The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-10-14
The VOTES OF THE EXCLUDED STATES.

If we can gather anything from the tele-
graphic report of the Presidents order,
through General Grant, to the military
commanders in the three excluded States,
it means that the President stands by
his theory that those States are States
of the Union and not subject pro-
vinces, and that, as such, they have a right to
vote in the presidential election. The Presi-
deLt has persistently adhered to this view,
although his acts have not hitherto conformed
to il; but the discrepancy between his pro-
claimed theory and his actual practice, arose
from the fact that he has been compelled to
execute laws of Congress at variance with
that theory. If left free to act we may pre-
sumo that he would, in every case, have sus-
taiued the right of these States to exercise
the functions which legitimately belong to
them as members of the federal Union Thus
his doctrine that the Southern States were
entitled to representation in Congress, in
wolves the necessary corollary that they are
entitled to representation in the electoral col
lege. He could not enforce his views as to
congressional representation; nor can he
finally enforce his theory of electoral
representation, but he can prevent the
military officers under his command from
interfering in elections. This seems to be
the object of the new order. 1t is addressed
to Gen. Reynolds, but is intended. donhtlsss
to govern the other two commanders, Gen
Gillem and Gen. Stoneman. Gen. Reynolds
had, formally, forbidden the people of Texas
to hold an election. Gen. Gillem had re-
sponded to the application of Gen. Freeman,
chairman of the Democratic State Committee
that he would not permit an election to be
held. The President in turn, forbids any
interference on the part of these officers; and
the effect will be that the people of the three
States of Virginia, Mississippi and Texas can
hold elections on the Sd of next month,
without fear of collision with the military
authorities Of course this does not decide
the point at issue between the two parties, as
to the validity Of these votes, and as to the
right of Congress, by statutory enactment, to
deprive State of its representation in
the electoral college. But it enables the
Democrats to make an issue on these
points. 1t enables the people of the
three States to make legal tender of their
votes to the Democracy, and it then remains
for the Democracy to accept the tender,
and to stand by the rights of the States 1t
may be that the 20 votes of Virginia, Missis-
sippi and Texas would decide the contest
and indeed such contingency was contem-
plated by the Republicans. when they at
tempted by means of legislative strategy and
legerdemain to prohibit the people of those
States from taking part in the conflict. If
these votes be cast, and they suffice to elect
Seymour, it is certain that the Senate will re-
fuse to count them but if the result of the
election shows popular Democratic majority
the Democratic party will not feel disposed to
permit this audacious suppression of the voice
of the people and the rights of the States.
At all events, this action of the President
places the three excluded States in position
to assert their rights up to point which must
bring the two parties face to face on an issue
that might as well be settled now as at any
other time. arH ffrarn