Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-09-17
Our Washington Letter.


hesss Editors The only political sensation
Of the week has been the New York Democratic
Convention, and a. New York Is generally re-
garded as
rHE PIVOTAL STATE
OF the Union, politically speaking, nomination
even, In that state is looked upon with interest by
All the rest OF the country. The elections this
hll must necessarily have great bearing upon
the presidential election next year, and to carry
the larger states this year augurs well for the
victors in the national campaign Of 1880 The
Democrats, for wonder, are divided in the most
Important point Of the field and unless the trouble
IL quickly patched up they have no chance Of sue
CESS In November. There is already. however, a
MINOR that hostilites are to be closed between
fammany and anti-Tammany, and that Robin
son Is to be sacrificed TO the wrath OF John Kelly
while all hands will unite in supporting GARRISON
~ Potter M the candidate for governor. How
much truth there is in this rumor remains 10 be
seen Potter, whose name has become 10 fragrant
~ the head and front OF that notorious Democratic
congressional smelling-committee, is the right
land man Of Tilden, since the detection of David
Dudley Field, and the Democrats believe he can
be elected. The party has altogether too much
at stake in the coming campaign to allow divisions
10 weaken their ranks for they know they must
have New York with them next year or the liz
Is up" So we look for some such movement AZ
the one indicated, to be sprung upon the state ere
many days.
The Democracy eau confidently count. at this
date, upon solid South in the next presidential
campaign. This gives them one hundred and
thirty Eight votes As 1t takes one hundred and
eighty-fve votes to elect, they must look around
f.r f.rt, In
Quite naturally the eye turns to that state which
will give them the largest electoral vote, and that
Is New York She has thirty-fve With these
secured there would be but twelve lacking to foot
up majority. All consideration of a third-party
candidate securing state and possibly throwing
the election into the Housem now be dismissed
as wholly out Of the question. The struggle in
THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
OF next year will lie between the two great parties
and the Nationals can do no more than to make
their influence felt by swelling the vote OF one of
these parties by combination, or decreasing it by
running an independent ticket. In the existing
state of public opinion, then, there is not the
slightest hope of Democratic success without the
thirty-five votes Of New York The other twelve
votes may possibly be secured from the North,
although just now 1t looks very doubtful. Indiana
might give the required dozen with three to spare
New Jersey and Oregon might squeeze the Demo-
cratic candidate in, and the exact number might
also be given by California and Connecticut All
these five states combined, without New York
would fall eight votes short of the number re-
quired. Outside OF these six states we do not be-
lieve the most sanguine Democrat will claim
single vote. On the vote Of New York then the
contest mainly turns The Republicans appreciate
this situation well as the Democrats The
| Republicans, however, would have one hundred
and nnety-six votes without New York, provided
they carried every other Northern state, while
as we have shown the Democracy must have
! New York or be defeated Tilden claims that no
other Democratic candidate than himself can carry
the state, and on this claim alone he hopes to be
renominated. Should he through his agent
Potter, win this fall, it would give him additional
prestige to build upon
Renewed interest has been awakened the past
week in that terrible tragedy, known as
THE CHISHOLM MASSACRE,
from the fact that the murderers OF the Chisholm
family have been on trial, and the jury has Just
brought in verdict of mot guilty" The real
facts Of the have been 50 often distorted and
the story told in many different ways that it Is
of interest to ascertain the true history Of the af
fair. This weare now able to give. The original
difficulty occurred several years previous, when
Ben Rush, white Republican, fired at John W
Gully, Democrat, all Of De Kalb, Mississippi
missing him but killing his brother, Samuel Gully
John returned the fire, wounding Rush. who re-
covered from desperate wound Ia December
1876, John Gully was again waylaid, and on the
18th Of April he was assassinated, and although
Rush had not been seen since the previous De-
cember, the crime was charged to him Upon
the atidavits OF two coored men, warrants were
issued for the arrest of Judge w. W. Chisholm
A. "i'----, o. Hosenbaum and uerrs-, al ns
publicans, charging them with hiring Rush to as
sassinate Gully. Chisholm, who had been the Re-
publican candidate for congress, was lodged in
jail with his young sou Mrs. Chisholm, with
her daughter Cornelia, accompanied them, think
ing their presence would perhaps shield the hus-
band and father from mob violence. Gilmer about
this time attempted to take refuge in the jail
but finding crowd between him and that
building, turned and ran and was shot dead
Taking advantage of moment when the guard
over the jail was being relieved, the mob
rushed in. Judge Chisholm seized the guns of the
guard aud opened fire upon the mob, killing Dr.
Judge Chisholm's little son was killed. and his
daughter fatally wounded, while clinging to her
father, and finally the judge himself fell with a
mortal wound.
The poor widow though Frustrated by her mis-
fortunes, buried her dead and remained for long
time in Dc Kalb, expecting that the six men in
dcted for participating in the massacre would be
brought to justice The trial was delayed on
various pretexts, and she finally abandoned her
home and obtained clerkship in the treasury de-
paftment here. Her son, Henry Clay Chisholm,
is messenger in Governor Hoyts office at Har-
risburg, Pennsylvania Both mother and son
have been to Mississippi to testify in the trial just
brought to an end, and were accompanied by Hon.
Stewart !. Woodford, as volunteer coupse The
trip has been an agonizng one to Mrs Chisholm,
and she returns without hope of justice for her
self from the community where the massacre oc-
CURED. Sol.