New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-15


at the time. John E. Leet testified as to his
own political career in Louisiana, ana gave
an interesting sketch Of James E. Anderson.
SPIRIT OF THE PROCEEDINGS.
CENTRAL BUTLER's EXPERIENCE on FRESH TRIAL
FAILING TO CONNECT THE PRESIDENT WIN
ANY RARGAIN--ANOTHER SPECIMEN OF THE
LOUISIANA WITNESS.
The Potter Committee picked up, yesterday, the
fag ends of the testimony given by Colonel Roberts
of The Aev- Orleans Times the day before, the enar
man himself acting at first as chief quesnoheI'
Mr. Potter ia always fair in hls methods of examin-
alton, and seems to have theories to sustain IN
regard TO Louisiana affairs. except those set torth
IN the resolution which he introduced IN the House
of REPRESENTATIVES and in the speeches which ne
made in support of it. He loses no opportunity 10
ask a witness, who is supposed to know anything on
the subject what effect the presence OF the hepuO-
Tcau visiting statesmen In Newt Orleans, during the
canning of the votes of Louisiana, had upon the
action of the Returning Board, but he seems 10
have abandoned the attempt to prove Secretary
sherman a conspiratOr. His examination OIL ColOhei
Roberts was taken altogether. truitless one
After Mr.. Potter. General Butler took hold OF the
witness again. starting on q fresh trail in his pur-
suit Of evidence upon which to base an impeaeh
ment of President Hayes. His theory, as all the
world knows, is that the President purchased his
own positou from the filibusters who undertook TO
prevent the completion of the electoral count be-
fore the time when he shOuld have beer inaugur-
ated. by promising that General Nichols should DC
the Governor Of Louisiana. The General made
dash Yesterday TO get at the early history OF the
MaeVeaeh Commission. Colonel Roberts, at has
request related conversation IN winch
he took part, about the Goth Of February
1877, and in which the idea Of sending commits
sion to Louisiana was first suggested by Major
Bynum, of whom the witness spoke as the shreWC-
est politician of the South. Mr. Charles Foster he
said. had mentioned the difficulty that would at
TEND the removal of the United States troops from
the IouisiaDa State House. When the commission
plan was proposed by Major Bynum, it was ac-
cepted by Mr. Foster as a good one. Having secured
this information General Butler sought to connect
it with subsequent events and to draw from 1t the
inference that the MacVeagh Commission, instead
of going to New-0rleans to make an IN
vestgatiOn Of affairs, went there for the express
purpose of letting the Packard Government down
easy,1 and of getting the Republican State Gov
eminent of Louisiana out OF the way without
aboeking the Republican sentiment of the North"
Clever as General Butler is as lawyer, he left out
one link in his chain Of evidence, and the whole
structure. therefore, fell to pieces. That link was
necessary to connect the President with tho plan
devised by Major Bynum, or to show that he had
any knowledge of 1t. All General Buffers remarks,
made both in his questions to Colonel Roberts and
aside IN response to answers he received-the
general tenor Of winch was that the whole matter
of removing the troops and Of sending the Commits
sion to Louisiana for the purpose of getting nd OF
Packard were Predetermined by the President as
early as February 20, 1S77-were without force so
far as they were intended to reflect upon the action
of Mr.. Hayes Like all the testimony gwen by
Al,ck Of MIN
one step short of connecting the President with any
bargains of any kind. According to his own story,
when Colonel Roberts went to see Governor Hayes
in November 1876 it was not for the purpose of
making any arrangement or bargain. or OF attempt
ing to get any promise from the future President,
but simply to learn what the Presidents purpose,
already formed. was. Governor Hayes talked very
freely with him on the general subject and he came
away satisfied, but he did not bring with him any
promise from the future President, and does not
pretend that be did.
The other line of inquiry. which General Butler
always enters upon whenever he gets a witness who
saw the breaking up of the Packard Government
attacks the President for allowing that Government
TO 60 to pieces at all, and proceeds on the theory
that il could and should have been sustained.
long series of ounningly devsed questions, all lead
ing up to this point, were prOpounded by the
General TO Colonel Roberts, and when they had
been answered the Massachusetts statesman threw
himself back in his chair with self-satsfed air, as
though he had achieved a great triumph. But he
let his cigar go out and showed other signs OF UNI
easiness when Mr.. HscOck began to cress-examine
Colonel Roberts, for it was then made to appear
very clearly that when President Hayes was in
augurated General Nichols was in truth the de
facto Governor of Louisiana; and that, while the
simple removal of the United States troops was
sufficient TO cause Packard's Government to melt
away and disappear it woald have required
direct use of force to have dispersed the Nichols
Administration. The President, therefore, had the
choice of only two polces-to force upon the State
of louisiana at the point of the bay0net, Govern
ment that was utterly unable to stand alone Ia
policy that had been condemned IN advance by
great majority of the people of the North.
or TO take his hands OFF and allow the
fttest to survive. The first course would
have meant civil war or state of affairs
that would have been equally bad and the
second meant peace tranquility and prosperity for
the State.
After the dismissal of Colonel Roberts, Mr. Potter
brought out another curious specimen of the genus
Louisiana witness in the person of John e. Leet, at
present writer on The Ne,r- Orleans Times. This
man rather beats james L. Anderson and Mrs. jerks
IN the way Of entertaining the audience, and the
picture he drew Of Republican politics in Louisiana
from 1870 to 1876 makes about as interesting
reading as dime novel. Leet lived by
politics for about FIVE years and, after
describing the almost incredible rascates OF which
he had been a witness and in some of which
be had taken part. he astoniShed the committee
by saying that his record was considered about as
clean ia Louisiana that of any Republican pohti-
cian. What good purpose is TO be subserved by al
lowing such fellow as this to go ON by the hour,
mastering himself aud those who for five years
shared the political plumber with him all over with