Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-08-15

1
cations this forenoon.
Colonel william HI. ROBBERS,
of the New Orleans Times, testified. He said
ne was familiar with what was going on, and
saw all of the visiting statesmen at New Or
leans; they were no consulted about his visit
to Ohio; he merely mentioned 10 Messrs.
| Stew usOn, Mathews and Sherman that the
situation of the white people in the State was
desperate; we had been defeated by the re-
turning board IN 1872 and again IN 1874, and
were afraid of being defeated again in 1876,
and the people We're beginning TO think that
an election was utterly useless; we considered
the election d fair and just one, and we
p9lled every white vote available, but we
feared being counted out by the returning
board; we all believed the returning board
would not dare TO have done what they did
do without they had received the moral sup
port of the visiting statesmen; these appre-
tensions. about the returning board were
what led to my visit to Mr.. Hayes; we want
ed to know what action he would take if
elected; he knew well that | was talking for
the Democratic side; | understood Mr..
Hayes to mean by fairness
and Justice, that the returning
board cheating should cease; and that, as |
told him, we had a clear majority of over
seven thousand IL the State the Nichols gov
eminent would be recognized; there was no
determination to resist the establishment of
hayes IN iue r cSciNl governments we were
more deeply Interested IN finding out what
would be done II the Democratic State of
louisiana was thrown out and Hayes counted
in; | did not hear OF any forged electoral
certificate OF louisiana; in CONVEX
sation with Foster, he SAID it was
strange that Republican vote was
cast in East Feliclana; in my con-
versation with Senator Conkling, | told HIM
| Thought Governor Hayes a very fair man,
and that he told me he would b. President of
all the United States or not at all; [ detailed
to the senator all my conversation with
Hayes; Conkling replied: Il am opposed TO
all this scat of thing; if Hayes is elected, he
should get IN without any concessions to
Louisiana; and if he is not elected, he should
not get in at ali" In conversation with sew
eral gentlemen / remarked that the crooked
ness OF the returning board III Louisiana was
SO bad and glaring, that even Republicans
had to dlsavOw all connection with it; this
applied to previous elections; we understood
the military would be Withdrawn after the
fourth OF March, and they would be let down
easily, but they would be let down.
General Butler-Who do you mean by
they?
Ans.-The Packard government; there
was committee appointed TO go down to
louisiana, and we all knew very well they
were intended to let the Packard government
down easily; it locked better, you know.
This ended Roberts, testimony.
The next witness was
John z. Leet,
who Is q reporter on the New Orleans Times
He testified that about 1872 he was engaged
In getting up facts and evidence In support
of the Kellogg government, to lay before
congress-; other people made affidavits, and
the witness compiled them; there were end
less commissions and committees, and calls
for more evidence from Senator Morton; we
alleged that the Democrats, with Warmoth,
had swndled us Republicans; all the best
offices had been traded off to the returning
board IL 1872, to get them to count IN Kel-
logg; witness was to get the best office not
traded off already, and picked out the Office
of harbOr master; never went near the Office,
except to draw pay; was constantly associated
with Kellogg; lost confidence In Governor
Kellogg when | was removed; | then got
position in the State senate as a clerk; Kel-
logg's excuse for all his failngs was that he
was tied up and embarrassed, and could not
do what he wanted with his patronage; he
was situated Just as Hayes is now with the
returning board of 1876, witness believed;
Anderson was on both; witness stated that
he was atterward made tax collector in a
small town, which he traded off for seat in
the State convention that nominated Pack
ard IN 1876; witness was opposed to Pack
ard and Kellogg wanted him to spring the
nomination OF Williamson; Kellogg pretend
ed to support Packard before the convention,
but he never intended him TO be nominated
Mr. Roberts was Recalled,
and General Butler asked: When did you
first hear Of the appointment OF the N weigh
committee?
Answer-About the twentieth of February,
think; was speaking with several, Mr.
Foster among others, and the question Of
letting down the Packard people easily CANT
up; then a commission of Republicans on it
was suggested; Major Vning and others said
it was capital idea; the idea was that COM
mission sanctioned by the President and Sec
rotary of state would make the Republicans
in Louisiana yield and give the State to the
Nichols government; 1t was well understood
that the commission were under official in
structions.
General Butler-Then you looked on the
commission coming down there as a farce?
ADswer-Well, not exactly.
QuestIon-But no matter what the evidence
and the state of facts were, the commission
had to come predetermined on a conclusion?
Ans.-Yes, sir; we understood so.
Ques.-It was predetermined that one
government was to be let down easily?
Ans.-That'5 it, exactly.
Qaes.-Then one Democrat was put on the
commission to give 1t the appearance Of fair
ness? Ans.-Yes, we wanted q cool, collect
ed man on the commission who would let us
know what they were doing. Witness said
he supposed the President or secretary of
state was aware of the objects and instruc-
lions of the con. missions that the fairness
and justice Of our case was given out, and
the letting down of the Packard government,
the Nichols government having majority
Of votes.
Ques Then, on your own showing, and on
the evidence that Nichols was elected and
Packard was not, and on the decision Of the
commission, should it not have been decided
by them also that Tllden was elected and
Hayes was not? Ans -UndCubtedly, as
1Ilden got nearly the same majority as Mich
oils. Witness understood that after Hayes
Inauguration this commission would be sent
down to break up the Packard government.
Witness SAID: 1--WE were well prepared for
trouble; we had determined that, come what
might, we would have no collision with the
United States troops; it was determined not
to recognize the Packard government at all;
there is no doubt in the minds of the people
of Louisiana that neither Kellogg nor Pack
ard were elected governor, although Kellogg
served four years, we had determined to
take the State government by armed force
from those who held it by forms of law; the
people of the State and the courts recognized
the Nichols government; the Packard gov
ernment only held the statehouse and some
six acres in the vicinity thereof; the militia
amounted to three thousand, all of whom
were true to Nichols"
General Butler-Then with Packard with
only seventy-fve men, and Nichols with
three thousand to oppose him, it took a SOL
emn committee of four prominent Republi-
cans and one Democrat fifteen days to tread
him down.
Answer-Yes sir understand that Kel-
loggs credentials for the senate were laid on
the table By Senators Hoar, Dawes and Burn
side voting with the Democrats. Witness
said the only assurances he received that the
Packard government would be let down easy
were from Mathews, Foster, Garfield and
Dennison, and he thought Evarts.
Mr.. Leet Recalled,