Year: 1878

may be thought of Mr. Matthews, this letter
renders it certain that he did not regard An
derson as having any hold upon him or the
Administration, and was utterly unaware OF
any criminal act which Anderson had commit
ted with the cOnnivance of any prominent
Republican This established, the folly OF Mr.
Matthews in seeking an Office for person so
unworthy becomes entirely unimp0rtant e1-
cept to his own reputation.


To appreciate fully the failure OF the inves-
tigation thus far, 1t is necessary to remember
that the story of frauds in Louisiana ara
Florida has been constantly reiterated ever
since the election, and fully believed by the
great majority of Democrats. Worse stlll' ue
unWise appointment of some persons, ana the
conduct of the President and some Oh Ms
friends in other respects, had really caused
norton of the Republicans to doubt whether
Democratic accusations were not Urue-
whether there was not deliberate falslhcauOn
of returns in order to secure the elecJorai
votes of two States encouraged by leading
Republicans. and arterwaTd rewarded by the
President through their influence. Such was
the actual state of public opinion before the
Investigation was ordered. Confidence in the
President and in Republican leaders had
really been much impaired by the
persistent reiteration OF these charges
and the iniudicous course pursued IN some
respects. Nearly all Democrats fully Deheyed,
and many Republicans feared, that crime had
been committed, and that some persons In high
station we're cognzant of it and were reward
ing it. Undoubtedly that feeling would have
greatly damaged the Republican party If
Democrats had not insisted upon investigation
for the belief or suspicion would have grown
with every act prompted on the part OF the
President and his friends by honorable motives,
but capable of being otherwise construed by
those who believed in fraud or had begun to
doubt.


But a very great change in public opinion
has already been produced by the evidence
elected As to the President, it has been
shown that he was willing TO appoint to posi-
tions for which they were supposed TO be fitted
Republicans who, like Anderson, were repre-
sentcd as having done their duty at great
personal sacrifice and peril, but that he
would not consent to the appointment %
such men. whatever their services had been,
to any position, however unimpOrtant, If they
became known to him rs persons OF unworthy
character. His swift revocation of the ap-
pontment Of Anderson is conclusive prooi as
to the motives which governed him, not only
in that case but in others which have been
criticised If unworthy men have been placed
or retained in positions of trust, it is easy TO
believe that the President has been misin-
formed as to their character or services but
it is very clear that they have not been ap-
pointed because he was cOgnlzant OF any
wrong which they had done, or feared any
disclosures which they might make. The in
vestigation has done the President another
great service it has shown that the influence
of Mr. Matthews with him has not been, even
in minor matters, by any means so great as
some have supposed. Beyond doubt, the
President is stronger in public opinion than
he was before the investigation began, not
merely because not the least scrap of evil
dence has been found which tends to cast
suspicion upon his motives, but because it is
felt that his information and Judgment as to
the fitness of men Is less likely to be over
come by the influence Of personal friends than
many had imagined.


Secretary Sherman also has reason to rejoice
that the Investigation was ordered. The sus-
melon naU Detu luhNNlllbNHil AbNt'A'h ~
Democrats that he was the chief manipulation
of the alleged fraud in Louisiana, and the
whIspenmgs about damaging letter from him
had produced some effect in private. But it
now becomes known, beyond possibility OF
doubt by rational men, that he knew of no
fraud. encouraged none, rewarded none; that
if any letter whatever was written by him it
was one of a character perfectly consistent
with his full belief in the honesty of the Lou
isiana return, and one who nobody pretending
to have knowledge of any fraud has ever
dared to recall to his recollection as a reason
for favor. The balance of probability at pre-
sent is against the existence of any letter to
Anderson but if one was written, Mr.. Sher-
man has reason 20 rejoice that there is no
longer room TO misrepresent effectively
its character or purpose. Mr.. Noyes has
been in like manner suspected in connection
with the count in Florida. But the evidence
shows that he never had single word of con-
yersation on the subject, which can be con-
strued as implying a knowledge of fraud, with
the man of all others to whom he must have
applied if any fraud was perpetrated by his
instigation OF with his knowledge,


If President Hayes, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Noyes
and Mr. Matthews knew nothing at the time,
and know nothing now, of the existence of
any fraud, and if they have acted from that
time to thisin a manner perfectly consistent with
innocence and not at all consistentwith guilt, can
il be believed that any weaker and less inhu-
ential Republicans have instgated, encour-
aged and rewarded fraud 7 The investigation
Kicks with fatal effect. It not only fails to
prove that any leading Republican had knOwl-
edge of or share in any fraud, but 1t posi-
lively establishes the fact that the very men,
without whom it would not have been possible
for any such fraud to be perpetrated and re-
warded, had no knowledge or suspicion Of Its