New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-11-21

Public excitement upon the all.epgrOetipg
subject OF the presidential election has very
visloly toned down during the past two or
three days. The average voter who neither
holds any Ctfice nor expects any has begun
to look with philOsophic calmness upon the
whole situation, and to settle himself to the
belief That upon the whole there is no such
emergency existing as calls for angry dis
cussion or for any further waste OF time
and temper. The number of people who
have worked themselves up to a white heat
in the matter. and INDUCED in threats and
bluster is not large. and Is mostly confined
to few Democratic newspaper offices
where the hopes of certain gentlemen, who
write violent English Tor a change from
hard work and poor pay to a place on
government pay roll, have been sud
denly blasted. They continue to be quite
in earnest and TO say the people will never
stand it to have President who has re-
ceived minority of the popular vote de-
cared elected simply because he has carried
a ina ority of the electoral votes They are
not now 80 much in favor OF the recugni-
ton OF the States in their sovereign
capacity. They are in favor OF State rights,
To be sure, but not Of that kind. Aside
from these earnest patriots, who mutter of
castomhouses and postotfices in their sleep,
and threaten direiul things awake, there is
at this moment no great excitement The
reasouabl9 men OF both parties are calm
and patient, and have no disposition to do
any thing except tit down quietly under
whatev er decision may be rendered
There seems to US. however, to be view
Of the question which, if the gentlemen who
lay so much stress upon the fact of the
popular vote will consider it calmly for one
moment, may noliify their opinions as to
the injustice and wrong OF giving the cleo
ton 10 what they call a minority Presi-
dent" The fact, to be sure, is that the
constitution has not only made minority
President possible, but has made it impos.
sible under certain clTcIms tances, as, for
instance, such as now exist, to declare any
other than a minority President" elected.
And as has before been shown, the present
case is not without precedent. If it
is a wrong, then, it is one erected
by the constitution. and one which
was deliberately set up with tall kuowl-
edge OF the possible consequences. 1t
is no accident, nor is it the result of any
unforeseen and unlmagined combin alton Of
circumstances. The statesmen WHO enact
ed that the President and the Vice Presi-
dent should be chosen by the Slater. and
not by the people, knew what they were
about, and that just the thing might take
place which has happened now, and not
now for the first time. AS matter of con-
stitutiOnal law there is and there can be no
manner of question as to the legality of the
election of Governor HAYES, should ma
jOIity of the votes of the Electoral College
be cast for him. The right and wrong the |
justice and Injustice the fairness and un-
fairness Of it were discussed long ago and |
settled, SO tar as the wisdom of the fathers
could settle it. 1t is too late now to 90 back
Of their decision. Il is consoling to think, |
too, that the party which has made the |
most Of this feature of the constitution and |
this doctrine in politics is the one which is |
called upon now at the cost of some little |
sacrifice to maintain and defend it.
More than this When one considers all |
the facts IN the case: cOntemplates the fig |
ures Of this popular majority. about which |
30 much has been said; notices carefully |
the list of States in which the majorities |
were given, and then reviews the history of |
those States for the past sixteen years, the |
wrong of compelling the men who fought |
20 desperately in defense of the dogma of |
state sovereignty to submit to the opera
ion Of their own rule and the enforcement |
If their own pet doctrine does not seem so |
errible wrong after all. The States
which opposed the carrying out Of the doc
rine of State sovereignty to its logical re-
Ults, it will be found, have given a large
popular majority for the Republican candi.
lates. The States that undertook to break
lp the government because their notions
II their own sovereignty were not
egarded, are the ones that hav.
iven Mr.. Tilden his excess CT votes. If
here is any injustice in this matter they
urely can not complain of it. And as for
Re North, we are certain there will be no
disposition to Obstruct the operation of the
Constitutional provision which relates to the
rocess of election. We have no doubt that
With fair and honest election, and free
ote in all the States, Hayes and Wheeler
7ould have handsome popular majority
We have no doubt that as it is they have
arried majority of the electoral votes.
nd when we look at the States which have
oted for Tilden, and the maorties they
ave cast, and consider that they are most Of
lem the same that lot long ago attempted
} break up the Union, we can not feel very |
'rry that they have been defeated of their
esigns in this instance and "hoist by their
vn petard. '-Neac York Tribune.
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