The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1884-04-11
"rhe Isayonet Conspiracy"

n. Y. World.
A dispatch IRON WashIngtonI
March, 0, says: A supposed South
ern who has been stirred up by the
publication in. these dispaIcaes
of Blackburn's storJ OF Grants
plan 10 overawe the house Of repre-
sentatlves with troops in tho stormy
times OF counting in Hayes. has
contributed To tue Sanda: Herald
here what he calls an. additioaal, &,
chapter in the bayonet conspiracy.
After reciting tho Blackburn story
the writer says: sFor two weeks
many democratic members Of the
house slept in Baltimore every
night rather than take the chances
of being awakened By an officer
with Il file of men and au order tor
their arrest. Something had 10 ba
done. The great mind OF Ben Hill,
of Georgia, comprehended the dan
ger, aud was equal to il. tie eail.
eda secret meeting Of thirty-eight
OF his Southern colleagues at a.
prominent hotel hero to consult
upon what was their duty IN this
hour OF great danger to the repnb-
lie. The signs OF tbs times were
ominous. In Indiana meetings
were being held to decide what the
democrats, who had elected their
president, should do. Gen. Stead.
man came here from Toledo, Ohio,
and openly said his people did not
mean to be robbed of the fruits OF
their victory aud there we're 800
meu to his, knowledge who were
ready with arms to maintain their.
rights. Mr.. Hills friends met.
None hut Southern men heard of
the meeting. IL escaped those NJ
gus.eyed watchers OF events, the
special correspondents. The thirty-
eight decided to vote with the re.
publIcaps TO stop tilibustering.
They believed the salvation OF The
country demanded 1t, and they rose
for the occasion. Not o Whisper
of what bad been done reached
other ears than theirs. Next morr'
ing when the tronble commence,'
in the house, these thirty-eisht be
gan to vote 'sno.n | will never for
get the scene. Tue republicans
were dazed. jerry Rusk, then
member of congress from Wiscon-
sin, after the Governor OF his STATE,
said "When Ben Hill voted no |
voted aye. am puzzled; | never
found myself voting with the rebels
before" Levy, of Louisiana made
a speech which opened the eyes
of the house. Leading republicans,
men with national regulations for
truth and honesty. had assured
the Louisiana delegation that
Louisiana should 60 from under
the yoke, and Gen. NJ. Z. Butler,
OF South Carolina, who was here
watching events for Gen. Hampton,
telegrapbed the same things TO his
friends in Columbia.
"Mr. Tilden became alarmed.
His case bad already been lost by
Mr.. Hewitt's famous I,eace ut any
price speech, but Tilden did not
seem 10 know 1t. He sent L.s
agents all over the South, and all
at 0uce from every quarter there
came letters and teIegrams to the
devoted thirty.eisbt, asking them
what they meant by thus betraying
the party. In some OF the more
rabid newspapers they were de-
nounced as traitors compared IT,
whom Judas Iscariot was u saint
and Benedict Arnold q patriot
But they never swerved, and in
face of the abuse, the entreatles---
iecrs in many cases--ot their opi
ponents, in spite of all this they
voted as they believed their duty
called on tbem to do until the count
was euded. At that time the c0an-
try did not know, but now the peo-
pie see with clearer eyes, and in
the light OF past events the met
who stood in the breach against
such storm as but seldom comes
are justified by their friends and