The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-03-01
The Perplexity of the Situation.

The position of the Democratic party,
by bad faith of the majority of the Flee
toral Commission, is made one of delicacy
and no small perplexity The prominent
members of the party, its accredited and
trusted leaders, feeling their responsible
positions, and knowing the great public
anxiety that peace should he preserved,
acceded to the demand tor n special com
mission to count the votes. 1t seemed to
them fair and ii was fair, upon the face Of
it. They could not see, any more than
could the great public, the treachery that
!urked under the mantle of ''the unjust
Judge" They acceded TO the Commission
because, having a case that they regarded
as perfect in law. equity and justice, they
could afford to trust it to the determination
Of such a tribunal But they could not
guard against treachery, more than can
any one who is stabbed under the fifth rib,
with the inquiry cart thou in health my
brother ?" They believed they were doing
a wise thing, in asserting to the commits
sion, because they had case that ought
to have assured a favorable result.
From the very first, on the other hand,
the Republicans all over the country We're
respondent. and gave up The contest.
Possibly a few leaders at Washington,
were better informed through some pri-
vate medium, OF the certainty OF a de-
cision to tavor Hayes, but the bulk Of the
party lost ali courage when the bill be-
came a law. They saw that Il thorough
investigation, on the basis OF law and JUS
t:ce, would be fatal to their claims, and
therefore despaired They saw the bright
hopes Of yet future years of party ascend
ancy ant official honora ana emolnments
fade away, and blank dependency settled
down upon them Their hopes revived,
that the case would be carried against the
Democracy, only when 1t became appar-
ent that the accompanying and control
ling frauds OF tine counts were not to he
investigated And the Democracy lost
heart only when they perceived that the
great name Of the Supreme Court Wa7 TO
honor the corruption that it should have
scorned and driven out from its presence.
But the Democracy dti arqnleSce IN the
formation OF the Commission, through It's
ma iority in one branch at Congress-; il dit
delegate to the Commission the needed
power for the performance of its office il
atd agree to abide by its findings. in all
good faith, and accept the result. The
very existence anG statement of y Ines-
ton cOncpde that there are two sides TO it,
the submission thereof to arbitration and
adjudication il a confession that one party
and one only can prevail. Ii the steps by
which the final decision WAS reached in
the case under consideration were errone-
it to be, was unjust to the losing side,
humiliating to the country and subver-
sive OF lustlce-yeti it is the tribunal which
we actively aided and formed, after 4
model that we approved, and by the final
decision Of which we agreed to abide.
We did not do this altogether in the inter
est OF the party. We protested to look
beyond party, and to consult the welfare
OF the country We took high and patri-
nti IN frr0I1nI with Il of of TO no
to the country and the world an example
of the manner in which the American
people can peacefully and quietly settle u
dangerous and threatening question.
We have been beaten before the Com
mission. The question now S shall we
submit to what is inevitable, make the
best OF it. and appeal to the future or
shall we resist at every step, throw all i'm
pediments in the way, and endeavor to
prevent the new administration from being
peacefully inaugurated, or from being in
augurated at all Desiring TO look at the
matter fairly and having the best interests
OF the Democratic party at heart. we can
not avoid the belief that it would incur
fearful responsibility by the latter course.
and perhaps SOW the seeds of its own de-
stnction. Such L course would stir up eX-
elements, engender bitter and revengetul
feelings and seriously endanger the peace
of the country. If the Senate perceives
disposition to protract the count beyond
the third of March, and thus Illustrate an
election, it will return to the assumed and
still nnyieded right OF the presiding Off
Ger of that body to complete the count
The result would be an attempt to inan-
gurate and recognize Hayes as the right
full President, by the aid of the army. And
if the Democrats should pursue their
course to its logical results, there would
be armed collisions. What miseries would
follow, we leave to imagination.
The Democratic party should not by
any means give sanction to the means, the
mockery of fairness and Justice, by which
the Commission gave an entirely partizan
decision The Democrats of the House
should pass resolutions as strong as words
can make them, denouncing the partizan
action of the Commission. and spread them
upon its records. They should issue
terse and vigorous address to the country,
reciting the wrongs inflicted and the
great danger that exists to the institutions
OF the country, and their stability. The
people are the masters of those who have
done this wrong-let appeal be made to
them against their unfaithful servants, and
to the events of the future. One wrong
cannot be righted by another. And the
most perilous OF all advisers in troublous
times is the counsellor of rashness.