Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-04-18
Letters from, Bre,uster.

WASHINGTON, April 17.--During the prepar-
alton of the South Carolina election cases for
presentation to the courts, Attorney General
Brewster addressed two letters to Sanders,
special attorney for the United States. These
letters were written since the senate called for
other letters of the attorney general on the
prosecution of the South Carolina cases, and
were not included among those sent the senate.
In the first letter, under date of April 6, At
torney General Brewster writes Mr.. Sanders
saying: "What desire to say expressly to
you and through you, to Mr.. Melton, is this:
That these are not political prosecutions;
politics do not enter into them so far IS
this department is concerned, nor should it so
far as Melton, in the performance of his off,
cial duties representing this department is
concerned. It's not a question of Democrat
or Republican,; it is question of enforcing
the law; to maintain that law which is the
corner stone of all our institutions. | did
not write to you for political purpose, or to
produce political effect, the thought never
entered my mind. am not here to stir up
political strife. but am here to enforce ODE
dience to the law, and that am determined
to do. and am resolved to exact from all
those who represent this department, strict
and vigllant performance OF all their duties in
excitement that surrounds them. They must
be as far above that as the judge who
presides over the investigation. Strike at the
top, no matter who it hits, Democrat or Re-
publican. say again, politics In party
sense has nothing to do with this, but poll
tics in broad sense has. The life of the ma
ton has nothing to do with it as long as it
processes to bea Democratic republic, founded
on the rights of suffrage freely, fairly and
| npap1u horocflvr
by those whose duty it is to pronounce the
result of elections. will send you the stem
Ographers you want. If can spare Mr.. Ker,
Twill send him again. 1t is q remarkable
thing that these stenographers at the last mo-
ment should fail you. That must be
inquired into so that ! may understand
how it is you are crippled thus in the per-
Torrance of these duties. Fortunately have
anticipated that there might be some such
deficiency and there will be in Charleston, by
the time you will receive this, suitable persons
to perform that duty. Say to Melton that
the whole force, judicial force ,ani legal force,
OF the government must be excited to try
these cases fairly and fully. If they result in
conviction, it must be q conviction obtained
by legal means in lawful way, and to lawful
eud and punishment of great criminals. If
they result in acquittal it is 10 be hopedit
WI NC d just dCQuibtal anu tuab DeInR Tie
case all men will be sati fled and
glad, too, that the scandal put upon public
election Of any part of the country is wiped
out; but if acquittals are procured by irregu.
lar means or undue popular influence being
excited and local hatreds that have existed
| they will be disgrace upon those who have
performed such an unjust verdict, and the
| men who are discharged will pass out of the
| court room is much degraded as if they had
been convicted. say again fair play all
around to the government and TO the accused
but fair and open trials, according to law and
according to the forms of the orderly admins.
| tration of public Justice
The second letter is extremely long, but in
| more aggrieyed and disappointed tone than
the first The attorney general could not see
how Judge Bond and Judge Bryan could have
made other decision than the one they did
| but he suggests that it was the lack oil
vigilance and alertness in the government
attorney that made it possible for them to
decide In that way. He takes exceptions to
the manner in which he is asked to do the
| best he can in the way of assistance, saying
that it is precisely what he has been doing al
along. He calls to Mr.. Sanders mind agar
the great magnitude and public importance
of the questions involved, and hints that thu
conduct of tie attorneys in these cases if they
are not extremely watchful will be the subject
of much stern criticism from the press ant
people.