The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1876-11-17
The Situation.

We cannot to-day "wednesday after
: noon) announce with any absolute eertaint.
the result of the Presidential election
That it requires 1876 electoral votes to elec
is Il fixed fact, aud that Tilien and Hen
dricks have IS4 undisputed electors, jus
one less than the necessary number, is ad
mi:ted by both parties. The ultimate de
c;sion of this most serious and vitality inn
portant question depends upon the count
ing and correct and honest return of the
votes of the three States of South Carolina,
Florida and Louisiana. That South Caro-
lima had elected Wade Hampton, Demo
: cratic, Governor there does Sc, m to be
| any doubt. lie says SO emphatically in all
his latest dispatches and claims his election
confidently by !, 400. Tildeu, it seems,
runs slightly behind Hampton, and there
fore may or may,,not have carried the State
Florida is claimed by both parties and the
result can only be ascertained by the Off
cial vote, willie Louisiana has certainly
given 1ilden majority OF not less than
5000. In reference to these thee States it
what are known as returning boards, the
members of which are appointed by the
respective Governors of said States, and as
these three Governors are Republicans the
returning board in each of them is of course
com posed of majority Of members of that
party. The returning board of Louisiana
has for years past made it's name infamous
aud byworG and reproach throughout the
country. 1t has boldly and impudently
overruled the verdict of the people of that
State and set aside their will as expressed
through the ballot-boXes. Will this be
We will see how that question will be an
swered and whether Sam'l J. Tilden, who
received a majority OF the voters of The
United States Of over three hundred MOus-
and. can be fraudulently cheated out of his
election. These returning boards are no
known members of both political parties
from the north ana from the south are at
the respective State capitals to see that
fair and honest count of the vote of these
three States shall be made, and that s.jus-
tice shall be done though the heavens
should fall"
Grant, who rules by the bayonet, or at
least attempts TO SO rule, ordered General
Sherman on Friday last to send a certain
number of troops to Tallahassee, the capi-
tai of Florida, Columbia, the capital of
South Carolina, and to New Orleans, under
the flimsy pretext that Democrats intend
ed to take possession of the election returns
and falSify them to their own advantage,
and this too in face of the fact that the
three returning boards are made up of
majority OF his own political friends. What
right under the constitution and laws of
the country has Grant to supervise by mil
itaIy authority the election returns in Flor
ida any more than he has in Pennsylvania?
Is this government Of law, or is it a mil
ita,y despotsm like that of Russia? The
people of the south have been calm and
peacrable unGer repeated insults, and will
bear themselves patiently and with dignity
under the present attemp. of defeated
party, acting in the name and under the
usurpation OF its chosen President, to nulli-
fy and set aside by military interposit:on
their solemn and legal verdict as expressed
through the ballot ot-boxes.
Let us hope for peaceful solution of this
apparent difficulty and that the overwhelm-
ing decree ef the American people in favor
of Tilden and Hendricks will eventually be
recognized from Maine to Oregon, and that
under sound Democratic administration
our country will commence new and as
surcd advance in the path of peace, pros
perity aud fraternal love-