Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-12-08
THE POLITF(4L SITUATION.

Nnat eOS. Heudrtcks Thinks OF ~.
The indianapolis Journal yesterday pub
ItShed an intery lew with GOV. Hendricks ON
the situation. He thinks the action of the
returning boards in Florida, South Carolina
and Louisiana not in accordance with the
laws of those states or the federal cOnStitu-
ton, but hopes Congress will DO justice and
assert the true spirit of the constitution. He
does not believe that the Vice President can
declare who is elected, or that the two houses
of Congress are simply witnesses To the
count, furnishing tellerS TO certify TO the cor
rect reading Of the ballots. He relies upon
the twenty joint rule. which ne con-
tends has been in operation since 1885, aud
declares il is a legislative Interpretation of
the constitution. specially intended 10 meet
such crisis as the present one. He admits
the possibility of the House declaring Tilden
President and the Senate declaring Hayes
President. and that such a crisis would he of
the most serious character and entail upon
all parties The gravest responsibility. He
declined making any statement as to his re-
cent meeting with Gov. Tilden.
The Oregon MIDDLE.
A Salem, Oregon. dispatch >ayS-.The re
pubiicans held a meeting last night to con
slider the action of Governor Grover. Reso-
lutions were passed denouncing him and
calling upon the United States Senate To
prevent him from taking his seat, on the
ground that he has wilfully violated his
oath. Prominent republicans advised a
calm expression of public opinion, aud it is
now thought that no outbreak will occur"
Later advices from Oregon state that Odell
has been chosen messenger by the republican
electors. Cronin Will act for the democrats.
1T is said Governor Growers house is under
guard.
Latest advices from Salem. Oregon, say
that all the republican and democratic cleo
tors assembled i'll the room OF the Senate
chamber. The secretary OF state passed an
envelope through the door to CrOnin, who
read ii as n certificate of the vote given to
Odell Cartwright and himself He then put
il in his pocket. refusing To show IL 10 the re-
publicans. Odell, Cartwright and Cronin
then seated themselves at table, and or
ganiZed by electing Odell chairman. Watts
Offered TO leave the room, but as other dem
Ocrats. klipell and Laswell. refused to leave,
he remained at the request of other republi
cans. Watts then rendered his resignation
electOr. Odell and Cartwright seVerally de-
manded their certificates of Cronin, who re-
peatedly refused to surrender them. After
some time Cronin asked If they refused TO
act with him. Ddell and Cartwright said no
very emphatically. but demanded that their
authority to act should be shown. Cronin
then left the table. The republican electors
having made no objection to cooperate with
him, and after calling in Miller and Parker.
organized his electoral college as before re-
ported. Secretary Chadwick claims to have
simply acted under Gov. Growers orders.
Tho latter was burnt i'll effigy at Jefferson
last night.
South CarOlina.s Two Governors.
Governor Chamberlain yesterday took the
oath OF Office as governor in the state house
before Probate Judge Boone. of Richland
county, a joint resolution repeating the law
that the oath should he taken before the chief
justice or the associate justice being previ
Ously passed. The Inauguration was over
before il was known in the city, and only
parties admitted by the authorities witnessed
the ceremony a company of troops was
stationed in the lower corridor, and the state
constabulary guarded the entrance. Gov
Chamberlain. in delivering his inaugural
said he accepted the Office 10 which p ma ior,
ity of the people for the second .Inie called
hun with knowledge of the Crave response
billties and difficulties: No consideraijon
but duty impelled l. IN to accept the position
he Regarded me present hour in South Caro-
INA as Crisis in which no patriotic citizen
shoo.d shrink from any public post TO which
&c might be called. The present struggle is
lii defence of the very foundation upon which
rests our government and free institutions.
If We fail now, the government of South Car
oliI a VIII no longer depend on the consent of
the government. expressed by free vote of
the majority of the people. If our opponents
triumph, under whatever guisc of legal
forms. free government in the state is over
thrown. GOV. e. denounced the conduct OF
the democratic campaign as a brutal out
rage, depending on fraud, prescription, in
timidation and murder. Hampton had said
he held not only the peace of the state, but
his (Chamberlain's) life in his hand. This he
did not doubt. His life could be taken, but
nothing could make him abate hatred and
OF South Carolina. All other considerations
must yield 10 duty to resist the final success
of that outrage attempted by the democracy
After the delivery of Governor Chamber
lain's inaugural the Legislature adjourned.
General Wade Hampton issues the follow
ing card to the public:
'The following paragraph appears in an
address of ID. H. Chamberlain, delivered in
the Capitol to-day: The gentleman who was
my opponent for this Office in the late election
has recently declared, as | am credibly in
formed, that he holds not only the peace of
this city and state. but my life in his hand.
/ do not doubt the truth Of his statement.
Neither the public peace nor the life OF any
man who opposes The contamination of this
fran a u * Saf frnt tha.
assault of those who have enforced that pol
icy pronounce this statement UNANIMOUSLY
false. /, by my unwearied exertions, have
endeavOred TO preserve the peace of the state,
and i have thus contributed To shield from
popular Indignation one who has proved
himself a disgrace to his rank and traitor
TO his trust. His conscience may make him
tremble, but neither nor the men with whom
act countenance the hand OF the assassin.
tSigned,l WADE HAMPTON"
THE DEMOCRATIC HOUSE
met yesterday with a constitutional quorum
OF members holding certificates from the Sec
rotary OF state. They confirmed all acts pre-
yiously done, and finally seated the Edge
field and Laurens delegations. A committee
was appointed TO inform the senate that the
house was ready Tor business, and To ask
General Kruger TO remove the troops from the
state-house.
An Electoral Contest i'm Missouri.
The full proceedings of the presidential
electors in Missouri at their meeting in JEFF
ferSon City Wednesday show that Charles q.
Stifel, the republican elector for the Sd dis
trict, applied by letter to GOV. Hardin for a
certificate of election. on the ground that
Gen. u. NJ. Frost, the democratic elector, was
ineligible, ard that he (Stifel) received the
highest vote cast for an eligible eleclOr in
this district. This application was refused
by Gov. Hardin, be stating that "A certificate
had already been issued TO Gen. Frost. Dur
ing the session of the college Mr.. Stifel pre-
sented a communication setting forth Gen.
Frost's ineligibility, and claiming the right
To act as an elector from the Sd district. This
the college declined TO have read Suisse
quently Gen. George II. Shields, chairman of
the republican state COMMITTEES, presented a
protest TO the college against the appointment
of any person to act in the place of Gen.
Frost, as being Illegal under the laws OF the
state, and also against Gen. Frost's substi-
iute being Allowed to vote as an elector, as
being ineligible and not legally entitled To
act; and against the refusal of the college 10
permit Mr.. Stifel TO act as an electOr. The
protest also sets forth in detail the grounds on
which Gen. Frost is ineligible. This protest
was laid on the table by vote OF the college.
and the vote of electors for President and
Vice President was taken as previously re-
ported.