Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1876-11-16
Our Washington Letter

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inappropriate at least 10 speak
or write Of anything but poll
tics and the result of the cleo
ton. Strange as it may seem,
, it is nevertheless true that no
one as yet knows who is the
President elect. The excite
mcnt hero is intense, but it is
gratifying to say that the ut
most good order and kind feel
ing seems to prevail. The re-
turns from South Carolina leave
no question whatever that the
result has been largely adverse
10 Chamberlain, yet hc contin-
ues TO telegraph that he is cleo
ted by 5000 majority. This is
simply a monstrous lie, as is
shown by the fact that the re-
turns Of twcnty-onc counties
give the Democrats such enor-
nous gains that if the Rcpubli-
can majorities in the remainder
Of the State are unchanged from
1874, Chamberlain would bare
ii ~ be elected. The further Fact
that no returns hare been re.
ceivcd from Charleston county
show that the defeated Radicals
are holding them back for the
purpose Of making them large
enough to cover any defeat in
the rest Of the State.
The communication between
the Republican National Com
miitce. in the city Of New York.
and various parties in the South
since the day Of the election,
have been frequent and always
in cipher. The confidence of
their more intelligent followers
is founded in their ability to
count in the three doubtful
States Of the South.
When the Constitution was
framed, the possibility of Grant
ism was an inconceivablc thing,
and hence no provision was
made for such an emergency as
tie designs Of the Radical lead
crs now present. The constitu-
ton precludes the Federal gov
eminent from having anything
10 do with the appointment of
Presidential electors, who may
be selected in any way the leg
islatures Of the respective States
may see fit. The President of
the Senate is made returning
officer, whose duty it is to open,
count and announce the returns
made by the electoral college
1t is true a Republican Con-
gress has assumed the authori-
.ty by joint rule of order 10
raise objections to the counting
Of electoral votes Of particular
States, and has on a number of
occasions thrown out some cleo
toral votes, but in so doing Con-
| gross assumed the authority not
in any manner guaranteed by
the constitution. Nor is there
any constitutional provision
comforting discretionary pow
ers upon the President of the
Senate. Although Republican
Senators argue that he possesses
such power from the necessity
of the case, yet nothing can
be more clear from the language
Of the constitution on the sub
ject, and from the history of
the adoption of the clause, than
that the expectation was that
the States respectively would
take the necessary precaution
to protect the purity Of their
electoral votes. The plain truth
of the matter is, there is no plo-
vision whatever for the contest
Of a Presidential election. This
then is the situation: If the
Radical managers succeed in
making up a majority in the
electoral returns forwarded to
the President Of the Senate, it
is dif1icultto see where the rem
edy lies, no matter how gross
and notorious the fraud by
which the majority was made
out. Hence arises the danger.
There is no question but that
Tilden is elected, but the signs
are unmistakable that the I'M
scrupulous rascals who manage
the Hayes canvass are prcpar-
ing to overthrow Tilden's ma
iority in the several States by
force aud fraud, and behind
them stands that depraved and
dangerous man who man inscru-
table dispensation of Providence
has clothed with the dignity of
the Chief Magistracy of this
nation. While this much of
danger must be admitted, there
is no necessity for any serious
alarm. The majority for Mr..
T;Idor iC +oO larcro fO,. oDy