Mexico weekly ledger., 1876-11-23
THE PRESIDENCY.

Of the whole American people, high
and low, rich and poor. So long has
t..ere been painful uncertainty ~ to
the result, tnat many have wearl' q
OF it, and we frequently hear the re-
mark. Il wish they would settle IT n
one way Or the other; it don't mat
ter much to me who is president.
1t seems now to be an accepted fact
that the Returning Boards OF the
three contested states VIII, by
throwing out a sufficient number OF
Democratic votes; elect the Repub-
|lican electors, and that the contest
will be transferred from the South
to Washington City. The situation
is indeed a grave one. Business Id
paraIized. American securities IN
Foreign markets are trembling on
the verge of a panic. Is this painful
uncertainty to be prolonged until
March? 1t SO, the consequence VIII
be dire.
If the Democracy persls. IN Their
clam, the contest certainly will be
prolonged till March. Shsli they
yield, and so tranquiIize the couh-
try, or shall they persist! Snail
the Democratic House refuse t"
count the vote of Louisiana and
Florida, and perhaps South CaroI'-
ma. throwing the election Ot the
president into the Democratic HouSe
and the choice of vlce-pres'dent mo
the Republican Senate?
So surely as that is done, ta'
Senate and President Lrant W..
disregard the action Of the i"us'
and inaugurato Hayes. rnen W.
will have tw presidents, ard ma
have snch an appeal to arms as wa
made few years ago By the r'v"
executives of Arkansas. E' her
such appeal must be had, or the
Democratic House must ignore
Hayes xnd refuse to originate any
bills for raising revenue, which lat
ter step would probably bring Hayes
down from The executive char.
Any course we may pursue, excep
object submission, l., Iikelv to unset
tie business and cause trouble
The only question, then, 10, or II
it not, imperative that the Demo"-
racy pursue. suoh &C urse? 1t wall
be costly, can We not avold IL?
In answering this question, let u
see what will be the est of sub
mission.
The Republic has arrived at
crisis. During the years since the
war, we have ssen the constitution
Of tho United States the brightest
expression OF the will Of the people,
the charter of our liberties, the very
soul of our free institutions, violA,-
ed again and again untll it has b.
como a Dy-word and a mocking IL
| The mouths of its enemies.
We have seen the ins'rument IL
self changed 10 a manner that vip-
lated it's own provisions. We hav,
seen states deprived of their ser
wants and representatives in nation
al councils on the ground they were
no longer states, but territories.
And we bowed III submission. WI en
i be party in power wished to amend
the constitution, we have seer
these same states-stilI having
no reprGsert&tI.-. -.-counted a.
states nt.efug vote Oh amendments,
and taese votes have been counted
to make up the necessary three
fourth maj0rlty. We acqulesced
again. We have seen a congress
place in the hands Of the executive
the power to overturn the govern
ment of any state in the Union by
means of so-called Ku-KIux bill,
which the press, without exception,
Democratic and Republican, north
and south, denounced as uaconsti-
tutionAl and dangerous. Again, a
few people bowed in submission.
We have seen a Unitei States Gen
eral, in imitation OF Oliver Crom :
we'll two hundred years ago, with
the bayonet drive from the legisla
tive hall of a state members polite.
ally opposed to him and tho presi-