The New York herald., 1876-11-13
A Qufet Sunday.

After q week Of intense excitement New
York settled down to Sabbath yesterday of
more than ordinary quiet. With its genial
influence upon us we can lift the curtain OF
the day of rest and look back upon the fer
ment Of the six days gone by. Monday
came with the earnest thousands busy In
preparation, and the last line OF cam
paign torchbearers filing grotesquely
past behind the last brass band, beat
ing the lively funeral march Of the
Presidential canvass, until the glare
vanished in darkness and the blare died IN
silence. No more gay kerosene for possi-
BILE Tilden, no more wild horn toot Tor Q
possible Hayes Tuesday came with enthu-
siasm turned to grim determination, as
through the rain one hundred and seventy
thousand citizens marched without serried
rank or drum tap or any music to the polls.
Then, like farmers who, having sown in the
morning, expect to reap at sundown, the
citizens came trooping to the HERALD office
to see what man they had elected President
Those who could not find what they wished
to cheer at the HERALD ofice-and they
were hard to please, SO bountifully did the
returns favor each side in turn-went
to other newspaper Offices where hot-cooked
placards blazed for democrat or republican,
as the case might be. All parties went home
excited and happy, but on Wednesday morn
ing only the democrats awoke in good humor.
Throughout the dey they tasted freely of
the inebriating liquor of success, while the
republicans crunched the unripe persimmons
of defeat and made wry faces over the juice.
1t was a very exciting day, but at night
q suspicion came that the banquet had
been spread for the wrong party, and
those that had been eating the bitter fruit,
whose lips were SO pursed that they could
not whistle "Hail to the Chief" made
what demonstration Of delight they were
yet capable Of Under all the outward show
of hesitating exultation and angry doubt
there ran an ominous murmur of trouble
ahead. A feverish night followed, and
Thursday saw the circle of doubt narrowed
down to three names. The parties were ''at
sea-" Between the time they spent in frown-
ing at and threatening each other they
grasped at every straw that foated their
way. Surely one plank of the three would
come to bring the democrats to land surely
we shall get and bind oil three together to
float MS into harbor no less will do, said
the republicans. But all that day both sides
got only straws. Were ever parties in
such need? Friday found them swimming
still, with all hands hoarse and wet, but
determined. Saturday came and shrewd
old political shellbacks saw signs that the
tide was rising which would bring into view
the missing Palmetto tree, the log with a
Pelican thereon and the Alligator that looked
like log The parties wers soberer and
cooler now, as we'll they might be after three
days of cold water. The three floats were
coming down the bay, but for whom? On
this conundrum they went to sleep. The
strain of all this upon the American consti-
tuition was very great, but Sabbath full Of
that rest that Hawthorne longed for between
death and Judgment came, and the people
will rise to-day refreshed and calm to hear
what is to be.