The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-08-21
MAJOR BURKE ON THE STAND
,.s,,mInnry Conferences with stanley
1" ,,.c,,. and John sherman, aud the
...'.cmcnt Rrnchcd-A Talk with Don
,.,,u.- I,nunr's Letter 90 Eliis.

1 umNr's Letter 10 t-lhss
,,,c c.irc session of the Potter Commit
..r.lo, was devoted to thc examination
wyy,,,r T. 4. Burke OF Louisiana. who gave
vy..r,.uonnt OF the INCEPTION and conclusion Of
Wv h,r,nin pv which the states Of Louisiana
WV, s,uth Carolina were handed over to the
,p wv In consideration of their permitting
a.. Hayes to be- .ountrd in MAJOR Burke Is
andcr man. with gray hair and eyes. dark
sns,,anc. and rather sharp features. Hc
-, nj. testimony with prompincss. and re-
t,irl,a Gen. Butlcrs questions freely. OK
"a when the General called out his consulta-
,,,r with Don Cameron. when he requested
,,,,, for dcliherntion. Ono novelty OF this tcsti
..0,v was tir reference 10 the much tnlkcd-of
,.mar letter 10 Congressman Ellis. which was
,raluced and read.
Major Burke in reply to questions by Con.
natter. said that in the canvass of 1876 he was n
,onbcr Of the state Committee Of tho Demo-
.r,ti, or Conservative party II tho State VI
fonisinna; and chairman of tho Registration
.,J Election Committee. lie knew about Nov.
,sthat the State had gone Democratic because
nov had copies OF all the official returns except
no Parish Of 81. Martin. which WIS subsc-
,nen,ly received Bythcsc copies IT the official
re,urns the highest Tildcn clcctor received
$50 votes and the lowest Hayes clcctor re-
,e.yed 1910. making difference Of sGl9.
in orlcr to eliot either Packard or Hayes
there must bc some 1000 or 5000 votes got rid
of by somebody from the face Of the rciurns?'
"l's. sir.
so that this problem was before the Return
inc Board: that they must throw ont. say 1000
votes 10 elect Packard upon the face ot the re-
nrns and then To elect the Hayes electors they
must throw out between 2.o0u and 5000 votes -
They did throw ont 10000. There was vt
the slightest doubt in my mind that the state
was carried by Tilcn and Nichols. Yet we
hborcl under apprehension constantly. be-
cause We had been cheated ont Of two State elec-
tons before by the Returning Boards. We had
The same Returning Board in -. and one con
roled 10y The same parties In 1872 The Ro-
turning Board Of 1874 and 1876 was the same
hat was 80 severely commented upon hv
Wheeler and IIoar. Our npprrhcnsions were
Increased when the visiting statesmen came
down. We discovered that tclrrrams wore
passing between Kellogg and the Republican
managers Of Louisiana and others which indi-
Gated quito clearly that Il WIS the intention and
determination Of the Republican party To- sus.
tain these people in whatever they might DO
Tho courage of the Republicans Of Louisiana
was at the same time revived for they had pre-
viously given M the State
"B tthoy took NV courage when they learned
that the visiting statesmen came down to have
o fair count"
Their courage revived. They never seemed
10 falter after that time at any impedimenis
Along in November. 1t became evident that the
result OF the election depended upon Louisiana
Mr. Hayes speech about November = in
which he said he was sorry for the negroes Of
the South. but that he dill NOT care much for
himself, was published in Louisiana and never
contradicted ut that time"
Then the colorcd mon in Louisiana were act
Ing under the impression from Mr.. Hayes.
assertion. undened that in case Hayes was no
elected their situation was 10 be uncomfortable 2
Well. General. can hardly speak for them
there were two colored men on the Returninl
Board."
They had this additional inducement to dC
the best they could for Hayes and not leave hin
In his sorrow:'
Major Burke smiled his assent. and rontin
ued After the Inauguration Of Packard ant
the counting OF the State for Hayes. We organ
ized a State Government We never called on
the full force. We had about 5000 and w
could have had 10000 or 10000. We took pos
session Of the supreme Court. and OF ever
vestse Of authority in the State with the tx
ception OF the st. Louis Hotel. After the inau
guration Of Nichols. WAS sent by him to Wash
ington 10 help his government. | had writer
credentials. arrived in Washington on IN
18Th Of November. and left for New Orleans OF
"our first offer was 70 secure non-interven
ton and then /. possible 70 secure recognition
Gen. Grant Ind sent his despatch H. ON
Augur that IL any Government WIS recognize
Il should be Packard's. and our interes, wa
that Gen. Grant should not be compelled Z
take any ofheinl acton. ,Ihatwa tne drspntel
in which Gen. Grant said tn" Nichols Suprem
Court was no more thnn any other egual mum
hrr OF lawyers. Our first object WAS 10 secur
non-intrrvention with Packard boy the genera
Government, and next Ia secure the recocni
ton OF Nichols IL possible All We aske,
was the withdrawal ~ the troops from any In
reference with the affairs OF the State. We ha,
ample. force 10 establish tho Government
fore were needed. but we had the moral sup
port % the people Of Louisiana"
Dill You over at any time contemplate ~
armed collision hr,ween your forces and tn
We never had the slightest desire for sucl
collision. We were willing and ready TO MAKE
almost any sacrifice sooner than have such
collision. Wa had determined TO protect on
State Government believe our people woul'
have protected our State Government agains
armed force from any source. They ma dc
termined that life liberty. and civilization itsel
were al stake and that sooner than 20 on unde
corrupt Republican rule IN that State the,
would force military government
AHN WHO I'llfcHHtNh - h'u " ptu
THAT condition Of affairs was conveyed Il
Gen. Grant. think. pulte fully 10y our repre-
heniatlyes In Congress. by Bishop Wilmer. an'
by myself and | think that that was iully pro
ten'el hy tho news papers representing the pub
ne sentiment NJ the time.
stu. bee made no order after you left Their
qnt the day you left publicly. about the with
drawal ot the troops ~
President Grant modified and changed hi
views"
"Idd not ask about his views; want t.
know his action. What order did he issue iron
NETTING you arrived until the time you lei
there"
Gen. Butler laid great emphasis upon thi
dslin ton between what Gen Grant thought
ahd what he did, and repeated this inquiry L
me witness srvcrnl times. stating that tho
had had considerable nonsense Of testimon
about what Gen. Grant had thought. Mr.. His
COX asked what witness mad sworn 10 wha
Gen. Grant had thought. Gen. Butler said h.
could not name the with SIS. but II was at Allan
te CITY. Mr. lI,srork Insisted that no wltucs
LaQ sworn T. ANYTHING I the kind. Gen. Butte
shl inat he wanted only 10 know what Gran
did. Gfn. Grant WIS ! ow in Europe and coul
not b. summoned 20 testify MS u his thoughts
Gen. Butler saii D." thought that IT any sucl
tArrt hiui been intlmatrd 10 Grant, he woul
nave settled that 900 about five minutes.
MAJOR Burke sad be- WIS Inclined % think sc
to Hni continued By saying that the telegram
ron I'n. Grant hnl boon received IN Sew or
i.lna before his departure, which was on IN
loli Mtor Burke sand he could fix upon n
sIur otIer Of Cen Grant. except the order u
At-r yon had been imposing upon Presi
a'nt GRANT. ron tine timethQt you arrived thrr