Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-12-16
WHOLE NO. 1895.
The Master Of the situation on the
Fourth Of March.

Fourth Of March.
[Tothe Editor OF the couror-Journal.l
On the second Wednesday Of Feb-
ruary, 1877, when the joint session
meet to count the electoral vote, they
hrst appoint one member ofthe Senate
and two from the House as tellers or
clerks to count the vote for them. The
president Of the Senate. who By court
esy becomes chairman Of the joint ses-
sion (not by any constitutional right,
for he is neither a representative Of
any State nor a member Of the Senate,
but merely vice president ofthe United
States and er oDicio president Of the
Senate, but not er o6icio president OF
the joint session, but made so because
be is the custodian of the sealed pack
ages containing the electoral vOtesl,
opens the packages and hands them TO
the tellers. The tellers read the con-
tents TO the joint session. AT this point,
by the twenty-second rule (now in dis
putel, any member of either the House
or Senate could make any objection he
saw fit, the objection to be reduced to
writing. The Senate then retires to
its chamber TO consider the objection
without debate. The House does the
same. The Senate returns to the
House; each announces its decision on
the objection. If they concur the tel
lers are directed to count the vote. IL
they do not concur, 1. e., If the Senate
and House differ in opinion, the tellers
cannot count the vote, and the result
is it is thrown out. The twenty-sec-
ond rule is nothing else but the general
instruction of the twelfth amendment
reduced to particulars and ARA nging
the miuutiR; and whether the twenty
second rule be in existence or not, the
above mode will be adopted, as it al
ways has been frOm the beginning Of
the government; so that the mode is
the same whether the twenty-second
rule exists or not.
Let us suppose, what will undoubt-
edly be the case, that the House will
object to the count Of some of the
Hayes votes for unconstitutionality, as
in the case of Vermont, South Caroli-
ma, Florida or Louisiana, aud that the
Senate will not concur in the objection.
The votes then, cannot be counted.
The result will be that no one will have
a majority of the electoral college in
which case the House will proceed as
directed by the Twelfth amendment,
TO Immediately, from the three high
est, choose a President" And If the
Senate are disposed TO obey the Con-
stitution, they will, from the two high
est, choose a Vice President. But
suppose they prefer that all the votes
as returned shall be counted, notwith-
the objection Of the House,
and that the President so declare, and
further declare that Gov. Hayes il
elected Presidentof the United States.
Suppose further that President Grant
with the aid of the army,
il necessary, he will inaugurate Gov.
Hayes.
True, Grant is President aud head
Of the army until the fourth Of March,
/. II o'clock of Saturday night, tho
30 of March. But an inauguration
cannot take place before the 4th, aud
as that is Sunday, dies non, IL cannot
take place until Monday, the 9th. But
on the 9th he who was President
Grant and head Of the army is no
longer so. lie has become plain Mr..
Grant, and only private citizen, like
the rest OF us. He cannot give an Or
der TO the secretary of war, nor TO Gen.
sherman, nor to any other officer of
the army. On the 4th of March Gen.
Sherman is the head of the army, with
no one above him, and all below him
are subject to his orders. He can give
such orders as he pleases, or counter
mand those that have been gwen, or
remove the troops from Washington.
In short, he will be master of The sitU-
alton from the beginning OF the 4th Of
March until a constitutional President
is inaugurated. And for the guidance
of hiaaction he has only 70 determine
he will act in obedience 10 the
Constitution or violate il; whether he
would aid, il necessary, IN the inaugu-
ration of the constitutional President,
or one. 80 called by revolutionary act
of the Senate, even ii Governor Hayes
would accept the office under such err
The record Of both the
public and private character Of Gen.
Sherman affords no ground for the
American people to doubt his integri-
ty, his ability, and his will and his
resolution to do his duty, aud thus
Illustrate the designs Of those who
would plunge our country in civil war
aud overthrow our present form OF
government.
1t is within probability that General
Sherman will be placed IN the position
where he must decide the question Of
a new form of government by revolu-
tion, or the maintenance Of the majes-
ty of the laws, the Constitution aud
the institutions Of the American peo-
pie. The nation looks to him aud
con6des in him. w. u. NJ.