The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-14


What reasons have you for your state
ments as to the danger there was of an out
break of violence, aside from the excitement
of the people and the newspaper talk?'
1.-THE very best of reasons. There is an I'M
written chapter of history there--a chapter
that never will be written, because none of
the materials can ever be procured by his
torian."
"Of what do you speak,"
"Of letters, kilograms and notes that
pouredlH upon Democratic members of the
conference committee, before the electoral
commission bill was agreed to- especially to
Mr.. Payne, who was chairman of the House,
or Democratic, committee: of conferences
held by Democratic leaders, of plans pro-
posed for]the seating of Tilden at any cost
Of the contagious character of the incendiary
speeches made in Democratic caucuses by
some of the eloquent hot-heads.
There was a large element of our party
that was not ready to give an inch; they
would fight first This was one of the great
difficulties we had to contend with, as these
men were ever ready to insinuate that the
Democratic members OF the committee of
conference were not bold enough, and would
give the Republicans the advantage. They
seemed ready to accuse us even of treachery
in case our efforts to compromise with the
Republicans and avoid plGnging the country
into war should lead 10 the seating of Hayes
Membership of that committee was any
thing but pleasant duty, l can assure you.
IN one of our caucuses, called to con-
slider the Democratic position in the confer
ence committee work the hot-heads were
more aggressive than usual, and some of
them went SO far even as to vaguely insinu-
ate cowardice on the part of some of the
more conservative committeeman The re-
| ht,lr HI 3
ginia, like myself, member of the commit
tee, and afterward of the commission, was
powerful. He began like this: Gentlemen,
! if this were a question of fighting | am not
afraid to fight. l went into the battle of
Gettysburg, one of regiment of 1877 fighting
men; at the close of the battle e
were fifteen of us left. 1 repeat,
if this was a fighting question, L am
not afraid to fight. But, what is the
situation? Where are your troops. your
officers, vour arms, your war supplies? Where
are your companies, regiments brigades?
And had you them, how are you going to
equip organize and mass them when all the
power of the federal government is ready to
spring-is now ready to spring upon us-at
a moments notice? 1t is idle to talk of war
it is worse than idle This is not fighting
question. This is question to be solv9d by
statesmen. And it is the duty of the Demo
cratic party to give up the presidency and all
that it implies rather than plunge the eoun-
try into a hand-to-haud strife. l want it un-
derstood that there is not Democrat on this
committee who lacks the courage to fight if
that were his duty; and | am proud to de-
clare there is not Democrat on this COM
mittee who lacks the higher, nobler courage
/ to do all in his power to hold this mad spirit
in check, and to seat Mr.. Tilden by peaceable
and constitutional means -~-
Isl. give you only the substance of his
words. Their effect was greatand frightened
our path AS the work of our committee
progressed, and we were found firm and
vigilant, l believe three-fourths of the
Democrats in Congress had confidence III us,
and eventually were completely satisfied
with our conclusion"
PEOPLE WHO WISHED TO FIGHT.
"How about those letters and kilograms
from other parts of the country?"
"Well, there was much of that kind of
matter cannot speak Of There were COM
munications from men high in the party and
in social standing--communic most
warlike and fierce. The late General Steed-
man was not the only one who was eager to
raise large bodies of men and march to Wash
ington to seat Tilden. From hundreds came
offers to raise companies and regiments; Of
fers of money and arms, clothing ammuni-
ton, ETC. l think the misSives received by
Chairman Payne alone would, If published,
astound the country, But think he has de-
stroyed every one of them; | remember his
telling me of his intention TO do So At
least he has pledged himself never to make
them public and that is as good as their de-
structon. No doubt some of those men
were not sincere, or would have failed to do
what they promised had they been called
upon. Many were excited and acted with
out deli beration, and would be extremely
sorry to have their propositions now known
to the worldp ,a 4r~.es ..a
"What plans were proposed for seating
Tilden?' - '3
I'm case the electoral commission bill had
been defeated, either in, committee or in
Congress, and the Republicans had gone
on and declared Hayes elected as they
would have done, a coup detat was
proposed by some of the hot heads,
and by them much talked OF and seri-
ously considered. The plan was to secretly
mass men and arms in Washington, aud so
close to Washington that they could be
brought in quickly; then the House was to
declare Tilden elected, issue manifestoes de-
nouncing violence, asserting the supremacy
OF the House as the direct representatives of
the people, declare that the House forces
were not to make war, but to protect the
members from violence or armed arrest.
These forces would have been brought for
ward suddenly, ard in the collision that
would have occurred very quickly-for we
knew Grant well enough to know what to
expect-much reliance. would have been
placed in the fact that large portion of the
regular soldiers were Democrats, who would
not be willing TO do effective fighting in such
q cause.
"Now. do not understand me as saying any
such plan as this was seriously considered by
the Democratic leaders III Washington; it was
not 1t was plan of the hot-heads, as L
have said, and the most of US were devoting
our energies to perfectng the electoral com.
mission, and had thought of violent
measures But had the conference commit
tee failed to agree that momentous night in 4
Mr.. Payne's room at the Riggs House, do
not know what would have happened With
all hope of peaceful settlement at an end,