The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-11-21

termining the issues m Inc FIsss ~
contest ought, by their manifest iIlpastlai.
ity, to disaTm the suspicion TINT the IoIlls
OF law have been perverted into i = u
ments for the violation OF It's aplrit. q. "A
this connection we may De permitteu %. on
serve that, while 1ndoubtedi as you q. saay,
sedulouE cultivation OF the haDlts o. o 1,r
dience to the forms ~ gltaf 70 stie
preservation OF constit utional liberty, u y
no less important that o REFUSAL no 9ielo
such obedience be not provoked py usI y!
these forms as q means Tor sunYertlng !, luz lug
very ends for which they were designed.
Without undertaking to question the SIN
cerity of the belief, which yotl are OF pains pain
TO express, that you know q no reason y 70
win make peffectiy honest and Just decla-
ration of the results Of the recent election in
i, onisiana, we deem it not improper to re-
mind Won that the presence in this city OF
SO many. citizens from all parts OF the Union
mt this moment. seems to be evidence OF q
widely prevalent distrtlst OF the action OF
this Board, and that such distrust has the
foundation nc least that, 1.-The constitution OF
the Board has not been changed since lts
returns were BET aside by a. congressional
committee, OF which the Republican ca ING
date. Tor Tie vice-presid eney, was Q mem
Eber, and this distruSt is not unnatural. In
view OF the. fact that, as we understand,
one of !. the. members aot the Return
ins Board IS d carfd idate voted for at the re-
cent election another the holder, OF an office
of profit and trust by. appointment OF tn
present Executive OF the National Govern
mient, while all the members OF the Board
are believed to. be in utilization with but one
of the parties in. the present political c on
test. In view OF all this it is hardly neceS-
sarv to add that the terms Of our letter
were not designed to PREJUDICE the question
whether the functions OF the Returning
BOARD were judicial or ministerial, or both;
but simply to invite you to see with us that,
whatever may be the character of those func-
tions, they are openly and fairly and
honestly discharged; and while we
thus refrained from any attempt at
stating or constituting the laws OF LOUIS
lana. we demand it equally irrelevant
TO the subject Of our correspondence
with YOU to aIlude to the duties devolving
upon officers other than the, constituents OF
the Louisiana Returning Board, under the
laws and Constitution Of the United States.
Whether, as you observe, by way OF illus
tration, under the Constitution the presi-
dent of the Senate both counts and declares
the votes Of the electors OF the several
States, his duty being simply ministerial
and not subject to the control OF Congress,
or whether, as has been the practice for
more than eighty years-a practice ,inaugu-
rated by men some OF whom had been
among the trainers Of the Constitution--the
votes are to be counted under the direction
and control Of the Senate and, House OF
Representatives, is question upon the dis
cussion OF which we deem it no part OF our
duty to enter. ,....,, u. st,s -.
In conclusion, permit us to say that, not
withstanding your refusal to cooperate, we
still cherish the hope that the Returning
Board, warned by the history Of the past
and conscious that its actions are being OBJ
served by the whole nation, will discharge
it's delicate duties with such circumspection,
fairness, and impartiality as will give salts
faction to the American people. To this
end we will continue to labor Should a
different result follow the action OF the
Board, we shall have the satisfaction OF
knowing that, while you have taken the re-
sponsibility OF declining to act with us, we
have done all in our power to avert the con-
sequences which may follow.
Very respectfully, ,"
JOHN NJ. PALMER, LYMAN TRUMBULL, and
W. r. MORRISON, OF Illinois.
S. J. RANDALL, A. 6. CURTIN, and WILLIAM
BIGLER, of Pennsylvania. -. - = -
J. r. 7DooLrrTLE and GEORGE B. SMITH, Of
Wisconsin. '.tr ~ :
j. e. MCDONALD, CIV. JULIAN, NJ. D. Nj An
=: SON, and j. o. LOVE, of Indiana.
Fl. WATTERsoS, j. w. STEVENSON, and 81. d.
McHENRY, OF Kentucky.
OSWALD OTTESDoRFEE, and r. F. CoUDERT,
Of New York. :. 49, .a. .@.s
j. B. STALLO and p. III. WATSON, Of Ohio.
L. V. BoGY, JAMES o. .BRoDHEAD, and G.
GIBSON, OF Missouri.
JOHN LEE CARROLL and W.T.. HAMILTON, OF
Maryland. -
w. Y. SUMNER, OF Connecticut.