The Portland daily press., 1876-10-19
SOUTH CAROLINA.
Revolutionary Schemes of the
Democrats.
Especial DESPATCH to the Boston .Journal7

Especial despatch to the Boston Journal
WASHINGTON, Oct. 13.-Some influential
Democrats here have already began to ronsider
and to plan for the possibility of revolution in
the event that the results of the Presidential
election are not what they wish them to be.
This plan is apparently based upon the belief
that the 22d joint rule is still in force and that
under it the Democratic House could, by the
arbitrary will of partisan majority, reject the
electoral vote of any state, and thus defeat the
will of the people. This action has for pre-
tence the proclamation issued by the President
commanding the insurgent rifle clubs in South
Carolina to disband
The following statement, which appears in
the Baltimore Gazette this morning, the recog.
nized organ of Tilden and Bourbonsm in this
section, shows the purpose of these desperate
leaders: The Gazette says an informal meet
ing of leading Democrats was held at the Eb-
bitt House late last evening to discuss what
policy shall be best to adopt to meet the revo-
lutionary move of Grant upon South Carolina
Judge JeIe Black was the principal speaker. e,
plan was preached and approved which VIII
be perfected today. This is to telegraph to
Wade Hampton and his followers to perempto-
rily withdraw from the canvass and leave the
Republican ticket without any opposition. linen
the Democratic House will not allow the vote
of South Carolina to be counted in February on
the ground of its illegally.
If the 22d joint rule were in force such a
course would have been possible, and partisan
majority in the House could have thrown out
the vote of any state without assignment of
| reason, and without appeal. Indeed it would
have been possiblearbltrarily to reject electoral
votes enough to prevent any choice by the cleo
toral college, and to have consequently forced
the election of President of the United States
| by the Confederate House of Representatives.
That the Democrats supposed this rule was in
| force is evident from the proceedings of the
House themselves. The record shows that at
| the commencement of the last ten days of the
session the Democratic leaders las would have
been the custom had the rules been in force)
| moved to suspend the 22d joint rule for the re-
| mainder of the session.. This motion was car
red and the suspension resolution was sent to
| the Senate for concurrence, Arrived there
| Senator Edmunds remarked that the resolution
| of the House could not be acted on for the rea-
son that there were no joint rules OF the two
| Houses of the Forty-fOurth Congress to sus
| pend.
| Further examinations of the record showed
| that Mr.. Edmunds was right, and that the
| House in adopting the rules of the last Con
| gress had neglected to include the 22d joint
| rule. Any plan of conspiracy to elect Tllden
| by rejecting electoral votes at the will of the
| House under this rule must be abandoned. The
| only existing provisions for counting the vote
| OF the electoral college are the 18th amendment
to the Constitution, which makes the Presiden,
of the Senate the custodian of the certificate!
of these votes, and requires him to preside a
the joint convention OF both Senate and House
| to open the certificates and declare the result
ard the law requires that these votes shall bt
counted the second Wednesday in February
1t is for Senator Ferry of Michigan, therefore
to declare what is the voice of the electors of tn
whole country, and not for the Confederate
House to reject any of these certificates. 1t i
! possible that blunder OF the Democrats
House may have disarmed revolution.
lIQuiet.
CHARLESTON, Oct 18.-All las been quiet a
Caihboy today. A small force of armed citi
zens from Charleston remains in the village, thu
residents fearing that if this guard is with
drawn their homes will be fired. The news re-
celved tonight that company of United State
troops are on their way from Columbia Il
Cainboy causes great satisfaction. The Presi
dents proclamation causes no excitement ant
| little com tnent here