(HIS MOTIVES IN SUPPORTING THE ELECTORAL TRIBUNAL)
"WASHINGTON, D. C., _March 3_.
"GENTLEMEN,--The last act of the executive committee was
the announcement to the people of the United States that Samuel J.
Tilden was elected President, and Thomas A. Hendricks Vice-President.
"This announcement was followed by a scurrilous pronunciamento
from the national Republican committee, claiming the election of
Hayes and Wheeler. The power to determine the result resided in
Congress; but grave differences of opinion, threatening the peace
of the country, existed as to the lawful methods of procedure,
and the constitutional rights, and the duties of the two Houses
in the premises. Committees were therefore raised in both Houses
to consider the question, and to confer with each other as to
legislation proper to be adopted in order to secure a declaration
of the result without confusion and public disorder. The Senate
committee had practically perfected a bill for this purpose before
the House committee met with them in conference. This bill had
received the assent and approval of the three Democratic Senators
serving on the committee.
"To have rejected this settlement would, necessarily, have produced
division in the Democratic party, and been fatal to its immediate
and future success. On the other hand, the bill itself seemed to
be so wisely framed in its main features, that the judgment of the
Democratic members of the House committee gradually confirmed the
action of the Senate committee, and, with some changes which were
deemed favorable to the Democratic position, the Electoral bill
was approved by all the Democratic members of both committees, and
was duly reported and became a law by the vote of a large majority
of the Democratic members of both Houses, and was approved by the
general judgment of the country.
"The result has disappointed the hopes of every lover of his
country. By decisions abhorrent to the natural senses of justice,
all proof of fraud was ruled out, and the States of Louisiana and
Florida have been counted for Hayes, although all fair-minded men
concede that they voted for Tilden. This grievous wrong and its
authors I have denounced on the floor of the House, and I have no
hesitancy in declaring that, for the first time in our history, the
Presidency has been awarded to a candidate who has no just title to
its honors.
"But he comes into office as the result of the operation of a law
which received the support of the Democratic party, and any attempt
to resist its operation would, it seems to me, only deprive us
of the support and sympathy of all conservative and fair-minded
citizens.
"Inasmuch as difference of opinion exist in regard to the policy
which has been pursued by the Democratic party since the election,
and prior to the meeting of Congress, I have only to say that so far
as my action is concerned, whatever has been done has received the
approval of the executive committee and of the only persons outside
of their number who had any right to be consulted.
"An absurd statement has been widely circulated that had declared
that 'I preferred the inauguration of Hayes to the shedding of
a single drop of blood.' A leading Democratic journalist, who
could at any time from his position as a member of the House of
Representatives, have ascertained the truth, has circulated this
false statement in a letter over his own initials, although it ought
to have been known to him that I had contradicted it in a card,
widely copied, immediately after its publication. The only remark
which I ever made on this subject was in private conversation, not
intended to be repeated, and was to the effect that 'I would prefer
four years of Hayes' administration to four years of civil war';
and upon this declaration I am willing to stand, because four years
of civil war would, in my opinion, utterly destroy constitutional
government for this generation at least.
"It has also been insinuated that my course has been affected by the
ownership of a large amount of United States bonds. It is enough for
me to express the regret that I am not so fortunate as to own any of
these desirable securities, and to state that all my means are, as
they always have been, used in giving employment to the working-men
of this land, suffering so severely from the maladministration of
its public affairs.
"I have also been censured for assenting to the completion of the
count in accordance with the provisions of the law which I helped
to frame, and which received my cordial approval and my vote. As an
honorable man, I do not see that any other course was open to me,
but if honor had permitted otherwise, my judgment is that it was the
wisest course for the country, as well as for the Democratic party,
to proceed in accordance with the law to the orderly completion of
the count, although we knew that it would result in the installation
of Hayes into an office to which he had no honest right, except
such as might be deprived from the unjust decisions of a tribunal
which we had helped to create. My reasons for this conclusion are
as follows: If the count had been defeated, and the bill to provide
for a vacancy in the office of President had become a law, a new
election would have taken place in November next: meanwhile the
office of President would have been filled by a Republican chosen by
the Senate. The whole power of the administration would therefore be
under the control of the Republican managers. In order to succeed
they must hold on to South Carolina and Louisiana, which would
necessarily involve sustaining by force the usurping governments of
Chamberlain and Packard, with all their unlawful excrescences in the
way of unscrupulous returning boards. The patience of the people
of these two unhappy States is utterly exhausted. They would break
out in open rebellion against a government thus forced on them,
and continued in power by the armed forces of the United States.
Civil war would result. The Federal government would re-enforce
itself with all the troops at its command; the other Southern States
would naturally rush to the aid of their suffering sister States;
the safety of the colored as well as the white population would be
endangered; and a call would be made for volunteers and militia
from the Northern States to suppress the rebellion, and thus the
flames of civil war would be lighted all over the Union, in the
midst of which a free election would be impossible, and a military
despotism take the place of civil government. This generation would
pass away before the country would recover from the disastrous
consequences of such a fratricidal strife.
"In comparison with the evils of anarchy, or of a government
of force, which alone could prevent anarchy, four years of
usurpation--but usurpation in accordance with the forms of
law--seemed to me by far the lesser evil. Besides, we have not yet
tested the judgment of the people as to the great outrage upon all
justice and right which has been perpetrated. There is no reason
to suppose that it will be sanctioned by the popular voice, but if
it should be we could not hope to save them from usurpation and
despotism by force used against the judgment of a majority of the
people.
"To me, therefore, on the one side was anarchy and civil war,
inevitable and disastrous of all the hopes of free government; on
the other side was peace and order, with free speech, a free press,
and the ballot-box still preserved to us.
"Under the circumstances, I could not hesitate as to my course. I
felt that, as a patriot and a trusted servant of the Democracy,
no other course was left open to me, and I feel sure that its
wisdom will be indicated by the early and triumphant success of the
Democratic party, standing, as it does, upon the rock of justice and
patriotism, from which no amount of passion or provocation has been
able to move it.
"For myself, I feel that I have now completed the duty which was
assigned to me at St. Louis. The result of the campaign was the
unquestionable election of our candidates. That they and the people
have been defrauded of their rights is true, but for this result I
do not hold myself any more responsible than any other member of
Congress upon whom rested the duty of counting and declaring the
votes.
"In the course of my very brief public experience, I have already
found that my usefulness as a Representative in Congress has been
seriously impaired by my position as chairman of this committee, and
I had long since determined to ask to be permitted to retire from it
as soon as the result of the election was definitely ascertained.
The unforeseen complications which arose have necessarily compelled
me to postpone the execution of this intention until the present
time. Now, however, that all impediments to my retirement are
removed, I beg to be released from further service as your chairman,
and, thanking you for the honor you have conferred and for the
confidence which you have uniformly manifested in my efforts to
promote the success of Democratic principles, I have the honor to be,
"Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
"ABRAM S. HEWITT.
"_To the National Democratic Committee._"