The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-01
MRS. JBNKs' TESTIMONY,

, A correspondent of the New York WOrL
gives very clear and satisfactory analysis o.
the testimony Of that remarkable creature
Mrs. jerks, not based at all on the truth Of
anything she says, but rather on her inability
to utterly obscure the truth. The substance
of her testimony is that she was on intimate
terms with the whole gang of Louisiana car.
pet-baggers, in fact was one of the females OF
thatspecies of moral Invertebrates She claims
that 1t was precedence, but it was most likely
greed, which induced her to distrust Anderson
and Weber and to keep in her own hands the
evidence against Sherman instead of delivering
1t to those to whom 1t was directed.
She was intrusted with the letter from
Anderson and Weber to Sherman. She
says she did not deliver 1t, but, hav-
| ing "bit" it, retained it, as it was not
a presentable document. II this be true,
where Is the letter She claims that q
deep and abiding solicitude for the honor Of
the Republican party prompted her course
and that prophetic spirit taught her the
precautions necessary to protect it. II this be
true she would certainly have kept Weber's
and Anderson's letter. But this whole story
is improbable, and the motives and acts she
climbing trees would be to an oyster The
| only sentiment that ever controlled the
actions OF any Of her species under similar
circumstances greed-would have impeIled
her to get from Sherman committal, and
this instinct would have also impelled her to
keep the document, as she has done, to use for
her own advancement. Every reasonable pre-
sumption Is that Sherman did write the
letter and that Mrs. jerks did everv-
thing In the world to induce him to do SO,
Mrs. jerks testimony dscloses quite enough
to show that she has not the knfghtly soul
that would spurn dishonor or be capable of
foregoing her own advantage to protect
minister whose moral courage she suspected.
Ii she suppressed the Weber-Anderson letter
it must have been because she had no conf
dence in Sherman's integrity and wished to
guard him from temptation. That she sus-
pected, we have no doubt; but that solictude
for Sherman caused her to suppress the letter
is an absurdity. 1t is more-it Is impoe sible
that she should have had any such feeling.
Now with reference to her story that she die
tated the letter, the Worlds correspondent
says:
g.. She says she dictated" the reply to a clerk,
hul gave inc reply so dictated to Weber, who |
Wa1ted outside for the answer.
thor" VIZ" -"
Second-Sherman doesn't deny that he was the
,Third--she says she dictated" the copy to the
clerk What does she mean by 'dictated?'
s. AZ tnis may be solved by this hypothetical
l. Suppose John Sherman wrote the letter.
:. q suppose she got it. bit" 1t open and read !
It, as she had read the letter to which it was an |
answer,
8. Suppose she, read Sherman's letter to the
VINO r wro v ae copy This the idea
:, 4. suppose she Keeps the original. and thus
tn sherman III IN her power. and gives the die
:, This hypothetical story at least disposes of
the argument Of the Evening Post that Sherman
and Hayes would not treat Anderson so cava-
llerly II he had any such letter. They probably
Knew Mrs. jerks had the letter. and thought
they W"re safe so long as she kept faith with
them. Observe that Sherman does not put him
sen turther In her power by denying the letter.
winch she could produce.
This Hypothetical statement strikes us as
not only probable, but conclusive It will be
that Mrs. jerks repeated word
Tor word the Sherman letter. Had she dicta-
ted it, as she says, and under the circumstan-
ces she describes, she could not possibly have
retained it in her memory. She SAYS when she
read the Weber-Anderson letter she con-
SNA WIZ AeS'" VI LCpiy lLS W III ubESelI,
The purpose OF at once protecting Sherman
and satisfying Anderson and Weber, and this
purpose she carried out on the impulse of the
Had she done this, it would have
been impossible for her to retain a copy.
She would have had neither time nor
for Weber was waiting at the
door for the answer, and yet she must have
had either copy of what she claims to have
dictated or Sherman's original letter in order
to commit it to memory. The reasonable
is that she has the Sherman
original, and hence that Sherman did write
such letter as is imputed to him. The n.y.
Dothesis OF the Worlds correspondent is per-
ectiy natural, that Sherman wrote the letter.
hat Mrs. jerks saw an advantage In retain
ng the original and that she did retain it.
Lhls course is sustained by every known cir
'umstance connected with the affair, and is
'ntirely in keeping with the character of peo-
Die to which she belongs. She might be cred
ted with the curiosity and cunning that would ,
prompt her to open and read the Anderson
Weber letter, and to retain Sherman's renlv.
5ut 1t is simply monstrous to give her credit
or the affectionate zeal for the Republican par- I
y,the motherly solicitude for Sherman, and the
hrewd precedence which she says prompted
Ter actions. She doubtless told the truth
when she said she dictated" the letter An