The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-01-04

cember, and. has attracted considerable
attention.; 49,: agai;t,D in7. ,j..b 81
For some reason or other the leaders of
the Democracy here, particularly in the
Senate, seem slow to comprehend the
scope of the policy: inaugurated by the
Republicans in that body; The view ;ot
that policy currently accepted in Demo-
cratic circles lis that ithet Senate has set
about investigating the. recent elections
id five Southern States merely: forrthe
purpose of;making partisan reports to
Offset reports of aTesimilar character
which, it is presumed, the committees of
the House will make in the other direc-
ton! This view fails to cover the real
design of the Senate Republicans.
eirsprogramme is vastly more COM
prehensive than the mere formulation of
reports for the purpose ofiaffectihg popu-
lar sentiment: It lcontemplates nothing
less than! to lay the foundation Of. new
scheme of reconstruction, which, while
incidentally involving some features OF
the old plan; will differ from the latter in
one essential This essential is that the
new scheme Of reconstruction resolved
upon by the Senate docs not propose
Federal interference with the govern
ments of the State in matters pertaining
to local affairs solely, but assumes the
right Of supervision over all elections of
| persons to fill Federal Offices; ,thatiis to
say, Senatorsand Representatives in Con-
| gress. ,iL:r;! sGj Gy.i!" -.:.aA.o 9 -
THE readers of the Sun will remember
| that the text.of Senator Edmund's reso.
| luton, under which the subcommittee of
the. Committee on Elections are now act
| ing, directed the examination to 'be so
4 conducted as Ito ascertain .whether,s in
| these elections, the constitution of the
| United States had been violated. q The
Theory of Mr.. Edmunds and his follow
ers, who embrace, with one or two,excep-
tions, the entire Republican force 'inrthe
!Senate, is that the self-preservative pow
els of the Federal constitution in nvolve
the right of either branch Of Congress to
act concurrently; with the: Executive in
1.-THE event. of.thea .other branch violating
orgsustaining violations Of that instru-
ment. They: hold that the House of
Representatives is, now engaged in sus-
tanning or abetting certain States which,
or citizens of,which, have violated the
constitution at the late election:5,si.; q
These violations, as understood by
Senator Edmunds and his followers, con-
sist in DENYING to certain citizens of the
United States the right to vote for Rep
resentatives in Congress, and in abrldg-
ing that right byiintimidation, etc. They
hold that certain Congressional Districts
! in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, North
| Carolina and South Carolina were carried
by the Democrats in a manner and by
methods which constitute yiolationof the
Federal constitutional and the amendments
thereto. Aud1astly, they hold-and this
is the practical end and aim of':thelr
/ whole schemc-that.: the Senate and the
/ Executive. are bound by, theirroaths~ to
support the constitution, to- refuse to re-
i cognize as legally constituted q House. OF
| Representatives in which the Democratic
/ members returned from those Districts
may be allowed seats. - II, :. :
The subcommittee of'the Senate Com
mittee on Elections have begun their
work, and the full committee will. .proba.
bly, not be ready to make its report until
very near the 4th of March. That report
will recite that in ten, and perhaps twelve,
Congressional Districts in the States j
have named; Representatives were chosen
| in violation of the Federal constitution
that those Representatives are not enti-
tied to seats in Congress, and that any
House which may admit them to seats is
not. entitled to recognition by the Senate
and the Executive as the: legal House OF
Representatives of the Federal Congress.
The effect of this scheme is at once appa-
rent. Counting these ten or twelve mem
bers whom the Senate has selected for
slaughter in this manner, the Democrats
cannot :haye more than seven or eight
majority in the next House. If, upon
the organization of that body, all the Re-
publican members withdraw, leaving only
the Democrats; and if of the number -oi
Democrats ten or twelve are declared to
have been, elected in violation of the
constitution, and hence not entitled to
seats. the remainder, whose right to seats
is not. questioned; will not constitute a
quorum. Therefore; according to the
programme of Edmunds and his follow
ersi the Democrats in the. House Of the
Forty-Fifth Congress will be unable to
organize that body so as to secure the re.
cognition .of the Senate and the Execu-
tive. But the Republicans will refuse to
ioin., the. Democrats in organizing the
House. They will organize a House OF
theiryown. and seat enough members from
these Districts to give them quorum
whether they haye:certi6cates of election
/ or not. And this, House islto be recog.
nized by the Senate and blythe new. Elk.
ecutive, who, having been counted in by
fraud, shall have been iDaugurated by
force. IL - =, .r'i: -
:, The remainder of the programme be
comes ,self.suggestive when we take into
account the proceedings of the Republi.
can party for the last ten years. The
Republican, House, as recognized by the
Senate and the Executive, will be. placed
in possession of the,Hall Of Representa-
tives, if necessary, by military force
The Democrats; that is to say, that por'
ton of them who will be recognized by
the Senate and the Executive as entitled
to seats, will be permitted to enter the
hall, but the ten or twelve Southern
members who are to be designated by the
Senate. as having been returned in. viola
ton of the constitution, by intimidation
etc., will be excluded. And if necessary
a Brigadier-General; will be on hand tt
act as door-keeper. -. .atyc..
/ have only to add that the above is
not mere conjecture. It is an exact state.
ment Of information that l have received
from Republican who is in position tc
ascertain the designs of his colleagues in
the caucus, but who does not endorse
their conclusions, and who will, at the
proper time, in all probability, oppose
their policy. The fact that such policy
is not only contemplated, but has actual
ly been .inaugurated, ought to be placed
before the country for examination ano
discussion. 1t is not for me to express
an opinion touching questions of consti
tutional law, raised by statesmen and ju
rists Of the character of Edmunds, Nor
ton, Boutwell, and Spencer, NOT to speak