The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-11-26

for active war. It would DO considered an
act Of sppre NEST stupidity for any govern
ment, under such circumstances, to wait
without movement until its enemy, hav'ug
gotten ready at it's leisure, should, at
it's own chosen moment and on it's own
chosen grouud, cay to 1t: Come, submit.
You are unarmed, and my guns command
every position that you can possibly take.
The Democracy Of this country are not a
sat of sheep. They embody the principal
fighting element Of the population. Were
resistance would be scattered to the winds
in month, but besides the Sighting oapa
city, they monopolizs also the principal
military ability of the country. Leaving
the South out of the question, the Northern
Democracy furnishes such names az
Mcclellan, Hancock, Hooker, Shields,
Buell., etc. Is it to be supposed that these
men are asleep; or that, having their eyes
open, they can see what is going on and
not comprehend its meaningf Aud, nm
derstanding its full meaning, will they
permit their friends to wait without move
ment until an active, skilful, and unscru-
pulous foe shall have made every prepare
tion for an inevitable conflict
Men, reasonable men, talk about what
Congress will do-what the House of Re
representatives. will do. What can that
House do confronted with l2 900 regular
troops and so 600 militia The election,
with the Returning Board proviso, has been
a farce, and to put the slightest hope in a
H"use of Representatives with the bayonet
accompaniment to it, would be as ia. infe
rior in dignity to good farce as the bray of
an ass is to an explosion Of wit.
Grant is aanking us every where. He is
quietly taking charge of all the positions
and fortifying ihem. Among other things,
he is going to takecharge of the Governor
ship of this State and South Carolina.
1t is for the Democracy-the Nation al
DemocrAcy-to say if be shall be permitted
to do it.
This is not q question for Louisiana or
South Carolina. 1t is 40 longer Goveruor's e
chair that is in question; it is an outpost of
he White House. Coucede Paokark to Grant
and you give him two months possession of
the position that the Republicans have car
ried Louisiana. How will it eound to tell the
American people on the 4th of March that
Louisiana gave Democratic majority,
when for months you have submitted to the
hypothesis that the election had resulted in
favor of the 4 -publicsns.
1t may be argued that all this is legal
question and must be settled by the courts.
-, u;t 10 ha ~; ;.F
executive power of the Nation and cf q
State, alike, is something beyond the
Jurisdiction of the judiciary. The right to
it's possession is a political question, and
the courts have nothing to do with it.
The ultimate Jurisdiction as to the
personal constitution of any political body
having or sharing the sovereignty rests IL
itself. The lower House, either of Con
gress or of any State Legislature, is the
ultimate judge of the election of it's OWE
mem oers. The came is the case with the
Senate, either national or local, aud it il
impossible to escape the conclusion that the
same rule applies to the Presidency. The
President elect must be- the final Judge o
his own election. If he has been really
and truly chosen, he must assuDe the offic'
notwithstanding 6 any chicanery of Returninl
Boards, and Notwithstanding any partiz Al
delinquency of Congress in miscounting hi
| votes. II the people have elected him, th
presumption must be that they will suseai
him.
The same is the case with Governor
His is the sovereign executive power of tn
State, and he lie the final judge Of his ow
election. The U. S. Supreme Court has he'll
that the President must decide which
two candidates for Governorship has bee
elected, where the result is in controvers,
Bot there is no such power hinted at in th
Constitution, and the Supreme Court ha
no right to 70 farther than merely admit th
it had itselS no Jurisdiction over q polite
question.
In this view of the ease, it appears to
that Gen. Nichols will have an indefea
ibie right to take the Office to which he b