The New York herald., 1876-11-28
President Grants Responsibility In
This Crisis.

will make them readily available in an
emergency which would justify their en-
ployment. As commander-in-chief he has
unquestionable authority to regulate the
distribution Of the federal forces. He cannot
carry them beyond our frontiers except in
a foreign war, and as they must be posted
somewhere within our own country he is free
to select the places. No State has any right
Go complain of their presence, to object to
their transit through its territory, nor to
their remaining in any part of it so long as
they are not used for purposes OF illegal IN
reference with its affairs We have, there
fore. declined to join in party out
cries against his local disposition OF
the troops or his accumulation OF them
in unusual numbers at any particular point.
So far and so long as the President acts
within the limits of his clear constitutional
authority we have no word of censure to
utter. We shall not in any event indulge in
captious criticism. We mean to judge him
fairly, to support him when we can and
blame him only when we must.
The difficult and trying crisis which has
tudo, attended with some anxiety as to the
action of the President. We sincerely trust
that he will not make his course in Louisiana
in January, 1875, a precedent on this occasion.
It is not improbable that a condition of things
may exist Mt Columbia to-day or tomorrow
similar to that in New Orleans when the
Louisiana Legislature was dispersed by
e. Al, &c ha hox-o M
The South Carolina Legislature assemblies
to-day, both parties claiming majority, as
they did in Louisiana two years ago. The
democratic members whose election the
Canvassing Board refused to certify will,
nevertheless claim their seats, present
ing transcripts Of the proceedings of
the Supreme Court as credentials, and
maintaining that in the judgment of the
Court they were duly elected and cheated
out of their certificates by the contempt of
Court for which the members of the Board
have been fined and imprisoned. If they
should take part in the organization there
will be democratic majority and General
protests of the republican members, who
will claim that only those holding certii-
Gates have any title to take part in the pro-
ceedings. This will be substantially the
Louisiana case over again, but we trust the
parallel will not be completed by the intro
duction of federal troops into the halls of
legislation to drive out the members The
prompt and indignant public rebuke with
which that act Of military violence
was visited, and its severe condemnation by
eminent republicans like Mr. Evarts, Mr..
Bryant and so many others, should be a
caution to the President not to make the
same mistake again. The republicans who
gerous violation Of the constitution and
an alarming blow to popular liberty will not
think differently Of such ON act now from
what they thought then. Although these
same gentlemen voted for Hayes they will
revolt against any attempt to make him
President in violation of law. If the strong
opinions expressed by Mr.. Evarts respecting
the dispersion of the Louisiana Legislature
were correct they would have justified an
impeachment of the President. He was safe
against such proceeding then by the fact
of large republican majority in that Con-
gress, but democratic House of Represen-
tatives will be in session in less than a week
lcnce will not be slurred over md excused
as it was before.
The republican party cannot afford to
have the President provoke in this crisis an
other outburst of public indignation like
that which followed the high-handed pro-
ceedings in Louisiana President Grant
cannot afford to disgust and ALLEVIATE large
section of the republican party, including
it's ablest lawyers, by acts which would in
evitably lead to his impeachment The
House of Representatives have both the
power and the will to impeach him if he
should prostitute his authority over the
army to aid the dishonest election of his
ington as he set up Governor at New Or
leans. The best legal minds in the republi-
can party would not undertake his defence
in his trial on the impeachment, being pre-
cluded by their vigorous donunciation of q
former act of the same kind and by the
strong reasons they then gave from ar
guing the opposite side. President Grant
cannot wish to court an impeach-
ment when he is about closing his long
career of distinguished and, in the military
part of it, at least, glorious public service.
He should naturally wish to retire with the
good will Of his fellow citizens of both par
ties and the unanimous admiration Of re-
publicans. But if he should repeat the
Louisiana mistake and be impcached in con-
sequence, he will be exposed to greater
rancor and obloquy than during any part Of
his political career, and the passions kindled
during the impeachment would follow him
into pr;vate life Assurelly President