, 1876-11-25
Delicate situation.

restraint.
The Presidential election, one OF the
mos, exciting and severely contested
on record, has passed IN absolute peace
Election day was quiet in every State,
North and SUuth, and neither party
can set up a clam of violence or dis
order at the polls. This result is
credit TO as as a nation. With hall
the excitement almost any nation ID
Europe would have fallen into revoiu-
ton or general civil disorder. The
day was a test of the self restraint and
the common sense of the American
people, and they stood the test admir-
ably. But now may como another
and a severer trial. The electoral
vote il very close al least 1t promises
to be 90; but every one ought to bear
in mind that the formal and official
count of votes has not been completed
in several States. This count may
sill settle the result IN such manner
AS TO avoid all dispute. On The Other
hand, il may leave the result depend
ent on the votes of either South Car
DINA OF Louisiana, two States IN which
the republican party has lntertered
with troops; III which 1t Was charged
before election day with gross Wrongs,
which charges have not been denied /;
and in which, while both parties now
claim majority, the vote Is Slii To be
canvaSsed by retuTuing boards cUm>
po>ed Of repubHcan>-in The case 0t
South Carolina o1 persons Themselves
running t"r Office, and III Louisiana OF
men wfose canvass of the vote III 1874
was declared by the committee ot q
republican House Of Representatives
10 have been fraudulent 10 such a de
gree that the republican congress felt
itself Obliged 10 unSeat several repub-
lican> and put into their places >.emo-
Gratis who had been legally elected.
That Is IT, say, The vo;es OF South
CarolIua aud Louisiana are to be eau
yasSed or recoan;td, and the returns
of these two States in the Electoral!
College decided by persons whose at
utude, 10 say the least OF II, Is not
impartial; who have direct personal
interest in the result of their CANVASS /;
who in Louisiana were two years
ago detected in fraudulent manlpula-
ton ct the returns aud OH whose
verdict or declaration OF the result no
honest citizen of either party can
therefore have confidence. UntOrtu.
nately, Il may happen that returns
thus made, and thus lacking Ill the
main elements required to give them
public confidence, NAV, If they are TO
be used, decide the Presidential eIec
ton. Leaving South Carolina out of
view, or rather cUncedlng 1t to the re
pubicans, then it may chance that
LuIislana's vote shall be needed To
decide the election; and here the
democrats formally complained, a
uumDer of days before the election,
that their voters Were denied registry
that the republican registration Was
To some extent fraudulent; and that
IN some democratic parishes the CON
| mISSIuners OF election had been with
drawn by Governor kellogg, thus
leaving those parties without official
means of casting and recording their
Vote, with the purpose Of thus giving
the State returning board a prelexL
for entirely throwing them out.
We have presented the terms of a
possible and very grave public danger
very plainly, becaase The people OF
the country ought 10 understand them
and look them III the face. We slIIi
trust that the case we have supposed
may not arise, but if it does then We
have this to say
|. Both parties, everywhere must
| einember that there must be no
violence, no disorder, no aItemp; at
irregular proceedings. Tins Is no;
Mexico; and With absolute patience
aud quescence on The part vi those
who may believe themselves threaten.
ed with wrong all charges can be ex
amned and all wrongs tnat are found
can be recIltied. Any attempt at
violence is at once fatal to the parry
which should attempt 1t. The Amer
lean people do not mean in Tins cen
tenDlal 10 be dlsgraced III the eyes vi
the world and Illuminated In their own
esteem by dlsorde:iy proceedings or
revolutionary attempts, on any plea
whatever. They w:ll reseuJ with She
utmost bitterness anything which
looks 10 disorder, no matter what NAV
be the tanuicd or pretended proyUca
! lion.
ii. Tie electoral vote is not coun-
ted until The l4th OF February next.
| The electors meet III their seperate
States on the An OF December. lin
any State, as III louisiana, cne side
believes that the returning board has
given It's certificate OF election wrong
~, II Will have abundance OF time 10
lay lis proofs before Congress and The
public between The 4Ih OF Deem Der
and The l4,h Of February; nor vii!
Congress dare, even II 1t would, 10 re.
fuse 10 entertain a complaint so seri.
Gus. But it would uoI. The patri
otto men of both sides would see thai
no faint Of Injustice or wrong shall
hang about Presidential election.
Ill Finally, as the democratic
party is that which feels itself likely
10 be aggrieyed in this matter, we ber
them 10 remember that the dancer
I hIrh nnur h.