The New York herald., 1876-12-09


pulling in contrary directions The ter
ritorial war between the North and
the South had all the essential fca-
lures of foreign war. The government
of the United States had complete CON-
mand of the resources Of the loyal States,
and moved on with as little difficulty or dis
sension as if it had been war with Mexico
or with England. But, if the present
controversy be pushed to the point Of
violence, the country will drift like a
steamship whose screw has been broken
and its rudder swept away by tempest.
We shall be without government With
the Senate in the hands of one party and
the House in the hands of the other the
government will be virtually dissolved. AS
it requires the consent of both
houses to vote either men or money
a conflict between the two will deprive
be as helpless rs disabled ship in the
trough of the sea. The result will be
anarchy. The contest will not be between
one great geographical section and another
great geographical section, but be-
tween the intermingled citizens Of
every State, city and township in
the United States. We shall then realize
the horrors of veritable civil war, in
which neighbors and kindred seek to cut
one another's thronts. The geographical
war between the North and the South was n
bagatelle in comparison. In the excited
state of public feeling likely to prevail dur
ing this winter any trivial bnt infammatory
accident may precipitate us into anarchy.
What can be done to avert so terrible a
calamity? OF course all good citizens will
counsel peace and forbearance, as they did
in the memorable winter of 1S6O-61; but
history shows how little that amounts to.
We need some better guarantee for the peace
Of the country. We do not want this Gordian
knot cut by the sword. The impending crisis
is of such nature that bold man in COM
mand Of the army might step in and rescue
the country from anarchy by assuming i'm
perial powers. This is one of the conjunc-
lures in which ambitious military chiefs
have so often waded through slaugh-
ter to supreme power. The worst
feature Of the present situation is the
fact that we have at the head of the
government and in command of the army a
man Of strong will, consummate military
talents and singular ambition. He has SO
strong motive for letting this dangerous
controversy drift into the domain Of
violence that he is not o safe man
70 ha ~ <1,a HAD or ,av,%
in such q crisis. This civil controversy
should be decided by civil and peaceful
methods. But there stands over it, like
gigantic spectre looming up in the horizon,
great and successful soldier, Of unrivalled
military talents, who may see in this polit-
ical complication q possibility of gratifying
his natural instincts. Is he q safe man
to be at the head of the govern
ment in such crisis? Even if the
contest lay between the two party candidates
the presence of o vigorous, able soldier, de-
voted to the fortunes of one of them would
give an unfair advantage. The supporters
of Hayes are emboldened to strain the law
and trample on evidence so long as they
feel that they have q military chieftain at
the head of the government virtually pledged
to sustain them. 1t gives them the advan-
tage of playing the game with loaded dice
and provokes the democrats to stubborn re-
sistance by the fear thstl lhey are not TO have
fair play.
We therefore hold it to be the patriotic
duty of President Grant to resign
his Office for the good of his coun-
try. Senator Ferry, or whoever may be
his legal successor for the remaining few
weeks of his term, will stand in the position
of mere civil officer of the government
He will possess oil the constitutional powers
of the present Executive, but he cannot
to the authority of the Chief Magistrate. Mr..
Ferry, strong partisan ns he is, could not be
suspected of wish to turn this dispute to
his personal advantage His bias as q
partisan would no. subject him to the
suspicion of sinister personal aims. If
the President is patriot the emoluments
Of Office for few weeks will be readily
surrendered to relieve the apprehensions Of
the country. The contesting claims Of the
Presidential candidates ought to be decided
in accordance with law. With civilian at
the head of the government the law will
have better chance to be heard. What
ever phase the controversy may assume Mr..
Ferry could not be suspected of sinister
aims, whereas President Grant cannot es-
cape this suspicion. His resignation would
remit the decision of the Presidential ques-
ton to purely civil methods, undisturbed
by the military element. The peace of the
country and the permanence OF our institu-
tions require that law, and not soldiership,
shall determine the result.
Identifying tho Dead.
Surely the Brooklyn fire was terrible
enough without adding the horrors of mis-
o,a >, m r,avnart of tho Moruua vo< a,,.ao~~