Richland beacon., 1877-02-03
The Presidents Approval of tie
Electoral EilE

President Grant approved the
Electoral bill last Monday, aud ad-
dressed the following message TO Con-
gress as his reasons ftr such approval,
Which IS the most conservative, nIti-
partisan AID sensible document that
has ever emanattd from the Executive
, department sirce Grant has been
President, and indicates that be mas
broken loose from the control cf the
Morton crowd at the eleventh hOur {.
To the Senate of the Chi;ed States:
follow he example heretofore pre-
seated OF communicating in this moCe
my approval If the Act TO provide
for, aid yeglla'e the cCucting Of votes
for President and Nice-Presidcnt an!
the decision Of questions arising there
on, for the term conmeBcing March
4th, 4 ID. 1871, because - my ap-
probation Of the imm'ncht peril - the
institutions 0f the country from. which,
in my Judgment. The Act aiioris a
wise and constitutional means Of
escaLc. For tie first tine in tie
history G: OAR country Under the Con-
stitution as it is now, L dispute exists
with regard to the rtsu!t Z. the elec
ton Of the Chief Magistrate of the
Nation. 1t is understood that upon
the disposition of disputes touching
he Electoral votes cast at the late
election by one 81 more Of the States
depends the question whether one or
tie Gther of the caElida'es for 'he
Presidency is the lawful Chief Magis-
trate. TIE Importance OF having
clearly asccr.ained by a procedure
regulated by law, which Il the two
citizens has tcea selected, ard Of
having tht right to this high cIiice
recognized and checrfuliy agreed in
by al the people Of the Republic, can
no. be overestimlted, and leads me
to express to Congress and to the Ma
ton, my great Satisfaction at the adpp~
iion of q measure that affords an or
DERBY means of decision Ct gravely
exciting question. While the history
of our country in its earlier periods,
shows that the President of the Senate
has counted the votes and declared
their standing, our whole history
shows that in NJ insane of doubt OF
dispute, has lie exercised the power
Of decidiay, and that the two houses
of Congress have disposed Of al. such
doubts and disputes; although III no
instance hitherto have they been. such
that their decision could essentially
have affected the result. For ,be first
tine then, the Government Of the
United States is now brought 10 NEE.
the question as one vital TO the result,
and this under circumstances not the
best calculated to produce al agree
ment or to induce calm feelings in the
several branches of the Government
or among the people OF the country.
In case where, as now, the result is
involved, it is the highest duty Of the
law-making powers to provide in
advance constitutional, orderly and
joint method of executing the Con-
stitution in this most interesting and
critical of its provisions The doing
so, far from being compromises6f
right, is an enforcement of right, and
an execution Of the powers conferred
by the Constitution on Congress. |
think that this orderly method has
been secured by the bill, which, APP
pealing 50 the Constitution and the
law as the guide in ascertaining the
right, provides means Of d, Gliding
the direct action of Congress; and in
respect TO double returns, by d tribu-
nal of inquiry, whose decisions stand,
unless both the houses Of Congress
shall concur in determining otherwise,
thus securing definite disposition of
all questions Of dispute in whatever
aspect they may arise. With or with
out this law, as oil of the States have
voted, and as tie vote is impossible,
it must be that one of the two cand-
dates have been elected, and it would
be dep!orable 10 witness au irregular
controversy as to which of the two
should receive, or which should con-
t'nue TO hold the Office. la periods of
history, controversies have arisen as
TO the succession Or choice of tie
Chief of States, and no party or
citizens loving their country and its
free institutions, can sacrifice too
much Of mere feeling in preserving,
through the upright course of the law,
their country from The smallest danger
to its peace on such an occasion, ard
it cannot be impressed too frmly iii
the hearts Of oil the people that true
liberty, and real progress can exist
only through cheerful adherence to