Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-04-01


ss,,.u,n'd in srrurlog VOTES. W ud we be-
;rstif,d therefore, 10 coming forward here and
asking for com ulttee to investigate the man
ner in which that election Was held and the
ahnses which were perpe!rated there, ., cause
bribery is tut as q uch Inhibited by thH CrnstI'
rut;on az Intimidation or fraud? Manlt"stly
moi mapitcstly it would be Improper. But
the objection have to this resolution Is That
N INV opnon it tends 70 destroy local self gov
arnmcnt and arr,garcs to Congress power
! which dn no! think properly heonGs to il, as
Is fairly deducibIc from the Constitution which
controls us ALL
ri predicate it with an ''i''-if abuses
cx,s, such as are alleged, It inllmliatlnn anu
| fraud have been practical ;o.the extent that Is
reportod. | have no doubt that the State gov
| eromcuts are compct4u; to and VIII iurnlSn
nroper remedy. know | can 'ruly speak when
I saw that II they eau be proved to have occur
red in Virginla, the remedy eau and VIII De APP
plicd as | know in a case winch mas recently
occnrred there, when in the progress OF a con-
tested election it was demonstrated that ballot
stufing had been pract ccd and that frauds had
been nsrpcrated. steps were taken to correct
thos, evils for the future and 10 proylde against
their recurrence.
AS to what the effect Of The DECISIONS OF me
Sunreme Court in the cases which have been
alluded TO so frequently to day may Be upou the
settlement Of this question, L am not pr pared
to say; hut | call attention 10 the declaration
If the distinguished Senator FROM Indiana that
if the Supreme Court of the United States has
indicated that any of this Legislation vas un-
constitutional, he repuctinted the decision Of
tie Suprcnu,e Court. SIR, what Would haVo
been said had any Of US of the South
Mr.. Morton. | can assure my friend that L
did not make tina, statement.
Mr.. Wihers beg pardon If L mlsappre-
heuded the Senator.
MIR, Morton. What said was that if the
Supreme Court CAV. the coustrucijn to the
constitutional amendment ella med for it, | Tor
one repur.iatc it aad always should. was re-
ierrug to Inc construction given to 'he ameud
mcnt by the SeuatJr from Delaware.
Mr.. Withcrs | do not that that very
much alters the force Of the position | took.
NJ, idea Was that the Supreme Court beng
recognized by the Constitution as the supreme
authority to adiudica;c tbs cUustl utlonaIlty OF
any law, the decision Of that tribuui was
final, and for one have been taught always 10
acouicsce IN it AID ah' ugh II may be- made
, contrary 10 my precoucelecd IDEA Of what Was
Constitution anu what was law. The h't hsVlDg
. zone forth from that tribunal, l We always
felt that yas bound TO succumb aud t. yield
, obedience thereto.
And thai rcmipIs NE oil another very re
markahlc declaration which was madu BY the
, Senator fron Mas>achrs It's, when struck me
as exceedingly startling and sug -..ivc, aud
could not help thinking what would have been
he condition OF affairs hnIc AID throusE the
, country If or any Of the geDI'cmra who sur
round me on this side ot The ChGmbrr, adj
. given utteralce ~ such sentiment. Ihc Sen
utor from Massachusetts, as | have writ en-
down his words, made declaration 10 this IT
feet that he warned Us to beware Of the cotn-
ing November, aud asserted that II the repub-
licau, are not sustained by tie popular VOC" IN
such ovyrW nrlmlng nuuorrS as - rehdrr op
pusi,irn fu;lle We might look Tor aoHi her civil
war. La other words, shat Is 10 lie uud' rsinoc
by his proposition? That If the Democratic
, party triumph IL thu coming eIcetloo II No
vember ano,her civil war is Imminent |
would ask who propose 10 re-ist this fiat Of
the people III case it should be given 10 favor
of the democratic parry IN The comDg cleo
ton? Certainly not ;he democratic party !;
certainly not their friends or thar allies.
Therefore the pro, oSltlUn 10 resist nuS' cotne
from the other par y. Ii had made such q
d. caratiou here or if the Senators a:ouId me
had uttered such sentimeD,, have no doubt
the hands Of the gentleman would have gone
up ia holy horror and he would have waved
the bloody shirt with three uuCs as much
! chtDreSsel,lent as be has dOne this muruIng and
f Called ur al his claus to rally 10 the rescue to
crush out these uurepentaut rebels OF the
, South
Sir. If the declaration of the Senator from
Massachusetts meant anything, it meant the
declaration OF deliberate purpos: to resist the
Inauguration oil dcmucrac President or the
installation into authority OF dem cratic Sen
ate or democratic government II the woe OF
the peopIc should be IN their favor IN N0vcm-
Der nex:.
MIR. Boutwell,. Will the Senator allow nc
MIR. Wllhers. | 20 not design or desire TO
misrepreseLt in any Way, or uIl>consrue even,
the decara ions Of any Senator.
MIR. Boutwell, | meant to STATE simply, and
| think | did state-he Record will show.
however, about that-cartaiuiy what | meant
to say was that unless the ciectlon was over
whcimngy in favor of the republican party,
considering what had been done IN Mississippi
and l. ,uisiaua 10 vi,aion IF law for The sup
prcssion OF pubic sent ment, IN some way that
election would be defeated; II II were mere
maager majority that there Wa Il tie IN effort
to deprive he rnpubslcaos Of the e vcrDm.nt.
Far be it from me TO make he suggestion that,
If the democrats are successful 10 tn election,
there will be anybody to resist. Nobody will
resist if it is fair election.
Mr.. Wi,hers. | cndcavored to take dowo
correctly the words Of the Senator as th"y were
uttered, and NY version does not correspond
with bis statement. The Record. however,
will show, provided it be not reviewed, aud
will abide by it,
The legal points involved in the resolution
which has beel offered for our consideration
have been so thoroughly reviewed BY much
more efficient and skilled hand than | am that |
do not propose to travel over any Of the ground
which he has occupied, although had designed
doing so l am glad TO know that they have
received the consd of one fully, compe-
tent to grapple with them; and whe am not
unmindlul Of the fact that the legal gentlemen
upon this f5or place different co struclions
upon some portions of tn, opinions re-
Gently rendered by the Supreme court,
think l am right in assuming that SO far
rs those decisions 20 they indicat: the III.
tity of all the legislation upon which the
Senator from Indiana so much prids himself
in the direction of carrying out these constlu-
tonal amendments. And if grant the power
to Congress- which do not, to enact additional
| lopi LAT; tn tuily the DrOvis-