Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-06-17
The s'reSidcnsIn! Fraud.

ii. C0r4ucSt ClaFh, WnO WAS eAalui"0u ~
the Potter committee Saturday, was G1vcrnor
IIcIlogg's private secretary, and is the person
referred TO by Brewster rs having told him OF
| the defect in the returns, and who requested
Brewster to sign the second set Of certificates
lie stated that he is employed by the commits.
sioncr of internal revenue. lie was not present
at the meeting of tho electors 10 1876, but know
| of the meeting and subsequently learned from
| Gen. Anderson, alter his (Audcrson'sl return
| from Washington, that there Was dcieot in
| the first certificate Witness had the second
SGT of certificates printed, leaving tho name
of the Vice President out OF one form and
leaving in the name Of the President, and 10 the
other Leaving in the name OF the Vlco President
| and leaving out the name OF the Presldent.-
When the certificates were ready the witness
sent for some Of Tho electors whom he knew or
who resided in the city; and as they came
into the office he asked them to pass the
word to others, and he lett tho certificates
| in tho room so that they could DO signed
by others. WLncss saw Gov. Kellogg aud
| Mr. Brewster sigu tho certificates. lie did
not recollrct seeing MIR. Burch (colorcd cector)
sign them. Beyond Mr.. Kellogg and Mr..
Brewster he could not say he saw any one sign
| Tic SpCuIu SUI. uC ulSb lulluihtiuu HiIuSSo
had that some Of the gentlemen whose names
were appended to the second set had not sigued
them really, was 10 paragraph in Clncn.
natl newsrapcr. That was alter tho electoral
commission had made their decision, in the
nciehborhood oitho 4lh Of March. 1t is prob.
ablo that witness spoke to Governor Kellogg
aftcrward, or that in letter he might have
written to him "What is iho meaning of thls?'
lie had no reply about it. Gov. Kellogg went
out OF Office January S. 1877. Witness re-
manned as secretary to Governor Packard.
Tx Congressman Darral testified that when
| 10 New Orleans during the visit Of tho Estates
men, he remembered going to SEQ Mr.. Hale
aud one or two others" Some had left
Gov Noycs had gone TO Florida. lo was
asked the question by some OF them whether
he thought the returning board would stand
firm or be inundated, or be able to resist pur-
chase? The committee adjourned until Monday.
The documents sent to the House OF Reprcscn'
tatives ty the President embrace all the
communications to and from the Louisiana
commissioners Of 1877 in charge OF the Depart.
mcnt of State. They were furnished at tho
| ipstanc, Of the POTTER committee. There IS
! 10 them nothing new in addition 10 what has
been heretofore pablished including tho iull
text OF Gen. Nichols letter to the commission,
in which no makes tho pledge in tho most ez'
plicit manner Of broad and liberal policy, and
the adequate protection of all persons in Loulsl'
ana, without distinction Of race or color.
Minister Noses returned to this country from
Paris last Saturday. When interviewed 10 New
York, he, like tho rest Of the parties implicated,
denied all knowledge Of the Presidential fraud
| The National Republican says:
| Mr., Blackburn carried his politics to his lunch
| t,l1o Saturday Lost al EroundS, com.
pany with Mr.. Franklin Of Ohio, began talk
| Ing about tho cowardico of the democracy in
adopting the judiciary Committees resolution
approving the sacred irrolrsgability OF the title
Mr. Franklin mildly expostulsted with him,
and quietly remarked that the conservative and
patriotic or lswabiding sentiment Of the country
sustained tho precedent established by the rcso-
luton that President shall be allowed TO re-
main in Office after his Inauguration, oven II MS
election should ba secured Dy fraud. Black.
burn rotorted. saying sharply, that precedent
had nothing to dc. with the cEso, nor patriotism,
and that conservatism under such circumstances
| was synonymous with cowardice. Up to this
| time The conversation, of which the foregoing
| statement is simply tho puTport was lmpersonal
although Mr. Blackburn is reported by our in
| formant to have been excited and decidedly en-
phatic. He then went on to say, in effect, The
whole ID thing piece Of cowardly foolish
ness. and any man who sustsins it is q cowardlv
| fool" Mr.. Franklin instantly sprang 10 his
! feet with the remark: "Thats going little too
| far; Pm d. if I'll stand it," and made pcs
! at Blackburn. Blackburn returned the blow as
best no could, but, two gentlepon who hal boan
seated between the belligorents rose and at
tempted to separate them. Their attempts wore
| unavsiling, however, until two of the young
women clerks in the restaurant came upon the
scene and intorfored. Meanwhile policeman
had been sent for, and Of course had not been
found but tho young dams had appealed to the
chivalry Of tho irate congressman and they rn-