The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-03-15
airl,n,olld lispatrll.
TH,1Rsp !. MARCH Is. 1877
No New Elections.

II Mr.. Bou7wELI had not on. one oeca-
sion made report to the Senate fecohs-
mend;nc that certain States should be re-
manded to a territorial condition, we should
hardly be prepared to believe that there Is
any man in the United States soignorant OF
the Constitution Of his country as to sup
nose that the President, or Congress, OF
both together, might lawfully order he"
elections to be held in the States OF soasn
Carolina and Louisiana. But Mr.. BOUT Il.
wE,I, did make such q report, and II. fro ''f
regular standing committee--of course
only from a majority OF ITS hlehi-
hers. and it must be presumed thas
the proposition, however absurd Mou''
have found supporters in the senate III a." ~.
a;t;on to those who made it. II does l'o'
surprise us. therefore, TO learn lna' 1"e
Garnet baccers and scalawags OF Lou'sl"n"
o,a Sou,h Carolina are anxious to get Mr.
WIS 70 order new elections in those
States. though he has no mere rlSht 10 40
ca than he has TO order one IN Canaaa or
Ireland. Senator PATTERSON and others
bavs seriously approached the Presioeht
with such proposition, and the president
seems 10 have pretended to regard the pro-
Dos;.ion as one which it was within his power
TO adopt. He is reported to have ilKeo th'S
proposition less than any one OF the others
which have occurred to him OF been
brought TO his attention by his friends.
This language implies that even ne mas as
an idea that he could resort to such q REM
edy for the evils in those two States. be-
sides. Senator ROBERTSON and MI. " Al
1,cg have deemed it necessary TO sec the
President and protest against new etec-
ton: and we are not informed that TIE
President hootcd at the idea that he was
such foo! rs to entertain the propoSlt'oh
for nue moment. Yet this is just what he
ought to have done.
We are not prepared to believe that MI
HAYES. like General GRANT. is utterly lS'
norant AS to the scope OF the PRESIDENT
powers. Mr.. HAYES must know-it is SIM
DIV impossible that any lawyer should MOI
know-that he has no more power or riSh'
to order new election in Louisiana OF
South Carolina than in New York or Massa'
chuseits. Each OF these States has Con-
stitution and laws Of its own, under when
all elections for State officers are held.
The President cannot change the time
for holding these elections. he can
not override the laws OF a State, nor
take one single step in the direction OF Or
derinc a new election for State officers. lie
is absolutely powerle>s in respect OF these
things. Even, however, were Mr.. HAYES
such Ali :ss as these reports assume him to
be, his Cabinet would never agree to be
part;es to so gross violation Of the Federal
Constitution and OF the rights OF the States
as would lie involved in the ordering OF q
new election in any State MIR. EyARTS,
Mr.. SCHURz, Mr.. HEY, Mr.. DEvENs, Mir. Nc
CRARY, Mr. THoMPSoN,-al OF the members
except perhaps JOHN SHERMAN-would leave
the Cabinet rather than sanction such an
outrage.
It is said that Mr. HAYES regards the or
dering Of new election as worse than the
use OF Federal bayonets to seat Governor
or dispossess one. The one is as objection
able az the other to person who has any
correct notion as to the relative powers Of
the Federal and the State Governments.
Tt would seem that the President considered
that he might rightfuHy resort to either, or,
at the least, might use either remedy in an
extremity. We trust that he will give
up such notions. He has nothing in
the world to do with keeping the
peace in Louisiana and South Carroll
ma. Let him withdraw his troops, and
the lawful Governors OF those States will
soon show him that they will not need to
call upon him to preserve the peace. He
should diYest himself Of the idea that he
has anything to do with quelling riots or
mobs in the States, unless called upon by
the proper authorities. The easy solution
OF the problem before him was suggested
by Senator ROBERTSON in more polite Ian
guage; but we will tell him in plain terms
that all he has to do, and all he can law
fully do, and all that it is necessary for him
to do in order to get rid OF all trouble in
and about South Carolina and Louisiana, is
ton1ind his oaon business and let other peo-
pie attend to theirs.
The United States Suits Against Con-