New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-11-15
The Constitution Must BE Obeyed.

Amid all this excitement one thing ia ab-
solutely certain: Whoever shall receive q
majority Of the electoral votes under the
prescribed forms of law will be President.
Crowds may howl, foolish newspapers may
vapOr. excited partisans may threaten, and
desperate politicians vent their ignorance
and malice; but the constitution of the
United States envelopes them like an atmos-
phere. That settles this whole question.
1t says: 1.-THE person having the greatest
number of electoral votes for President
shall be the President" It does not provide
any mode of contesting the election of Presi-
dent, nor admit such an idea. 1t prescribes
within certain limits the manner Of electing,
and leaves details to the States, but these
complied With, the result is q tinality. 1t
does not matter whether the electors of q
State are appointed by the Legislature or
elected by the people: it does not matter
whether they are counted in BY the Secre-
tary of State. a. they are in this State, or
by q returning board, a. they are in
Louisiana; it does not matter whether they
receive large popular vote or small one.
If they are duly chosen a. the electors of
the State, and if they cast the vote of the
the end of it. There is no such thing as
going behind that action. The constitution
implies that the vote of State 80 cast shall
be accepted and recorded, and it provides
no means of contrasting q presidential cleo
ton after the result has been ascertained
and announced.
In this view of the case the vaporing and
clustering of Democratic papers and politi.
clans about throwing out the votes OF GER
tain States and preventing the Inauguration
of Hayes if elected, ia utterly contemplate.
Such talk is intended to excite lawlessness
and violence; but it simply shows that those
who indulge in it are ignorant of the provis-
ions of the constitution and Of the temper
of the American people We are law
abiding people. We will not have this
country Mexicanized. We will not have
the precedent established of rushing into
revolution whenever an election goes con-
trary to the wishes of faction or party.
The constitution is not piece of waste pa
per to be trampled upon at the within of
party or the caprice of q mob. 1t is the
charter of our liberties in Florida as we'll as
in Maine, in Louisiana as we'll as in Indiana
We have said before, and we repeat the
statement, that if Mr.. Tilden should re-
ceive majority of one in the electoral vote,
the whole Republican party will instantly
accept the result. The Republican party is
q party of law, and not of revolution. Re-
publicans know that there has been gross
Intimidation in several of the Southern
States, and fraud in the North, especially in
New York, and that if Mr.. Tilden is elected
it will be by that violence and fraud; but it
he shall receive q majority Of the electoral
votes they will not attempt to go behind
the forms of law. Conceding this in per.
feet sincerity, they expect and will demand
like su bmissiOn from the Democracy. Ii
Governor Hayes receives majority
of the electoral votes, though but
q majority of one, the constitution
says he shall be President, and there
is no escape from the result except
in revolution. clustering Democrats say he
shall not be counted in by the Returning
Board of Louisiana. Neither he nor Mr..
Tilden can get the electoral vote of Louis
lana except through the Returning Board,
for it alone is competent to certify whether
Democratic or Republican electors are
chosen. The Returning Board is as much
q part of the government of Louisiana
as the Governor and State officers
are of this State. There can be no
legal election there without its action,
and it's certificate a. tile result is final and
conclusive. 1t is absurd, therefore, to talk
about controlling or resisting its action.
M. Abram Hewitt and the other Democrats
Who have gone to New Orleans ITO see .
fair count.V % they say. have gone on .
FOOLS GRAND. United States troops are
there for that very purpose. The Return
inc Board will be protected in the perform
ance Of its duty, and when the result 10
Known Il must be accepted - fnality.
Presidents are not elected in this country by
nevepsper talk, but according to the forms
Of ia1.-Indianapolis Journal