The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-17
SPIRIT OF TIE PRESS.
EproPtAL OPINIONS or THE LEADING 'oUNFAA7
uPOE CURRENT ToPICs-ooMrILED LIVELY
DAY FOR tbs BvMEG gKIzSRAFK.
General Graut's Letter Of Acceptance.

General Grauts Letter 0I AcccpIance'
Fron the N. Y. World
General Grant betrsys symptoms oil VaClllA-
tion. The evaporation OF the kepuOnoan
Coppressmen since his speech ON Satufoay,
and their muttered threats OF OppOslIlon,
have induced him to smooth matters Dy giving
a virtual assurance that he does not lhtenu W
desert the Republican party. as lneuiu t, ,, VI
conveying this assurance, he mas SlOp'eu Iu0
unusual and so far as we know, the uneN-
ampled course of sending to Congress l9.Iel .Isl
of aceeptapoe There Is no reason IN tne
world (aside from his wish to pour oil on tne
troubled waters) why he should nave Wti.''n
letter of acceptance, or why sucu los''iI o.
written. should be addressed to Congress- 1e
was not elected by Congress, but by Douy
nj Eleotors from whom ell members OF Con'
r,ross ara excluded by the Constitution:
when the Electoral Colleges had disonSlse9
their duty of voting, and MAKING OuI "uu
transmitting the certlhGates oi 'noti 80,
tbav were Immediately dissolved ana hao no
Longer apy existence. As there Is no orga-
,,i1sd body from whom the new President re-
oojved bis election, there is none to whom q
letter of acceptance could with any propriety
he addressed. Congress, at very. early
period. passed q law which completely dis
nsnses With any formal acceptance by newly
elected President, by providing that nothing
short of an instrument in writing deposited
with the Secretary of State should be con-
sidered as refusal. The law (passed in
1902 is in these words
UTbe only evidence of a refusal TO accept or
OF a resignation, Of the ONCE OF Presldent or
writing declaring the same, and subscribed by
the person refusing, TO aeceptor resiguing, as
the case may be, and delivered into the Office
of th eSecretsry of state"
ia President elect does not execute and
deposit such an instrument the law assumes
that he accepts, and makes unnecessary any
formal declaration to that effect. All former
Presidents have acted in the spirit of this law;
none of them have committed the absurdity of
sending q letter of acceptance to body who
took no part in the election, who are excluded
bv the Constitution from taking any part in
the election when there has been a choice by
the Electoral Colleges, and who are merely
present as spectators at the opening and count
ing Of the votes. Why has General Grant (and
Mr.. COlfsx to keep him COuntenance) deviated
from the custom Of his predecessors, and done
a superfuous act which goes beyond the re-
quirements Of the Law
The reason is easily cOnjectured. The party
hubbub caused by General Grants speech of
Saturday, has moved him to undo its effects
by assuring Congress aud the Republican
party that he does not mean to cut loose from
them. His virtual declaration OF indepen-
denoe was made on an occasion so formal that
he felt constrained to invent an occasion
sion 1t made. Hence this unusual step of
sending formal letter of acceptance to Con-
gress. General Grants letter is in the follow
ing words:-
'GENTLEMEN:-Please notify the two aouses
OF Congress OF my acceptance of the important
election as President OF the United States, and
say TO them that Il will be my endeavor that
they and those who elected them shall have no
cause to regret their action"
General Grant, to use a slang expression,
has "oaved." Close upon the heels of the
speech in which he ignored the Republican
party and the Republican policy, he sends
this letter virtually promising that that party
shall have no reason to be dissatisfied with
their choice. This letter is an afterthought.
If he had had any intention of sending a
written acceptance, he would have told the
committee so on Saturday. This expedient
has occurred to him, or been put into his
head by friends, since, as the readiest means
of quieting the alarm excited by his speech,
and increased by the compliment and assu-
rance Of Democratic support rendered by Mr..
Pruyn. Mr.. Colfax was induced to send a
similar letter, to cover the appearance OF
singularity. Colfax having no distrust or dis.
satisfaction to remove, his letter is perfectly
insignificant. 1t is in the following language
"GENTLEMEN: - Please convey to the two
houses of Congress my acceptance or the Once
The Tinted States, and assure them that shal
endeayor TO prove worthy of this mark of con
fidence by fidelity to principle and duty"
There is no promise by Mr.. Colfax of al
enaeavor to meet the expectations of the Re
publican party, because in his case ther
were no doubts or tears crying aloud for re
moval. General Grant has made a gfea
stretch of oomplaisance in acting as if he ha
received his election at the hands of Congress
when the Constitution explicitly provides tina
''no Senator or Representative shall be ap
pointed an Elector." And this almost obtru
sive complaissnoe is for the purpose of re
nouncing the attitude of Independence whicl
he assumed on Saturday, and assuring the Re
publican party of his subserviency to it
wishes.