The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-12-01
/. The Great Issue.

and its followers supposed that the ex.
ertion Of force would be required no longer
than necessary to count in ths,siisputed
southern states for HAYES. That they SO
thought Is inferrible from their idea started
by Senator SHERMAN, OF Ohio, that the act
Of counting the vote for President in Con-
gress was merely ministerial, and that the
results In the three States aforesaid@results
wrought BY fraud and force combined
would be acqntes6ea in without objection.
1t has been clearly established by the in
dubitable proof printed in this paper that
this idea has been repudiated by the leading
Republicans from ABRAHAM LINCOLN to
ZACE CHANDLER. Nor cab It for a moment
be entertained by Congress. Therefore the
agency Of fraud and force in controlling
the votes Of the disputed States will ms GER
tainly be challenged in the Joint session OF
the two houses Of Congress as that the day
for unSealing and counting the votes comes.
1t is clear that the Radical Administration
and its auxiliary conspirators and villain
Gus agents have made great mistake.
Force cannot accomplish Its plan BY simply
compelling the States contested to vote for
HAYES. The conspiracy which so un-
scrupulously and ruthleSsly carried forward
its plan in the States must continue its
march into the very halls Of Congress, and
there, clothed in the panoply OF war, meet
the majesty OF CIVIL PowER front to front.
This must be 50, unless some unforeseen
and unexpected event should avoid this
! meeting. This could only be done by some
act which would recognize the will OF the
people and be tantamount to the submission
OF the military power iii acknowledgment OF
the constitutional supremacy OF the civil
authority. Such an event would be the
happiest that could be vouchsafed to IN
anxious and distressed nation. 1t would
restore order and security all over the land,
and this would bloom with the lovely and
fragrant flowers OF peace.
But in default of any such submission OF
lawlessness to the civil authority there must
be the thrilling encounter-the imminent
conhict-of the civil power with grim-vis-
aged war. It Will be a great trial Of force
against popular will and popular right
We are not disposed to regard this con-
flict before the assembly Of the representa-
tives of the people as deplorable, in view OF
the repeated outrages that have been COM
mitted Upon constitutional liberty sipce the
war. The country cannot endure the con-
tinued shocks which are occasloned by
usllrpation and lawlessness, by the rude
warlike invasion OF the rights OF citizenship.
1t is proper and necessary that the authority
of the Federal Administration to interfere
with rights OF local administration, to over
awe by military force the civil processes OF
Government, should be settledat once. The
question could not be more completely pre-
sented to the nation than by the issue thus
brought into the halls OF the National Le-
gislature.
We do not overestimate the bulldog
courage and obstinacy Of GRANT. If he is
only encouraged by the vulgar people from
whom his counsel has been mainly derived
during his administration, he will freeze to
the ground he has taken, and the Congress
will be compelled to meet him face to face.
Nothing would delight us more than to
see this terrible conflict between the eXecu-
tive and the legislative departments OF the
Government rendered unnecessary-to see
it avoided by some act tantamount to the ac-
acknowledgement of the supremacy in the land
OF the civil power the Constitution and
laws OF the nation. But that is too sweet o
dream, we fear, for realization.
But we continue to hope that the expect
ed conflict will result in the triumph OF the
people and the establishment OF their Re-
publican institutions upon trmer basis
than ever. For this happy result it is ne
cessary that Congress shall maintain he
role attitude, and, elevating itself to the
high sense Of dignity and virtue which the
perils Of the country should engender, ex-
ercise Judgment with integrity, and act
with patriotism unwarped by party feeling
and with courage made inyincible BY pub
lie devotion.