The Portland daily press., 1877-02-28
The Attitude of the Democracy,

democratic party responsible I0r tne atIempt
| of the filibusters to delay the count of the
electoral votes in the House, but it is very
/ certain that the extremists have the sympa-
thy of the great mass of the party, and that
the course of the wise and moderate leaders
is regarded with distrust. Everywhere the
| wild threats of men like Eaton and Southland
are echoed with approval, and the advice of
men like Bayard and Payne is heard with
impatience. 1t is with difficulty that the
| long-acknowedged leaders of the Democracy
have been able to restrain their followers, to
| avoid the adoption of violent and revolution
| ary measures by the party majority. West
ern Congressman are receiving daily great
numbers of letters and kilograms begging
| them to obstruct the count and threatening
them with the loss of their seats if they con-
sent to the Inauguration of Hayes. In the
East the feeling in favor of resistance has not
gone to so great length, but men do not hesi-
tate to loudly applaud the action of the ex-
tremists and to express the hope that they
will succeed.
While the country is rejoicing over the
thought that we are on the eve of a just and
polite settlement of the Presidential contro-
versy, while business is taking courage at the
prospect of tranquility and prosperity, while
wealth-producing enterprise is shaking off its
enforced idleness and preparing for profitable
work in the good days it hopes are near at
hand, the Democratic party is doing its ut
| most to defeat the settlement, to strike down
business again, TO paralyze enterprise-simply
because it has been defeated in an appeal to
a tribunal in great part of its own creation,
tribunal which it JOY fully accepted and whose
decision it pledged itself in advance to abide
by. 1t threatens violence, revolution, war.
1t proclaims its desire to oppose a President
chosen in compliance with the forms of law
and the spirit of equity. 1t exhibits its long
ing to seize power by the strong hand in def
ance of constitutional provisions, and to hold
it against the will of the majority of the
states. 1t talks of seizing Washington by an
armed force and of installing as President a
man who, as its chosen tribunal declares, has
no claim to the office. In short it threatens
to apply the methods of Mexico to the Unit
ed States, to choose chief magistrate by
pronunciamento, to inaugurate him by vio-
lence, to sustain him by unlawful force. 1t
is only deferred by fear from carrying out its
programme of revolution. The spirit is will
ing but the flesh is weak. Within the past
few days at Washington utterances as trea-
sonable, speeches as disloyal as any heard in
the early days of 1861 have been made in the
capitol. Fortunately for the country the
| fighting Democrats this time, the men of the
South, are disposed to moderate measures,
and the men who advise violence have not
the courage to attempt it. They are Western
demagogues, old chiefs of the Sons of Liberty
and Knights of the Golden Circle. who are
| ready to assassinate the nation but do not
dare to openly take up arms against it. The
country is indebted for tranquility to the good
feeling of recent foes and the cowardice of
present enemies. -
The country will pardon much 10 men who
have just lost a great political battle, will
gladly forget hasty and foolish speeches pro-
voked by The irritation of defeat. 1t does not
expect joyful acquiescence from the van
| quished, nor ask beaten men to Immediately
confess that their punishment is just. But it
does insist upon justice and good faith, it
does insist that the defeated party shall abide
by the decision of the umpire of its own ac-
ceptance, it does insist that the count of
electoral votes shall 60 on without farther
hindrance. Its temper is unmistakable, and
| the political death of the man or the party
that opposes the completion of the count will
be speedy and certain. And, the count once
completed, the country will never cease to
congratul lie itself over having escaped from
| the rule Of men who have demonstrated that
only the occasion was wanting to make them
traitors.
BRITISH COLUMBIA on the Pacific coast,
was induced under prom ise of trans-conti-
| mental railway to join the league Of the Brit
ish American Provinces. The people desired
a more direct connection with their country
men in the East than by doubling Cape Horn
or by passing over American railroads. But
the trans.continental railway has never been
ness decreasing and mines giving out, regrets
| that she ever yielded her independence and
accepted the Dominion government. Public
sentiment is so much excited in reference to
the situation, that the question of further
| continuance in the Canadian Confederation
| will come before the Provincial Legislature,
now in session. Much depends on what
| promises the British Cabinet may make in
| regard to the prompt construction of the rail-
way. In view of possible separation the
| Alta California foreshadows the benefits that
would accrue to British Columbia by annexa-
ton to the United States, if that action can
be taken without trouble with England.
"Congress," remarks that journal, ''is shy of
giving subsidies for roads in American terrific
ries, but will give to British Columbia all the
railroads she can use in return for the con-
veyance of her territory west Of the Rocky
Mountains"
EMIGRATION is receiving cordial encour-
agement in nearly all the Southern States.
Texas, through her agents, has advertised
the attractions of her territory so diligently
that it is believed no less than 250,000 persons
have settled there during the last three years.
Tennessee and Mississippi have recently re-
organized their immigration schemes. having
established a Bureau of Agriculture and I'm
migration. and both States are receiving
large accessions to their population. Arkan-
sas, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida have also
succeeded in alluring numerous colonies to
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