The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-12-05
Training the People.

Persons familiar with State customs OF by
gone days could not fail to observe the
striking feature in the letter OF United States
Senator JOHN SHERMAN addressed to the
Democratic Committee at New Orleans.
Mr.. SHERMAN and his associates desired the
cooperation OF the Democratic committee in
collie Getting and preparing the testimony taken
before the Returning Board of Louisiana for
the purpose OF communicating the same to
the President Of the United States. The
Democratic committee, through Governor
PALMER, declined such a joint labor for the
reason that their icct was to place all the
information they could gather before the
people of the United States. Governor
PALMER says there are other reasons; but
he does not communicate them, deeming
the one stated Sufficient. The committee
had no idea Of collecting information to be
SO disposed OF as that it might not reach the
public eye. III.
The committee no doubt had its obiec-
tons to collecting materials to be sent to
President GRANT, who is oficious about the
southern State elections and proceedings TO
far greater extent than is consistent with
his constitutional authority in the premises.
He has no business with the matter. He has
sent troops altogether without authority to
overawc the citizens and coerce results in
the States. He has by force OF arms seized
upon State governments and put into power
partisans OF his own Administration. He
has done this without authority OF law, and
thus usurped power that he exercised
viciously by putting over an intclli-
gent people the vilcst Of wretches.
TO gather information concerning the
frauds Of the Returning Board and the his
tory Of the Louisiana election, and to send
the same to him, woHld be to some extent a
concession Of his right to interfere in such
matters-a concession, we are sure, not one
member of the Democratic committee would
make. The Constitution wholly excludes
him by not naming the President in any OF
the stages OF the election from the casting Of
the votes by the people to the counting the
votes Of the electors by Congress. Those
votes are so sent to the Federal capital as to
exclude the President altogether.
The President has no business with
the matter, and it is only in the spirit
Of the servile partisan that Mr.. SHER-
MAN proposes to get up information to be
sent TO President GRANT. a proper regard
for the Constitution and the dignity of that
Congress of which SHERMAN is member
should have prompted him to gather UP in
formation for Congress which has some
thing to do with the presidential election,
instead of for GRANT, who has nothing to
do with it.
The truth is the people are being steadily
educated into submission. JOHN SHERMAN
is professor in the school for making usur-
patton popularity familiar. And he and his
co-partners in treachery to the people have
succeeded wonderfully well. 1t is too true
that the public discussions are iearfully OBJ
livious of GRANTS usurpations in being di-
rected to the point ho,o he manages his in
reference with State affairs by force OF
arms. The frequency of such interference
has made the people too familiar with it.
The question should be as to his right to in
terfere at all, while it has become question
as to whether he interfercs too much or not.
Many are deluded into the idea that
"rebels," so called, are very insubordinate,
and to send down troopsfrequently to over
awe them is g a measure Of peace" d
We applaud the Democratic committee
for declining to report to GRANT. The
CESAR Is not yet Installed, and the States
are not yet mere provinces, to report to him
and give good account Of themselves or
incur his wrath. But, we repeat, the peo-
pie are being educated into submission.