The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-09

ration are under the laws Of South Caro-
lima null and void,
To appreciate fully the complete worth
lessness of the ceremony which took place
in Columbia on Thursday, it is necessary
to bear in mind several facts, namely
| First, the Canvassing Board of the state
| officially returned to the Supreme Court
ms elected majority of Democrats in the
| Legislature on joint ballot. Second, that
| Board is now in contempt for refusing to
| obey the mandate OF the Supreme Court,
which required them to give certificates of
| election to representatives from Laurens
ana Edgefeld counties. whom they them
| selves had officially reported ms receiving
mnjofities of the votes cast Third, there
has never been n legal quorum of the pre-
tended House OF Representatives, presided
over by Speaker MAcKEY, and without
such quorum House Of Representatives
III south Carolina is incompetent TO do any
business whatsoever except to adjourn
from day to day. Fourth. at the very time
that this spurious House of Representa-
tives was engaged in the farce of pretend
ing to inaugurate CHAMBERLAIN us Gov
ernor legal House of Representatives,
recognized by the Supreme Court Us SUCH
and having II quorum of members who
had received certificates of election from
the state Canvassing Board-excusive of
the members from Laurens and Edgefeld
who had been declared by the Supreme
Court to have been legally elccted-was in
session in Columbia. and the supreme
Court had ordered the Secretary of State
TO turn over the returns for Governor and
Lieutenant-Governor to the Speaker OF
,h,. House. refusing to recognize MAckEY,
the Speake, "a '"e i"inP L'sisia'ure' us
public officer.
II will be seen from the a. '"'e prlei sum-
mary of facts that the crowd OF negroes
with II spriukliug of white Republicans
who assumed this authority, had no more
power to declare CuAMBERLA1N Governor
of South Carolina than negro debating
society IN Thompson street. But ii is
probable that these lawless proceed
ings will be sustained by United States
troops. just rs though they were legal aud
proper; for the country has arrived Mt II
condition III which the will of President
GRANT and of the National Executive
lAcpuDllcdu tOnlultlto is COnslueIeu SUI
perior to all law. aud in which Federal
bavonets can be used to promote the most
extreme villainies.
CHAMBERLAIN knows very well that with
the decisions of the Supreme Court against
him he can never be recognized rs Gov
ernor by the people of South Cnrolina
that he cannot collect taxes that his pre-
tended official acts would bo treated with
derision, aud that his situation under
these circumstances would be intolerabc
If he should undertake TO persist in assert
ing his claims To the Office that he has at
tempted to seize by force and fraud. Ii is
believed, however, that the real object he
has III view Is to keep up the pretence that
the SENATE ana his spurious House cousti-
tute the legal Government OF South Caro-
INA, in order that they may go through
the form of eleoting him to the United
states senate. such an election would be
invalid, but it is u significant fact that no
one supposes that the illegallty of his cleo
ton would be any bar to his admission to
a seat IN the upper House of Congress. No
more forcible comment upon the complete
degradation of the Republican majority
in the Senate could be made than is afford
ell III the simple statement OF this fact.