o represent us in
Congress and hence have not been invited. South Carolina puts herself in
your hands and expects you to secure for her whatever terms are given to
Louisiana."

So of a sudden I found myself invested with responsibility equally as an
agent and a referee.

It is hardly worth while repeating in detail all that passed at this
Wormley Conference, made public long ago by Congressional investigation.
When I entered the apartment of Mr. Evarts at Wormley's I found, besides
Mr. Evarts, Mr. John Sherman, Mr. Garfield, Governor Dennison, and Mr.
Stanley Matthews, of the Republicans; and Mr. Ellis, Mr. Levy, and Mr.
Burke, Democrats of Louisiana. Substantially the terms had been agreed
upon during the previous conferences--that is, the promise that if Hayes
came in the troops should be withdrawn and the people of Louisiana be
left free to set their house in order to suit themselves. The actual
order withdrawing the troops was issued by President Grant two or three
days later, just as he was going out of office.

"Now, gentlemen," said I, half in jest, "I am here to represent South
Carolina; and if the terms given to Louisiana are not equally applied to
South Carolina I become a filibuster myself to-morrow morning."

There was some chaffing as to what right I had there and how I got in,
when with great earnestness Governor Dennison, who had been the bearer
of a letter from Mr. Hayes, which he had read to us, put his hand on my
shoulder and said: "As a matter of course the Southern policy to which
Mr. Hayes has here pledged himself embraces South Carolina as well as
Louisiana."

Mr. Sherman, Mr. Garfield and Mr. Evarts concurred warmly in this,
and immediately after we separated I communicated the fact to General
Butler.

In the acrimonious discussion which subsequently sought to make
"bargain, intrigue and corruption" of this Wormley Conference, and to
involve certain Democratic members of the House who were nowise party to
it but had sympathized with the purpose of Louisiana and South Carolina
to obtain some measure of relief from intolerable local conditions,
I never was questioned or assailed. No one doubted my fidelity to
Mr. Tilden, who had been promptly advised of all that passed and who
approved what I had done.

Though "conscripted," as it were, and rather a passive agent, I could
see no wrong in the proceeding. I had spoken and voted in favor of the
Electoral Tribunal Bill, and losing, had no thoug