Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-11-29
From the Prov.dence Journal
Revolution Instead of Election.

The letter of the Hon GARRISON \. Pot-
ter to the New York Herald Is likely 10
produce no slight uneasiness throughout
the country. Its obvious purpose is TO pre-
pare the democratic party for extreme
measures. in order to make Mr.. Iddcn
President of the United SNios In order
to effect this purpose, he recommends ant
advocates thu setting aside Of cors,itu.
tional machinery and Substituting In ii,
place the machinery OF The democratic
marty. Mr.. Potter assumes that the con-
stitutional method of receiving the ne
Turns of electoral votes, made by th' a"-
,horitics of some of the Southern States.
will be a connivance at fraud, simply be-
cause these returns are to be made by re-
publican Canvassing Boards, and certified
by republican Governors. He maintains
that there will be no valid election by the
electoral colleges. and that though the
President of the Senate may count the
votes IN the presence Of the two houses,
and declare Mr.. Hayes to be elected Pres
ident. Mr.. Wheeler to. be elected Vice
President, all this will be of no avail
The House of Representatives,, with which
the choice of President lies when there is
no election by the people. will then assume
the perogative which belongs to il, de-
clare that no President has been elected,
and proceed Immediately TO choose a
President according to the provisions Of
the constitution The effect of such pro-
ceeding, of course, would be, that there
would be two Presidents. one declared by
the President Of the Senate to be duly
chosen by the electoral colleges, the other
chosen by the democratic portion of the
House of Representatives. Each would
claim to be the legal President, and each
would probably attempt in some way to
exercise the powers belonging to the Of
flee. The latter would be the President
of the democratic party, and the former
would be the President of the rest of the
American people.
Such is the plan OF so respectable pub
lie man as the Hon, Clarkson n Potter,
of New York, eminent rs a lawyer, rs a
member of Congress, and as n personal
friend of Mr.. Tilden, public man whose
name has hitherto by no means been as
sociated with violent or destructive meas
ures, He now comes forward with a de-
liberate proposition which he recommends
to his party, TO secure the next administra-
ton by Legislative comp d etat, By a pro-
ceeding wholly revolutionary in lis char
acter and leading directly TO violence and
civil war However Mr. Potter may dis
guise it TO his own mind. violence is the
inevitable result Of what he has recon-
mended. He proposes, in case Mr.. Hayes
has the authorized returns of the States
now in dispute. and is counted in by the
President of the Senate, that the House OF
Representatives shall elect Mr.. Tilden
and declare him President of the United
States. No surer road ito civil war and
the destruction Of the government can
possibly be devised The majority
of the Senate would be on one
side, and the majority Of the
House of Representatives on the other.
The democratic governors OF States would
recognize Mr.. Tilden. and the republican
governors would recognize Mr.. Hayes.
The army would probably be divided as
usual In such cases, and we should very
soon have two military forces contending
f<.x-t ~ st.1
and the public property. We should be
following the detesable example Of our
Mexican and South American neighbors,
and should, no doubt, soon reach the in
famous destiny which they have reached
We do not know that the recommcnda-
ton will be adopted or seriously consid-
cred by the democratic party. We incline
to believe it will not be- But that such a
proposition has been seriously made by
man of character and of high standing in
the party and before the country. is fact
not to be lightly thought of Wehad sup
posed Mr.. Potter to be one Of the last men
from whom sucha proposition would ever
come, be the exigency of the party what
it might. That he has now deliberately
put it forth in full anticipation of state
OF affairs which is likely TO take place, is
an occurrence of very serious import II
this is the way in which th-successlon to
the Presidency is to be determined, we
are no better off than the miserable coun-
tries around US that call the themselves
republics. We are unfit for the freedom
which we have secured. and shall very
speedily serve again to Illustrate what has
so often been shown that there is but q
single step between democracy and DIES
potism.
From the Nesy York #, ibuuc