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Show : TELEGRAPHIC POTTER S COMMITTEE. Jlwjnr Dnrke on (he SfBnd .11 ore ol the JJarguJn Basi- Xew York, 20. Tbe Potter committee com-mittee resumed jtj iovesiigatioQ tbis morniDg. E. A. Eurke was the first witness. He aaid, "I was charged with the registration on election nint tere in '7G, in New Orleana, as chairman chair-man of the central committee and ihe registration berpnu; think we knew the result ol the election In Louisiana about the loib of November. Novem-ber. I'Hrt returns werp all in except the paiish of St. jUariiu'a, wliich h8 ab-ut 2,000 votes." General Butler did all the questioning question-ing ol witnesa, Witness eid tho higbeet Tilden elector'a vote was 83.S59, and Ihe lowest Hayes elector received 75,240, a diflerence of 8,619. Witness could not give the vote for Nicholls exactly, but he had a maior- : ity of 2,000 votes. The returning . board threw out some 10,000 votes to count in Hayes electors. In the cam paign ot '74 we were cheated nut of the election results by this same returning re-turning board. There was no change in their actions or principles. Tney were as arbitrary and unjust in '76 as in '74. Our apprehensions were increased by teleRrams passing from leading republicans all over the country coun-try to the leaders, and showed ub that they would sustain their men in any action they took. Louisiana men got lopoudeut alter the election and about gave it up, but when these tele-grama tele-grama commeuced and the visiting statesmen arrived their spirits aroused and they never seemed to falter from that out. The inauguration of Governor Gov-ernor Nicholls took place before some 50,000 persona, and tht; assembly was at once organized. They took possession posses-sion of everything except the small apace filled and occupied by Packard. Witness eaid he religiously religi-ously and sincerely believed that Hayes and rackard were defeated and Tiidenand Nicholls elected, and that was the opinion of evety honest man there. He went to Washington cn the 15th of January, as n gent for Governor Nicholls, to secure 'he nonintervention non-intervention by government troops with the state government. We !eh that we had the moral and materia force of the pcoplo of L uiaian, sufficient to establish ourdrUca. We never attempted to have a collision with United States troop?. We were determined to protect ibe interests of our state against any source whatever, and if an armed attack were made on the Nicholla government it would have been repelled. Wo had become sick and tired of the state of things. Cheated out of two elections and plundered, we determined not to stand it longer, and would have forced a military government in preference to standing such things. Gen. Grant modified his ideas after my visit to Washington, I was in Washington for the purpose of getting troops not to interfere, and got an order to that effect on the afternoon of the 2J of ilarch. i Q. Then you mean that the order j was on the day when Gen. Grant's j form Ptnirod at 19. nVlnrlr that nirrlit. Now, did you not know that Hayes called on Grant that same dtiy at 11 o'clock in tbe morning? A. No, sir; I did not hear of ii; did not know of any conference bettveeu Hayes and Grant. Tne lelegr.wn sent on the 1st of March, '77, from Grant to Packard, in which he states that he does not believe public opinion will sustain any action by the United States government govern-ment in Louisiana, and that the troops would bo only used to protect the peace, witness admitted to be cor rect. Witness said that we wre not in favor of the electoral cemmisnou. We understood through crude and logical reasoning that if Hayes na recognized that Packard would also have to bo recognized. Here another telegram from U. 8, Gran! to General Augur, dated the 14th of January, 1377, was read, in which, while deprecating dep-recating interference on Ihe part ol tho federal government, yet, s.-ud lua the Packard government ehouid be recognized ub the electoral commission had declared them elected When tho hope of seeing Tilden, whom wl knew to be elected, pissed away, on the 16th of February, wo were ready tn rnnfpr with Havps and fire what lie uitant to do for Louisiana. Among ; some of the promises made to Sanator j Matthews was the suppression o crime, education of blacks and while?, tho promotion of friendly relations between both, and equil civil and political rights. Continued on second puye. TOTIEU INVESTIGATION. Continued from Jirsl p igc. The education question of black and white together was met and discussed dis-cussed between Senator Matthews aud myself. Nothing was B.id between Matthews and myself about the returning re-turning board. Witness said there is not one word in these guarantees that is not compulsory and embodied in the laws of the United States and the state of Louisiana. Q. Now, was this all you oftered to put in Hayes and Packard out? A. We offered these for Nicholls' Government. Wit neBS Baid that we did acquit see in not opposing the count when we found that tbe republican puty were deter minprl tn on fin with thn count Q. Did you and your party friends agree to stop tho opposition to the counting in of Hayes? A We certainly cer-tainly did, air. We were assured by President Grant that alter the count was completed the troops would be withdrawn. I Baid to Mr. Matthews that while we were assured that Pres ! ident Grant's assurance? of Hayes' policy were well intended, yet we wanted these assurances from such men as Garfield, Morton and others whom they regarded more than Hayes. He said he could not answer for them and I said, then we will place your party in such a posi-sition posi-sition that they must speak, I meant ther-by that our people wolud join the fillibustera and prevent the atatea of Louisiana and South Carolina being counted for Hayes. Witness aftid there were but two phases of negotiations in thia thing Cameron and Matthews' phases. That he made the same proposition of agreement agree-ment to Cameron as he did to Matthews on February 18th; also to Foster and other leading members of the republican party. tj. After the resolution passed on the 17th of February by congress, deciding not to interfere with the Louisiana count, was there any hope for the republican administration? A. No Bir; except some arrangement was made with the democrats of Louisiana. 1 had a conversation with Hewitt and he aaid the democrats were determined to put thia fraud on the shoulders ol tbe republican party. The republican party were well aware of our determination to break up tbe count. Witness Baid he bad a. conversation con-versation with Grant on the 26th of KdhrnarwT h intimated that he would Dot do anything to prejudice the republican re-publican party and would cot act until the count was declared for Hayea. Grant allowed us virtually, to take possession of the state. We acted on his intimations and be submitted to them. On the 26th of February, Ellis asked witness to come and see him and showfd witness a letter from Lamar, in which Lamar stated that Foster had told a friend of hia of un doubted veracity, that hia (Foster's) speech, hinting at Hayes' southern policy, had been made alter a consul- in-law. Lamar aaid Matthews urged Foster to etate equarely that Hayes would have nothing to do with Pack ard. Lamar continued that this was the first word that had come directly or indirectly from Hayes that seemed worthy ol notice by southern men. Their idea was to control the states and free them from the carpetbag carpet-bag government. He suggested that Ellia make some advances to secure the local government and if possible possi-ble get assurances from Hayes that he would not recognize Packard. The witness continued, Ellia proposed pro-posed and arranged a conference among MattbewB, DenniBon, Sner-man, Sner-man, Foster and witness. Witness showed the guarantees Nicholls would make. Sherman was anxious regard r.v the senators who he feared must also be democratic if Nicholls was recognized. Finally it was agreed to ask Grant to remove the troops, this disembarrassing Hayes. Another conference was' held ia the evening, Sherman, Garfield, Foster, Dennisou, Matthews, Eliis, Vivy, Wa Hereon nod jwilneiB being preaent. The whole : condition of afiaira was then discussed. Adjourned. |