Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1880-08-17

BY Mr. Hutchinson
FREDERIC X. GUERNSEY, sworn, testi-
fed:
q. Where do you reside
A. Boston.
@. And what is your business
A. Editorial writer and correspondent
on the Herald,
q. And were you in this State at any
time during the early part of the year or
the last part of the year 1872
A. Yes, about the last two weeks in
January in the city of Augusta represent
ing the Herald.
q. Do you know Joseph l.. Smith OF
Old,own.
A. Yes, sir.
Q. And at the time when you were
here did you meet him
A. | met him several times, obtained
interviews with him
@. And at those several times when
you met him did you have conversation
with him about various matters:
A. Yes, sir, regarding the political
situation and especially with regard to
this enlistment Of troops which interested
me more than anything else. of course.
q. And will YOU please state the con-
versation you had with him and the IN
formation you derived from him in refer
ence to the enlistment Of troops or the
use of any force:
A. Yes; | will particularize one
special evening, because that was more
important than any think. That was
the evening, think, of TUESDAY, the
9th Of January, when the news first
came of the decision of tie supreme
court, the second decision.
Q. That was really the third decision.
the answer to the Fusion Committee,
wasn't it:
A. Yes, perhaps it was. That was
the very last decision.
q. 1t was really the third. Gov. Gar
celon had ones
A. Oh, yes, | had forgotten that. On
that evening Major Smith said in sub
stance: "Some day the secret history OF
this thing will come out, and it will be
seen that have acted like { conservative
man" These are just his words. }
Only to-day was visited by a dele
CATION from a ncighboring county and
asked to authorize the bringing OF thou
sand armed men to this city for the pur-
pose OF capturing the state house. And
this very night Tuesday the 9th OF
January was labored with by certain
men to consent to plan which hardly
could have failed to put US in the state
house before Thursday night the 18th
of January, two days later. Il refused
to entertain the plan. Had the court
recognized our government as the legal
one should have taken the necessary
steps to enforce its authority" Maj.
Smith then said that he thought he was
entitled to the respect Of conservative
men, nor he had resisted the intense
pressure upon him by the radical men OF
his party, and had been censured by
them for the conservative course which
he had pursued. He also said il he
hadI't held back the reckless adventures,
whom he named as Fogg and Blood, men
VINO had no stake in the community, no
property, who were simply Adventures
he spoke of them twice as edyentgyers-
if he hsdI's ield them back there would
have been civil war. He said they were
ripe for it. He said they had nothing to
lose and everything to gain.
.. And he HeIt,oned boge and Blood:
4. Yes, he mentioned Fogg and Blood.
We talked about them, and he said it to
me. Of course knew him. as an cd
citizen cf RaIgo., living IN Bangor, and
he talked rather freely with me about it.
q. BY Mr.. Lord You had lived in
Bangor.
A. Yes. was born and resrea there.
in Lreyious interviews Maj. Smith told
me that the fusionists had Several thou
. .:..:a men armed and equipped, who had
been enlisted throughout the state and or
gaRiZed into companies. And ne said
that he could throw into Augusta within
"a hours certainly 1000 men, provided
with ammunition for several days and
rations. He also stated he had received
tenders of troops from other states
amounting in number from three to five
thousand men, and that these men were
armed and equipped. He would not
state definitely what organizations they
were. | tried to find out from HIM
whether he meant the 9th Mass. Regt.
which is known as an Irish regiment;
but he would not say, And asked HIM
if they were socialists, and he would not
commit himself ON that point, was rather
ambiguous. He was especially emphatic
when he stated to me the fact that he
had been pursuing conservative policy
trying to gain his ends by methods OF law
and not by force; but he said there was a
large and dangerous faction, character
lied them as a dangerous faction in his
party, who would be willing to precipitate
civil war. And as for himself he said he
was going home and mind his own bust
ness and leave politics. That is about In
substance what he told me. If ] am
pli6ed it would not be any more to the
point,
@. By Mr.. Hutchinson. That IS
the substance you now recollect OF what
he told you Of the matter!
A. Yes, sir.
Q. And very much Of it almost in his
own words>