Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-08-31
THE ELECTORAL INVESTIGATION.

Major Z. A. Burke, Of Louisiana, Chair.
man OF the Democratic State Central Com.
mittee in lsIG on the goth and 2lst testified at
length before the Committee as to his part in
the negotiations Mt Washington by which the
Federal troops were withdrawn from the
Louisiana state house and the Nichols state
Government allowed to take possession. AT.
ter stating the result of the election in the
state, which he claimed was undoubtedly
in favor of both Tildcn and Nichols,
he said that the Democrats became
alarmed at the evident determination of the
Returning Board, encouraged by kilograms
from prominent Northern Republicans, to
count them out, and he was selected by Mich.
Oils rs his agent to visit Washington and Sc
Cure,u possible, the nOu-interventiOn of Gov
ernment troops. He arrived at Washington
on the 18th OF January, and after becoming
convinced, from the progress of the
Electoral count that Tilden was
bound to be counted ont negotiations
were opened with the representatives of
GOV. Hayes, prominent among whom were
Mes,ls. Matthews, sherman, Foster and Den
ui5on. Through the intervention of senator
Lamar, witness met these gentlemen, by ap.
pulntment, on the 26th of February, and
showed them the guarantees which the
Nichols Government We're willing To make
in the event OF being recognized. This in.
ttNlcW resulted in a consultation with
President Grant in which assurances were
gwen that in the event of the Presidential
count being completed the troops should be
withdrawn. Question by Gen. Butler: "Did
you ana your party friends agree to stop the
opposition to the counting in of Hayes;n
\. We certainly did, sir. We were as.
sured by President Grant that after
the count was completed the troops
would be withdrawn. | said to Matthews
that while we were assured that President
Grants assurances of President Hayes's poll.
cy were well intended, yet we wanted these
assurances from such men as Garfield, Nor.
ton, and Others, whom they regarded more
than Hayes. He said he could not answer for
them, and said, then we will place your par
ty in such position that they must speak
meant thereby that our people would join
the nIlbusters and prevent Louisiana and
south Carolina being counted for Hayes"
Ihe guarantees and assurances to be given
by Hayes were agreed upon by the Nichols
Government on February 26 or 97, and after
wards indOTsed by sherman and Matthews
ON the part of Hayes. The witness denied
that he ever told any one Mr. Hayes i'll per.
son had authorized guarantees or assur.
ances' The order Tor the non intervention
of troops was issued by President Grant on
the I'd of March, after the count was com
pleted,
Major Burke gave some additional evil
d0nce before the Committee on the 22d He
had interviews with other leading Republi
cans, besides those heretofore mentioned,
regarding Louisiana affairs Among them
were Wadleigh, Howe, Frye, West and Cam
eron. II was communicated to witness that
Senators from Louisiana in considera-
ton of yielding up the State to Nichols.
There was considerable discussion of the
question as to how the Electoral vote of the
state could bo consistently given to Hayes
and at the same time Nichols be counted in
Witness undertook TO evolve a legal theory
which would cover the case, the position
taken being that the Returning Board had no
power to canvass the vote on Governor.
There was considerable difficulty in arrang.
ing the details OF the matter, and Columbus
Delano went to Ohio to consult Hayes
about it. Witness expressed his be-
refusal on January to furnish Kellogg with
more troops, was favorable to sustaining the
Nichols Government; that Hayes had made
up his mind to do so irrespective of the ne
gotiatiOns then in progress, but that Sher-
man, GARFIELD, and other Republican leaders
were influenced by the considerations offer.
ed by the friends of Nichols, viz, the aban-
dOnment of the tilibustering movement in the
House against the completion of the
Electoral count, and the return of two
United States Senators from Louisiana. The
witness said that he saw Anderson in New
Orleans restaurant one Sunday, and Messrs.
sherman and Stoughton were also there, but
he did not see any conversation between
them. Anderson told witness that he signed
something in the nature of protest, but that
he was under the influence of liquor when he
signed; and he could prove that Anderson
told him that in consideration for what he
had done for the Republican party they had
promised him the Naval Otfce. In an inter
view with Anderson about the 9Th of Novem
ber, continued witness, he stated to me he
was in possession of documentary and other
evidence, that would prove a conspiracy by
the Republican party to throw out the bull
dozed parishes of East Feliciana, More.
house, Richland, and East Baton Rouge;
he further said he could secure us
the Parish of East Feliciana, but that
he was poor, and If he did so would
probably be thrown into prison on trumped
up charges He agreed to do this If we paid
him $1,000 then, and 81 900 after the count was
declared His proposition was considered and
accepted, as we did not think there was any
wrong in procuring evideAce to show Repub.
lican frauds and rascality, and the propoi.
ton would have been carried out but for the
fact we had no money.
The examination Of Major Burke was con-
tinued by Gen. Butler on the 23d, but no new
facts of special significance We're elected.
Gen. Butler endeavorcd to show by witness
that the plan of abandoning the Packard
Government was not sanctioned by any Re,
puhlioans but the "0hio men," and was kept
secret from others, but witness averred that
Matthews told him that Morton
sustained the President in Withdrawing