New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-11-10
WHAT NAY HAPPEN.


The suppression of free opinion, the
fictitious Aattery of figures, or the conf
dent assumption of triumph, have no ef-
feet upon the stern judgment and inexor-
able will of the American people. The
question has to be tried anew at the bar,
is this q government of free and equM
citizens? Howsoever the electoral count
shall be determined, there can be but the
difference of few votes between the
presidential candidates. Congress will in
due time he called on to count this vote,
and each house will have an equal right
to accept or except to the electoral re-
turns Of any State which it may conceive
or regard as legal or illegal. In this pros
pect of affairs it becomes all who may
choose to look q few months ahead to
contemplate the possibilities which lie
before us.
The want of majority of the whole
number of electors appointed may
throw the election into the House of Rep
resentatives, and that body, voting by
States, shall determine the presidential
choice. It is in the preliminary decision,
how the electoral votes shall be counted
in the presence of both houses, that the
most exciting phase Of the great question
will be presented. Our readers know
that the Senate has endeavored to perfect
some mode by which the obscurity Of
original legislation might be corrected and
q tribunal appointed by which the formal
legality of the electoral vote may be de-
termined. This effort having failed, the
process of preparing the electoral roll
will stand as established by the constitu-
tional amendment of 1904. We will
not argue the question whether The
president of the Senate is restricted
to the ministerial duty of OPEN
ing the electoral certificates in the
presence of both bodies of Congress, and
that all these votes shall then be counted,
or, whether this officer will consider
duplicate or informal certificates and
prepare-as the Clerk Of the House of
does-the electoral roll
to be counted. It will be proper to pro-
coed step further and suppose that the
President of the Senate shall determine
on this prima facie inspection to enroll or
exclude votes according to his own discre-
ton. We may pass over the formal mode of
deciding the election whether by the vote of
this House of Representatives, OF the next,
the succession of President chosen by
the Senate, or q resistance by one or the
other party to whatever mode of settle
ment may be adopted. There may, We
will not conceaffrom our readers, be great
LANCER lest the party discontinued may
resort to extreme measures for reinstst-
ng their construction of their own rights.
The consequence to the country will be
II the gravest possible character, to the
south especially so. for causes too obvious
o need recital here.
Suffice it to say that everything renders
t proper to maintain the order and obe-
Hence to law which have distinguished
he conduct Of the campaign. Louisiana
nay be the pivot of the election; but
hould the consequences of national con-
let be as serious as they might possibly
e, Louisiana could exercise very little
,fiuence on the military decision. While,
nerefore, confident of Republican sue.
ess, and fervently hopeful that the nation
,ay be spared second conflict for the
fe Of the Union. we hope our fellow
itizens will regard this issue in its true
spect, and will not violate the peace Of
re land by any act which may visit upon
q impoverished and distracted people
repetition of sorrows which humanity
i'd patriotism alike deprecate.