New-York tribune., 1876-08-18
1FyrR TIE ELECrION-WHATl

There are those who will smile at the letter
of Secretary Cameron to Gen. Sherman; others
may regard the matter more seriously; Dat IL
il hardly possibc to consider the whole tran
saction without feeling of regret. The con-
pection between the letter and the resolution
of the House is of such ganzy nature that
it may be asked whether these gentlemen III
Washington ale playing at politics aS tiiey
might play n game of faro or OF Drag. Inc
resolution, with It's preamble, was III l'stil not
merely harmless but cOmmcndablc. IL dld no
more than state the undcuiable fact that
in some of the Southern states there
had BEEN in the elections. iraud
Intimidation, and Violence Considering the
position of the Democratic party, there was
every reason why it should wish to PIT ltscii
right upon the record. But there - nothing
in the resolution which calls for military IN
tciposition On the contrary, the demand Is
only for the PROMPT and effective action oi
,he criminal courts There is also an expires
sion of the opinion which no one can gainsay,
flat any interference with the right Of suffrage
.should meet with certain, condign and ell
"icctual punishment" But all tins Is not Il
statutc. nor does it call upon the President TO
do ANYTHING. The appeal is to the courts
and not to the Executive as Commander
of the Army With an audacity when
need not be properly characterized, and WITH a
proCcssional alacrity which does not surprise,
the President Immediately resorts to General
Orders. and leaves us to conclude that III his
oriuion there can be no good government with
on, tbc prcsence of standing army. All
| troops which are not needed to carry on The
frontier war are to be marched into the South
c,n States. These are to be strongly occupied
and iudiciou,ly garrisoncd for the purpose OF
! enabling the citizens To vol" as they please.
! Yet the resolution says nothing about the
! army; the martial turn which the President
| has given i. is all bis own.
The Executive and its advisers are evidently
incapable of drawing delicate differences.
moments accurate thought would have re-
ycalcd to them the stem condemnation OF
| their impulicy and OF their failure, winch Is
,mplird bv the Sccrctary's letter. Fot all these
years they have held these States under con
! troll shaping their governments, removing ana
amounting those highest in authority alm'.
| at pleasure and not until lately III the least
! hindcrtd anywhere by Tccacitrant maJoriilcs.
| As the result of all, it is solcmniy admitted
| that to secure fair vote i'll PIeslden-
| tlal election it is necessary TO put a
very considerable portion Of tins Union
under martial law. Peace can only secure lis
victories through the aids and appliances OF
war, The canvass is to b. "a campaign not
mctaphoIically bat literally. Courts oi justice
are powcrlcss; the posSe c0mitdf"S Is not TO he
dcpendcd upon and the ballot without the
bayonct is advertised to the civilized world To
he no more than Il mockcry II TINS be so,
how shameful that it shOuid he so! view 1t
rs we may, the situation is full OF humhllaiing
suggestion.
There is no reason why the Southern states
should not support the Republican ticket; bat
if there Is to be a Republican majority i'll those
regions, il it.shoud be free and unintimidatcd
majority. No other can exercise any pcrma-
ncpt innucnce-nO other can promote whole
s,roe rcsrlts. WHY should We desire Prcs-
dent Hayes, at the very outset Oh his
administration. to be hindcrcd and embarrassed
by that reaction through the whole South
which will be sure to follow electoral votes
secured through military cocrcloni II the
South prefers to vote for Mcssrs. 1ildcn and
Hendricks. il is infinitely better to permit it
to do 80 than To dIugOOn it into IN opposite
course, which, at the very first oppor-
tnnty, it will abandon. Why begin
by breeding for the President to
come vigorous and even malignant oppo-
si,ion which will infallibly spring mp the mo-
ment the pressure of the Federal arms is taken
off? If the Grant administration were capa-
bic of such n degree of foresight, we might
imagine it to be preparing, under the pre-
lenses of amity, for the embarrassment and
failure of its Successors. II already assumes
that the majority must be fortified, coddlcd,
protected everywhere by the Federal battal-
ions Are they to be kept on guard forever
Has the Administration no legacy to leave to
ifs Successors, save that of iOrccl Can we not
elect an honest President without conditions
and drawbacks which will make his official
life one long trouble, and neutralize all those
benefits which should be secured by his cleo
| tiOn3
TIE N1TION1L BiNKS.
The abstract of the reports made to the Con-