Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1880-06-03
Roscoe COnkiing's Memory.

WASHING TON, May 25.-Audscity
has carried the day for the Senatorial
syndicate, up to the present point.
But Conkling, Cameron, Logan, and
their confederates are not vet out of
the woods, and they had better not
shout too loudly or prematurely.
Conkling has introduced his brag-
ging game into the Senate in order
to make capital for Grant at the COM
ing Convention. In discussing the
proposed joint rule for counting the
electoral votes, Senator Morgan said:
propose to have this country put
in such condition, if we can posi-
bly, do it, as that there shall be no
bayonet rule and no guns trained
upon the Capitol hereafter.
Mr.. Conkl,ng-For one, 1 never
heard of such a thing that L can re-
member. If l ever did hear of it, 1T
was part of the rubbish which hear
say takes upon all occasions of ex-
citement. 1t is possible that some
man somewhere may have labored
under the hallucination, or may have
perpetrated the falsehood which is
formulated in that way. / cannot
remember ever having heard it be-
fore. Twas here; never saw any
gun; l never dreamed of any such
thing.
In view of the facts connected with
the Presidential election of 1876,
with which Mr.. Conkling ought to be
familiar, as a conspicuous acto on
the scenes, and as an expectantt him
self in a certain contingency, this
statement of his is amazing. It is
untrue in every part wherein he ua-
dertakes to contradict Mr.. Morgan,
and it is daring assault on the re-
corded history of the times.
Before the meeting of Congress in
the winter OF 1867, but after the
conspirators had completed their
plans to steal the Presidency, and af-
ter the Returning Board offers to sell
the vote of Louisiana to Mr.. Hewitt
and others had been refused, Gen.
Sherman, acting under the personal
direction of Gen. Grant, began to
! collect artillery and picked troops at
Washington. Some of them were
brought from the frontiers, 1900
miles distant. Barracks were erect
ed for them at the capitol. When
public attention was attracted to this
extraordinary move, at time when
it was claimed that every soldier was
needed to protect the frontiers against
Indian depredations, Gen Sherman
repeatedly gave his personal assur-
ance that these troops were only
j. changing posts in the ordinary rou-
tine, and that there was no signifi-
cance in their presence at Washing
ton.
After Congress met. troops con-
tinued to gather at the capital. For
the first time telegraphic connections
were made between the arsenal, the
Capitol, the War Department, and
the White House, so that the forces
might be summoned to a given point
or ordered to act at an instant's no.
tice. The troops were put upon q
war footing, and every officer was
pledged to the secrecy which that
condition imposes. Guns were train
ed upon the House of Represents.
tives. 1t is an open secret that
Grant threatened, if certain action
was taken by the House, to send
Speaker Randall and ether leading
members to Fortress Monroe. He
was quite ready t. follow the exam
pie OF Cromwell and Napoleon when
they dispersed the peoples represen-
tatves.
These troops were kept at the capt.
tai until after Hayes inauguration,
and arrangements were made to hurl
a large part Of the regular army on
Washington at given signal. Grant
has made no concealment on this
, point since leaving the White House
Indeed, he has rather boastcd of pre-
parations made at that time, as if he
a had performed a patriotic duty.
The conspiracy originated in de.
liberate fraud, and had to be pro-
tected and carried out by force, held
in hand for expected crisis. Grant
, did not act his part from any love oI
Hayes. He had no better opinion o
him four years ago than he has now
An ulterior and personal motive had
T much to do with his conduct then
Caleb Gushing had publicly declared
. > that in the event of failure to elecI
a President, Grant could hold ove'
y until new election. Troops wer,
indispensable to consummate such /,
f revolution as that, and they wer'
= ready, under the orders of SHERMAN