Securing Eve Republican
Reumf@rs. ~s5.. ..&.u-= s.-~.y. Il.
FIRST DAY.
WEDNESDAY. August 81, 1878.

nv. a member of the State Committee Of the
Democratic or Conservative party OF the
State of Louisiana, and chairman OF the
registration and election committee lie
knew about November Is that the State had
uane Democratic, because they had copies OF
all the official returns except the parish OF
St. Martin. which was subsequently received.
Bv these copies oil the official returns, the
highest Tilden elector received 83,85a votes,
and the lowest Hayes elector received 75,24o,
making difference of S6l9.
"Tn order to elect either Packard or Hayes
there must be some 1000 or 5000 votes got rio
of hv somebody from the face OF the re-
turns ?"
eyes, sir
"So that this problem was before the Re-
turning Board that they must throw OUT,
saw 1000 votes to elect Packard upon the
face of 5he returns, and then to elect the
HAYES electors they must throw out between
1000 and 5000 votes 7"
uThey did throw out 10000. There was
not the slightest doubt in my mind That the
state was carried by Tilden and Nichols.
Yet we labored under apprehension constant
Nv. because we had been cheated out OF two
state elections before by the Returning
boards We had the same Returning Board
in 1874, and one controlled by the same par
flies In 1879. The Returning Board OF 1874
and 1876 was the same that was so severely
commented upon by Wheeler and Hoar. Our
apprehensions were increased when the visit
mo statesmen came down. We discovered
that kilograms were passing between KEEL
,apg and the Republican managers OF Lou
isiana and others, which indicated quite
clearly that 1t was the intention and deter
animation of the Republican party to sustain
these people in whatever they might do. The
courage OF the Republicans OF Louisiana was
at the same time revived, for they had pre-
yiously given up the State
But they took new courage when they
learned that the visiting statesmen came
down to have fair count p
.nrheir courage revived. They never seemed
TO falter after that time at any impediments
Along in November, it became evident that
the result of the election depended upon Louis,
lana. After the inauguration OF Packard and
the counting of the State for Hayes, we or
ganized a State government. Wenever called
out the full force. We had about 5000, and we
could have had $4,000 or 10000. We took pos
session of the Supreme Court, and OF every
ceptfon OF the st. Louis Hotel. After the in
j a,ipuration of Nichols, / was sent by him to
Washington to help his government. l had
written credentials. / arrived In Washington
on the nineteenth of November and lett for
New Orleans on Marcia.
sour first offer was to secure non-interven-
Y ton and then Ii possible, to secure recognl-
ton. Gen. Grant had sent his dispatch to
Gen. Augur that il any government, was re-
Copnized it should be Packards. and cur in
a tefest was that Gen. Grant should not be
compelled to take any official action. That
was the dispatch in which Gen. Grant said
the Nichols Supreme Court was no more thar
any other equal number OF lawyers. Our firs,
object was to secure nOn-intervention witt
Packard by the general government, and nex'
to secure the recognition OF Nichols, ii pos
sible. All we asked was the withdrawal OF the
troops from any interference with the affairs
N lish the government II force We're needed, but
we had the moral support OF the people O.
Louisiana" ..s
ibid you ever at any time contemplate ar
armed collision between your forces and thu
forces of the United States?"
ave never had the slightest desire for suef
collision. Wewere willing and ready to make
almost any sacrifice sooner than have such ;
collision. We had determined to protect ou
State 9 sats our peop
against armed force from any source. The.
had determined that life, liberty and civiliza
ton itself were at stake, and that soone
than go on under corrupt Republican rule IL
that State they would force military gov
eminent"
"That was represented by you to Ger
Grant?'
"That condition of affairs was conveyed t
Gen. Grant. I think, quite fully by our repre-
sentatives in Congress, by Bishop Wilmer
and by myself, ana [ think that that wa
fully presented by the newspapers represent
ing the public sentiment at the time;
ssStill, he made no order after you left fher
until the a day yoq s publicly about tn
president Grant modified and changed hi
views"
'I did not ask about his views; want t
know his action. What order did he 1sSu
from the time i. you arrived until the time 20
Gen. Butler laid great emphasis upon TIL
distinction between what Gen. Grant though
and what he did, and repeated this inquiry
the witness several times, stating that the
had had considerable nonsense OF testimoIn
about what Gen. Grant had though
He (Butlerl wanted only to know what Graz
did.
Major Burke said he could fix upon no a,
or order OF Gen. Grant, except the order I
March 2.
"After you had been impressing upon Pres
dent Grant, from the time that you arrive
there until March 1, in all proper forms,
company with the Louisiana delegation, tt
fact that if not withdrawn trouble would 81
sue, nevertheless you did not succeed in ge
ting any such order issued and promulgate
until March 2, at about O'Clock in the afte
noon?"
Between II and g."
And President Grants term expired at
o'clock on the night of the third, and Hay,
arrived there on the first OF March, did
mott"
II think that was the fact"
ssNow. sir, it has been testified here that
or about Il o'clock of the second Mr.. Hay
called upon President Grant,"
"I have seen it so stated
'Then what all Louisiana had failed to G
from Grant in many days of hard labor, {
that they had said about Their ad force and T.
what was done in an hour after Hayes call'
lpon Grant, .
ave had the assurance of Gen. Grant prey
ously that it would be done as soon as IL
count was completed, on the twenty-eighth
February or the first OF March,? -, a.
Somehow it did not get done until {; att
Hayes got there. That is a fact, isn't it,
Eyes, sir; that is fact. The telegram while
ha ont hoc