Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-02-21
Louisiana.


of the report Of the Electoral Comm'ss'on III
the Louisiana case, MIR. Seelye (rep.,) 81 Mas
sacbusetts, said that il the case OF the LOUIS
lana election itseemed to him perfectly clear that
the charges made By each party agalost the
other were in the main true. NO facts were
nrorel more concusiVely than the fraud and
corruu,ion on the one side. aud the lotlnda-
ton and cruelty charged on the other. Which
of the two sides went the iartbest 10 that wrong
doing it would be very hard to say. !he cor
rnntiou on the one side seemed as helnous as
thn cruelty of the other was horrible, and 90
hath sides there did not seem to be any limit
IN the extent they went save where the require
ments Of the case did not call toT any more. lie
found it quite impossible 10 cay which OF the
two sets OF electors coming up from Louisiana
voiced the true will of the people OF that State;
II would have been hard 10 fnd wiser and
more candid men than those who had prououu-
ced the decision of the Electoral Commission.
He appreciated the strength OF their position.
Congress could not be too jealous ct the constl'
tutional right Of State to choose Its presiden'
tial electors, but there were cases where INC
summus Jus became tie summa lpJuTla; cases
where the law strictly interpreted and sIreuu'
ousIy enforced, worked out results contrary TO
all law aud in such cases equity laid the spirit OF
| the law aside. He found such eases 10 he pcnd,
ing issue. Granted that the COMMISSION had
clearly Interpreted and accurately applied the
laws; yet what il the very prncIpcS Ga "hlcn
| the laws must rest become thereby suDPefteu
tNo nation" said Neibuhr, "evcr died except
by suicide, and the suicidal vice Is cngendered
not 50 much in the unjust statutes OF govern
ronfI ~
| which the government Is unaDle 10 PUNISH anu
unable to restrain. -,
MIR. Pierce (rcp.,) Of Massachusetts, said
that he would be glad TO avoid the responsible.
| ~ of voting on the question presented, but he
did not think it could be avoided. 1t was with
great djfiidcncc that he vcnturcd TO dissent
from the decision Of the Commission, but the
rule it laid down was one lie could not consclcn.
tiously endorse The Commission had refused
10 receive any evidence other than the
Certificate of the government Of the State.
r. coud never have been intended by
the fathers Of the Constitution that Con
press should p0t be able 10 9cru!n!aa the
returns of electoral votes. Ii that was
not matter which the representatives
Of the people could inquire into, then
this government stood Oh Il very Insecure
foundation. lie could not give bis assent
TO any such declaration. ii vas contrary 10
pood government and to good morals; 1t tended
to weaken the hold OF the government on the
!, confidence of the people, and The party winch
rot into office by its adoption would be party
founded on principles dangerous to !he perret
uity Of the government. Tue evidence winch
the Commission refused to receive, Justified
and required the exclusion 0! LOUISIANA IRON
narticipatjpg IN the Presidential election. He
1 ..l,., hof nol-h ac n
almost alone 10 bis party, but be should be re-
crcant TO his convictioDsl he neglected to place
on the imrcrishab!e record OF the House hi:
dissent from the rule proposed 10 be csiab
I;shed. IApplausc on the democratic side.
Mr. Cox OF New York, said AFTER many
years of active service a. member OF the
House, recalling ali The Tic!ssitudes OF our pol
iitics for twenty years, cannot feel responsible
to day that, after the verdict OF the American
people, it should prove frutlesa verdict. lr
1864, on the 10TH Of May, | presented reso
luton to this House, which passed. 1t related
to the regularity anl authenticity OF the re-
turns OF electoral votes aud to the passage OF 1
law TO provide fer the jurisdiction as well as tht
course OF proceeding III case OF 9 'r2al contro
ycrsy." The judiciary committee tO2!; nc
action at that t!uc. Nor, Sir, 60 L feel re
sponsiblc for lie steps which were (wise!y per
haps, or uuniscy, bat certainly with view tc
prudencc) taken ii passing the electoral bill !
That bill is the law We know what it is, wha
) its provisions arc We know what MY friend
from Kentucky (Mr. Wattersou) has said, thai
there was some snare 10 it. Laughter. Laugh
and cxult as you will / knew and felt that
some virtue had gone out Of this House wher
we had passed that bill. but did not exactly
sec where the virtue had alighted. Laughter.
I kew that the old privileges o. the common:
had departed, but, in the interest OF peace,
gave q reluctant vote for the bill. But one
strange thing about the bill is this that while
We are permitted to vote in this House, ycl
after al! it is Il sort of post norton vote.
Laughter. Although We are permitted tc
argue, it is an argumcntum ad post iactum.
Although, Sir, there il some utility 10
the dissection of the dead, and although
there may be something gained by the
disscctng Of the living laughter, yet it seems
to me to be proper now to look at Que particu.
lar clause of the Law, before state my
reason for the protest against the measure.
We arc graciousy permitted, unicr this bill,
to argue after the matter is accomplished, and
although we vote aTd although we carry our
vote in the House, VIC are gone" Laughter
We gain nothing. We are permitted TO talk
ten minutes after the counting aod the c0nc!u-
siou. 1t is the old Virgilan line oTcr again Of
Rhadamanthus Judge Of helI,) castigat qui
audit qui dolos, the Old rule of hanging nj n
aud trying him afterwards. Laughter. That
is our condition to-day, and what is it that We
try Why, sir, everything Is to testimony and
facts, and forgery, and perjury, and force, is
aIiunde. outside, not to be considered; truth
and justice, and morality, and fair dealing, are
aliunde. The House is aIiunde. Laughter.
It's acts and the acts of its committees and their
reports, all the facts gathered in these Southern
States are aliundc. Laughter. Nothing is to
be considered but the bare, naked fact Of a
certificate, based upon what? On forgery and
cbcancry; on returning board, which return
ing board returned the fact that 10, 400 demo-
cratic votes were not counted | was about
Mr. Speaker. before the hammer fell, to refer
to the Holy Writ, so that gentleman on the
| other side may have time for repentance.
Laughter and applause With the permission
OF the House will read Psalms "a, verse 20 :
IiNI III IL Poll Il,